News about North Korea fascinate the media and the audience. The only Problem is: The messages are often only half-true or completely wrong, especially if they come from a certain South Korean source.
What is reported, South Korea’s largest daily newspaper, the arch-conservative “Chosun Ilbo”, on Friday, made headlines around the world. It was said that North Korea’s ruler, Kim Jong-Un is the special envoy of Kim Hyok Chol in the airport, they would have been shot, as that of the failed US summit from Hanoi at the end of February returned home. A handful of other high-ranking party cadre to be put in re-education camp, including Kim Yong Chol, considered to be Kim’s right-Hand man. Spectacular news, the fighting in the middle of the stalled denuclearization negotiations between US President, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un to power in the Pjöngjanger leadership circle should indicate that.
A few minutes after the breaking news of the news Agency Reuters picked up the Story. It is the “New York Times” followed, on the dpa, the message eventually ends up in dozens of German local Newspapers. DW reported, as most of the other media note to the South Korean source.
The “sensational news” about the shooting of the special envoy, Kim Hyok Chol (here in the Embassy of his country in Madrid in 2017) was, apparently, premature
Fascination replaced accuracy
But on Sunday evening, the former intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol appeared in a TV broadcast of the North Korean news Agency KCNA again. In not in a work camp, but at the festive concert in addition to other high-ranking party cadres. And the allegedly executed special envoy Kim Hyok Chol was spotted, according to Chad O‘Carroll, the editor-in-chief of the prestigious medium, “NK News”, recently in the foreign Ministry in Pyongyang.
Such issues from North Korea are in the day-to-day media operation popular. A lot of speculation and statements from anonymous sources are in circulation, distributed trusted credible media and their multipliers unconsciously most of the time as facts. Having regard to the remoteness of the dictatorship of every rumor is a news flash. You can also verify eh is the widespread setting.
North Korea seals itself off like no other country in the world. When it comes to the disregard of the freedom of the press, will be able to compete according to the latest Ranking by the organization reporters without borders, only Turkmenistan and Eritrea with the far Eastern country. Nevertheless, the mass media of the Kim dictatorship are fascinated and that is why the truth seems to be less critical.
A former “victim” of Kim Jong-Un, more precisely, the newspaper Choson Ilbo said The North Korean singer and special Ambassador Hyon Son Wol
The famous “anonymous source”
An example is the bizarre hairstyle of the young dictator is. Allegedly, Kim is his male Comrades to pay to wear the same Hipster-cut as he. This hoax has received worldwide media attention. Who ever walks through the streets of Pyongyang, would this have been easy to create cons.
Also in the case of the false report on the alleged execution by the Friday, a second look is worth it. The news was trumpeted of “Chosun Ilbo” also, that Medium so that is notorious for its dubious and politically motivated in North Korea-reporting. There was only one, of course, anonymous source.
The newspaper “Chosun Ilbo”, it was also in 2013, noted had, Kim Jong-Un had his Ex-girlfriend, the singer Hyon Song Wol, for violation of the pornography law executed. That those Ex appeared only a little later alive and kicking in the television, remained a little-noticed side note. Also, the fact that Kim 2014 accused his uncle Jang Song Thaek allegedly 120 hungry dogs to be eaten, turned out to be a duck. Alone, that Jang was killed, may be regarded as a fact.
Kim was frustrated by the Hanoi summit in February, he mused as who should pay for it?
Journalists under pressure to act
On Friday afternoon the correspondent club in Seoul, the journalists were able to observe with a mixture of Anger and cynicism, like the alleged execution message within a few hours in the world, could spread. That was not verifiable, and factually wrong could be, was clear to all the readers at the other end of the world, perhaps less. The rumor of execution was already turned soon to the fact: “Kim is his Trump-messenger, shoot”, was the headline about the highest-circulation German newspaper “Bild”.
Quickly the Seoul reached correspondents requests from the home to editorial offices, to deliver as soon as possible a report on the recent execution. Some colleagues see in the theme of a fast-selling item, most of the reject, however, the order requests. The reason: For the coffee grounds, you need to read after all, no journalists on the ground. To report “about such rumors, the dubious reporting of the South Korean Newspapers only for more incentives,” said the correspondent of a French newspaper in Seoul.
For the “Chosun Ilbo”, it was not only a world-wide Scoop, but also free Publicity. The Name of the South Korean newspaper was quoted by virtually all international media. If the message as a duck turns out – as so often happened in the past -is to forget the topic in our fast-paced times already half. Many of the true, often hidden, and little placed in a prominent position, do not reach the reader.