Other Media In North Korea
The other dominant types of media within the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are radio and printed publications. According to the BBC News article "North Korea country profile," the country has two radio stations, both of which are owned and run by the state. They are the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, run by the Korean Worker's Party, and the Voice of Korea, which is run by the state itself (Profile). "The totalitarian regime in North Korea keeps its people in a state of ignorance through tight control of the media" is what Reporters Without Borders had to say in the BBC News article. Also, according to the same article, North Korea only has four newspaper, all of which are state run, but focus on different aspects of living under the regime. The dystopian aspect here is clear in that because all radio and press are stater run, the people are constantly told only what the government wants them to hear, thus forming opinions and beliefs that the people have no choice but to accept.
BBC News also says in its article that all radios are pre-programed to only receive specific North Korean channels. These can be altered illegally to receive foreign signals, but if caught there are severe consequences (Profile). Thus, it seems that even if citizens of North Korea had a choice of what to listen to, they are terrorized into just listening to the channels they are proved, therefore strengthening the message of the state. The people are told they live in a utopia, but nothing could be further from the truth; the dysopia they are living in is ominous, granting them little chances to escape it.
The video is a part of a documentary that chronicles one group's experiences within North Korea. In this particular excerpt from the film, the group is shown a library in Pyongyang. While there, they see what sort of documents are available to the public, but question whether or not the infromation really is available to everyone.
