Censorship in North Korea: Essay

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In well-known dystopian novels such as George Orwell’s ‘1984’ and Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, the strict rules imposed by their respective totalitarian states bespeak repression. Although both novels deal with issues that predominated the 20th century, many aspects of life imposed by totalitarian governments unfortunately still exist today in some countries, most notably North Korea, whose regime continues to use censorship as a means of control. to ensure the successful repression of basic human rights and freedoms.

Inside the borders of one of the most repressive regimes in the world today – North Korea – the censorship, propaganda, and the spread of information could not be more similar to those found in famous books’ dystopias. The spread of information is regulated by the regime, and thus the information broadcasted is limited. North Korean journalists all write in favor of the ruling party to consolidate this system of brainwashing. Propaganda plays a major role in brainwashing the people of the state to believe that South Korea and the United States are both enemies and wish to be in conflict with their nations. Posters are widespread within the borders of North Korea, promoting the destruction of foreign nations by launching missiles and the victorious defeat against invading troops. Due to the limited information made available to North Koreans, these types of propaganda are successful in creating a sense of patriotism and increasing trust in their leader and the ruling party. Hence, people are made to believe that their suffering is for the betterment of their nation. Internet access is widely restricted and only made available for a select few. In accordance, the censorship of foreign media works with the restriction of the Internet to limit any kind of foreign news from entering the borders and, as a result, cuts off communication from the outside world.

Thus, it should be recognized that censorship as a means of control to ensure the complete suppression of basic human rights and freedoms is not only a figment of the imagination of some authors of dystopian novels but also the reality of some modern countries, first of all, such as North Korea. This aspect of a totalitarian regime operates and is preserved through the corruption of power permitted by state authorities and the creation of fear and paranoia are used as mechanisms of control. Psychological manipulation is also invoked by such means of control to subconsciously inhibit the desire for better living conditions and blind citizens from the repressive regimes under which they are living. State tyranny, unfortunately, continues to exist in many repressive states where the peoples respective freedoms and basic civil liberties are at risk and quickly being abolished  if not, already abolished.

Works Cited

  1. Illmer, Andreas. ‘North Korean Propaganda Changes Its Tune’. BBC News. 23 June 2018. Web. 06 Aug. 2019.
  2. ‘North Korea Exposed: Censorship in the World’s Most Secretive State’. CJFE. Web. 06 Aug. 2019.
  3. ‘North Korea Sentences South Korean Reporters to Death over Review of Book about Country’ Reuters. 31 Aug. 2017. Web. 06 Aug. 2019.
  4. ‘North Korea’s Human Rights: What’s Not Being Talked About’. BBC News. 18 Feb. 2019. Web. 06 Aug. 2019.

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