Overview of the Problem

What is censorship? 

     "Censorship" is the deliberate restriction of public press. The Korean Government controls every aspect of media: internet, newspapers, television, and radio. In North Korea, all media outlets are controlled by the North Korean Government, which prevents Korean citizens from gaining typical knowledge and information on world events. Korean media typically spreads a large amount of propaganda, which is very unfortunate for the country. 

Who is affected?

      All media outlets in North Korea are controlled by the North Korean government. Most news networks spread propaganda that heavily glorifies their leaders and even vilifies the leaders of other Countries. News networks are controlled by one central network, which is Korean Central News Agency.The censorship of media effects virtually all Korean citizens, no matter their age. The people of Korea are unable to gain access to unbiased media basically from the time of their birth. 

Where is it occurring?

     North Korea is a country in East Asia and it is located in the Northern part of the Korean Peninsula. The capital of North Korea is Pyongyang. North Korea has long been a country of strict and regimented ways of daily life. Beginning in 2002, the North Korean Government decided that government censorship of the internet and other media throughout the country was necessary. This however did not represent the voice of the countries peoples. The country is officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, but in reality is a totalitarian state.

When did it occur? 

     North Korean government has maintained heavy control over the country’s networks, allowing only a few government sponsored pages to be viewed. North Korea is ranked as one of the most censored nations in the world. From 2002 to 2006, the country was rated the worst in the world on access to free media. The country is still very heavily similar to how it was at that time, which is why it is such an important problem for people today. 

Why is this happening? 

     The media dedicates a large portion of its resources toward political propaganda and promoting their leaders. Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il are constantly made to look like heroes, and are made to look like brave and responsible leaders when in reality, a large amount of Korean citizens live in fear. The media routinely makes false claims and uses unrealistic information in order to attack topics such as the Western World, Christianity, the United States, Israel, Japan, and South Korea.

How did it Start?
     
     Kim Jong-Il was the leader of North Korea at the time, and he wanted citizens to believe that their country was doing better than it actually was, so they began censoring media, particularly on the subject of Western culture, so that the people of North Korea would not know what life was like outside of Korea. Over time the power of the government expanded and they were able to gain full control over Korean news and media.