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https://nypost.com/2018/06/23/north-korea-erasing-most-anti-us-propaganda/

Nix the nuclear warheads, cue the doves.

The North Korean government is erasing much of its anti-U.S. propaganda following dictator Kim Jong-un’s forays onto the world stage.
Gone are the posters depicting the U.S. as a “rotten, diseased, pirate nation” and promising “merciless revenge” on American forces for an imagined attack on the totalitarian country.

In their place are cheery messages touting praising the prospects for Korean reunification and the declaration Kim signed in April with South Korean President Moon Jae-in promising “lasting peace,” according to reports.

Still the most isolated country in the world, very few North Koreans have access to news and information from the outside world. So state propaganda plays a huge role in shaping their views.

Murals, banners and posters displayed throughout the capital, Pyongyang, have for decades depicted the U.S. as a brutal, imperialist aggressor hell-bent on destroying the North Korean regime. South Korea and Japan were also frequently targeted as willing allies of the U.S.

But things started to take an Orwellian turn in the run-up to Kim’s June 12 summit with President Donald Trump, with the old posters vanishing since then.

“All the anti-American posters I usually see around Kim Il-sung Square and at shops, they’ve all just gone,” Rowan Beard, a tour manager at Young Pioneer Tours, told Reuters. “In five years working in North Korea, I’ve never seen them completely disappear before.”

Infamous posters and postcards showing North Korean missiles on their way to Washington are a thing of the past. Also removed are the anti-American trinkets that used to be sold to tourists as souvenirs. In their place are items showing themes of Korean reunification.

The change extends to the country’s government-controlled media. News reports that once depicted the U.S. as hostile, and its involvement in places like Syria as proof of imperialism, are no longer critical. The Financial Times said the main newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, hasn’t featured a direct attack on Trump since March, when he agreed to meet with Kim.

The paper was filled with pictures of the two together at the summit, and is no longer reporting anti-U.S. news. Other international events, like Kim’s visit last week to China, are being reported right away, rather than after a waiting period, and in more neutral language.

“This is fascinating,” Peter Ward, North Korea expert and writer for NKNews, told the BBC. “Generally speaking, neutral or positive coverage is normally reserved for countries that Pyongyang has friendly relations with.”

In one sign that relations are improving, the U.S. military said it positioned at least 100 wooden coffins at the border of North and South Korea on Saturday to prepare for the return of the remains of U.S. service members missing since the Korean War.

While the preparation suggests that the repatriation could happen soon, details about timing and location remain unclear.
Kim agreed to return the remains during the June 12 summit.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency says 7,697 Americans are unaccounted for from the 1950-1953 war. About 5,300 of those are believed to be in North Korean territory. Roughly 400 remains have been recovered from North Korea since 1990.

 

[TheShadowLord]

Good that they are removing most anti-US propaganda. Will hopefully give the people a real insight into what the US is and not what they are brainwashed to believe. Hope to see real progress in the next few months/years

 

[Neo_GAF]

please no, loved the anti-imperialist agit-prop-posters. sad, that north korea gives them up.

you know, they had them since the 70s, and even though north korea has literally nothing to do with the outside world, to this very day this posters from the cold war are still scattered throughout the country. most of them depict something which never existed so this is what makes it so great.

 

[Super Mario]

This is part of the reason why "separating families at the border" is such hot news. It's ironically nothing new. Not in the slightest. It was saved for that rainy day because many other things are working in Trump's favor at the moment. Can't let him get an ounce of credit for North Korea making jaw-dropping changes.

 

[infinitys_7th]

Remember when DPRK made a furry propaganda cartoon with a sexy American Machiavellian meganekko vixen?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squirrel_and_Hedgehog

The face of capitalist oppression:

 

[dolabla]

please no, loved the anti-imperialist agit-prop-posters. sad, that north korea gives them up.

you know, they had them since the 70s, and even though north korea has literally nothing to do with the outside world, to this very day this posters from the cold war are still scattered throughout the country. most of them depict something which never existed so this is what makes it so great.

They were interesting to see to say the least, but I'd rather them take them down if that means peace

 

[Naudi]

This is part of the reason why "separating families at the border" is such hot news. It's ironically nothing new. Not in the slightest. It was saved for that rainy day because many other things are working in Trump's favor at the moment. Can't let him get an ounce of credit for North Korea making jaw-dropping changes.

Yeah... I'm pretty sure its hot news because the thought of unprecedented numbers of children be ripped out of parents arms is not something majority of Americans are ok with. thousands of them. That has never happened before, quit spreading FAKE NEWS.

 

[Jesus Carbomb]

This is part of the reason why "separating families at the border" is such hot news. It's ironically nothing new. Not in the slightest. It was saved for that rainy day because many other things are working in Trump's favor at the moment. Can't let him get an ounce of credit for North Korea making jaw-dropping changes.

The most undeserving username in Neogaf history.

 

[NahaNago]

What better anti-US propaganda is there than Trump.

 

[Lastyou1]

All the latest Kim nuclear tests failed a la Will E. Coyote, they literally backfired on North Korean soil.


A small country, in war with the whole world, without natural resources and that lost the political and military protection of China and Russia.

Kim is just buying himself some time, he doesn't want to become the next Saddam Hussein. He is smarter than he looks.

 

[LordPezix]

This is part of the reason why "separating families at the border" is such hot news. It's ironically nothing new. Not in the slightest. It was saved for that rainy day because many other things are working in Trump's favor at the moment. Can't let him get an ounce of credit for North Korea making jaw-dropping changes.

So the separating of families at the border shouldn't be news?

 

[Tevious]

I have a small collection of anti-Trump North Korean propaganda pamphlets that crashed from a NK balloon in Seoul last year. They were all over the ground, so I kept a few in case they might actually be worth something someday. Glad I did, if that kind of stuff ends up being rare. Translated to English, it says "Warmonger!" and has Trump dressed up in a Nazi uniform saying "Complete destruction" with a nuke explosion in the background.

 

[M. Crassus]

It's kind of sad that these monumental changes are being underplayed and ignored because Trump. What is currently happening there is pretty historical and funnily enough, Trump, with his love for showmanship and seemingly pragmatic attitude, might just be the right man for this job. The last thing we need is some white knight Trudeau type complaining about the human rights abuses in North Korea and scaring Kim back into his shell. If the country continues to open up and seek friendlier relations, this will no doubt ripple through to eventually better the situation for the North Korean population. All things in due time.

 

[caffeware]

Can't wait to see the North Koreans rule e-sports.

 

[mild sriracha]

After unification, is it possible kim runs for presidential/PM campaign and wins ? That would be strange.

 

[iamblades]

After unification, is it possible kim runs for presidential/PM campaign and wins ? That would be strange.

South Korea has double the population, so unless he does some pretty impressive shit, it's not likely.

As for what's really likely to happen, I think Kim is smart enough to realize that in the modern world the complete iron fist tactics of his father and grandfather are not sustainable, you can't really maintain a complete information blackout. Problem is he can't really liberalize and normalize relations overnight without risking a coup by whatever hardliners who actually believe the propaganda(or more likely think it's important that the regular North Korean people do).

Part of this is why he has been killing off so many of his relatives or anyone who could challenge his control of the country. I assume this is the next step of the plan, so he must have secured his internal leadership enough to feel comfortable making changes. Starting with the reduction of propaganda and worship of the elder Kims will make the transition less shocking I guess.

Don't think that Kim is trying to turn his country into a liberal democracy though. I think he intends to become something like China has become, still authoritarian, but without the shitty economic policy that causes millions of people to starve to death. We should welcome the improvement just like we did with China, but that doesn't mean we should stop pushing for more improvements in human rights.

 

[dolabla]

Some more news. North Korea to skip its annual anti-US imperialism rally: https://nypost.com/2018/06/25/north-korea-skips-annual-anti-us-imperialism-rally/

North Korea is skipping its annual “anti-US imperialism” rally marking the start of the Korean War, one of the most politically charged events staged by the regime as it tones down the rhetoric following the summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, according to a report on Monday.

The month-long event intended to strengthen nationalism and unity among North Korean citizens concludes on July 27 with a national holiday to celebrate the “Victory in the Fatherland Liberation War,” the Associated Press reported.

More than 100,000 people turned out for last year’s rally in Kim Il Sung Square.

The regime also issued special anti-US postage stamps for the occasion.
Besides toning down the harsh comments about the US, North Korean state-run media have been broadcasting and publishing accounts of Kim’s meeting with Trump earlier this month in Singapore.

The two leaders signed an agreement in which Pyongyang committed to working to denuclearize the Korean peninsula.

The Korean War lasted from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953, and ended with an armistice, meaning technically the US and North Korea are still at war.

 

[Captain Zyrain]

I still think it's crazy all the progress that's been made with regards to NK. There is still a good ways to go, and a lot more to be done, but compared to how it's been my entire life.. it's really cool.

I do think it kind of sucks that Kim/NK will likely "get away" with their human rights abuses, but I don't really see another alternative that isn't invasion/war.

 

[dolabla]

I still think it's crazy all the progress that's been made with regards to NK. There is still a good ways to go, and a lot more to be done, but compared to how it's been my entire life.. it's really cool.

I do think it kind of sucks that Kim/NK will likely "get away" with their human rights abuses, but I don't really see another alternative that isn't invasion/war.

Indeed. It's hard to believe. I will remain skeptical for a while just because of the regime, but it's definitely a good sign that they're doing all this.

 

[Fox Mulder]

I always thought the idea of westerners going on tourism trips to North Korea was interesting. I hope this stuff works out, it's certainly different results than the previous decades of efforts.

 

[Scopa]

What better anti-US propaganda is there than Trump.

Hillary Clinton?

 

[TheMikado]

South Korea has double the population, so unless he does some pretty impressive shit, it's not likely.

As for what's really likely to happen, I think Kim is smart enough to realize that in the modern world the complete iron fist tactics of his father and grandfather are not sustainable, you can't really maintain a complete information blackout. Problem is he can't really liberalize and normalize relations overnight without risking a coup by whatever hardliners who actually believe the propaganda(or more likely think it's important that the regular North Korean people do).

Part of this is why he has been killing off so many of his relatives or anyone who could challenge his control of the country. I assume this is the next step of the plan, so he must have secured his internal leadership enough to feel comfortable making changes. Starting with the reduction of propaganda and worship of the elder Kims will make the transition less shocking I guess.

Don't think that Kim is trying to turn his country into a liberal democracy though. I think he intends to become something like China has become, still authoritarian, but without the shitty economic policy that causes millions of people to starve to death. We should welcome the improvement just like we did with China, but that doesn't mean we should stop pushing for more improvements in human rights.

I don't think he is against unification though. I also don't trust South Korea or Moon. Conservatives have been saying for a while that we can't trust Moon and that he's in bed with China in the long game. Previously I considered him simply soft on North Korea, but again with the advent of wanting to dissolve US/SK military relations such that SK takes command of its own army, it can't be coincidence that this is exactly what China and NK and Russia have been wanting for years. I'm not against peace, but I don't trust that this region will remain in adherence to western ideology especially as it regards human rights.

We just had South Korea for the first time arresting protesters against North Korea, and while I certainly understand why in this critical stage. It sets a bad precedent that is incompatible with what we stand for.

 

[M. Crassus]

I don't think he is against unification though. I also don't trust South Korea or Moon. Conservatives have been saying for a while that we can't trust Moon and that he's in bed with China in the long game. Previously I considered him simply soft on North Korea, but again with the advent of wanting to dissolve US/SK military relations such that SK takes command of its own army, it can't be coincidence that this is exactly what China and NK and Russia have been wanting for years. I'm not against peace, but I don't trust that this region will remain in adherence to western ideology especially as it regards human rights.

We just had South Korea for the first time arresting protesters against North Korea, and while I certainly understand why in this critical stage. It sets a bad precedent that is incompatible with what we stand for.

Why should they remain in adherence to Western ideology? I'd say that's none of our business in the first place.

 

[TheMikado]

Why should they remain in adherence to Western ideology? I'd say that's none of our business in the first place.

I'm talking about in reference to human rights. I agree much of their ideology is none of our business, but the question becomes. What do we do about human rights atrocities around the world? Do we ignore them? Do we not do business with them, etc?

 

[Scopa]

I don't think he is against unification though. I also don't trust South Korea or Moon. Conservatives have been saying for a while that we can't trust Moon and that he's in bed with China in the long game. Previously I considered him simply soft on North Korea, but again with the advent of wanting to dissolve US/SK military relations such that SK takes command of its own army, it can't be coincidence that this is exactly what China and NK and Russia have been wanting for years. I'm not against peace, but I don't trust that this region will remain in adherence to western ideology especially as it regards human rights.

We just had South Korea for the first time arresting protesters against North Korea, and while I certainly understand why in this critical stage. It sets a bad precedent that is incompatible with what we stand for.

This is so arrogant. America shouldn’t even be there in the first place.

It’s ironic when people talk about the China and Russia bogeymen when it is the U.S.A. that has boots on the ground worldwide like a disease.

Cue the “they’re there for a reason” posts.

 

[NahaNago]

Hillary Clinton?

Nope, Hillary is your typical politician so the views on the U.S. wouldn't have changed that much outside of possibly the middle east.

 

[TheMikado]

This is so arrogant. America shouldn’t even be there in the first place.

It’s ironic when people talk about the China and Russia bogeymen when it is the U.S.A. that has boots on the ground worldwide like a disease.

Cue the “they’re there for a reason” posts.

I'm not disagreeing on whether America should be there or not. We shouldn't. But if we aren't it begs the greater question how do we deal with human rights issues globally? Do we stop them, do we ignore them? If we ignore them, do we do trade with them. That's my whole point. If SK begins to commit human rights violations are there any consequences or are we going to look the other way. That's what my question is.

 

[Scopa]

I'm not disagreeing on whether America should be there or not. We shouldn't. But if we aren't it begs the greater question how do we deal with human rights issues globally? Do we stop them, do we ignore them? If we ignore them, do we do trade with them. That's my whole point. If SK begins to commit human rights violations are there any consequences or are we going to look the other way. That's what my question is.

I understand what you are saying. I’m assuming you are American? I suggest you look closer to home before casting aspersions on other nations when it comes to the abuse of rights.

 

[Rentahamster]

I'm not disagreeing on whether America should be there or not. We shouldn't. But if we aren't it begs the greater question how do we deal with human rights issues globally? Do we stop them, do we ignore them? If we ignore them, do we do trade with them. That's my whole point. If SK begins to commit human rights violations are there any consequences or are we going to look the other way. That's what my question is.

It's complicated. Sometimes, even with the noblest of intentions, a nation's involvement in overseas affairs ends up doing more net harm than good. Just look at the USA's foreign intervention fuckups for the past 60 years. Granted, the NK leadership has a history of being horrific. However, if this is the only way out of fourteen million six hundred and five possibilities for peace, and then leads to subsequent liberalization of that country, I'll take it.


It's a much better alternative to the "let's bomb our way to peace" bullshit foreign policy that hasn't worked ever.

 

[TheMikado]

I understand what you are saying. I’m assuming you are American? I suggest you look closer to home before casting aspersions on other nations when it comes to the abuse of rights.

It's complicated. Sometimes, even with the noblest of intentions, a nation's involvement in overseas affairs ends up doing more net harm than good. Just look at the USA's foreign intervention fuckups for the past 60 years. Granted, the NK leadership has a history of being horrific. However, if this is the only way out of fourteen million six hundred and five possibilities for peace, and then leads to subsequent liberalization of that country, I'll take it.


It's a much better alternative to the "let's bomb our way to peace" bullshit foreign policy that hasn't worked ever.

But I agree with all of this. I prefer non-intervention as well. However the question becomes where do we draw the line and where do we step in.

We saw the spread of communism as a threat to both our sovereignty and a human rights abuse. Our involvement was to ensure survival as well as to "take the high road" on morality. Had the US not stepping in the Cold War and USSR would have played out much differently and global politics and freedoms today would look dramatically different. That's my question. I'm not advocating that we be the world police, I'm asking where we draw the line between action and in-action.

 

[M. Crassus]

I'm not disagreeing on whether America should be there or not. We shouldn't. But if we aren't it begs the greater question how do we deal with human rights issues globally? Do we stop them, do we ignore them? If we ignore them, do we do trade with them. That's my whole point. If SK begins to commit human rights violations are there any consequences or are we going to look the other way. That's what my question is.

It's a valid question, but I think it's truly none of our business how other countries run their affairs. Not trading with them only further compounds the problem and isolates those nations, while wealth and prosperity gained by free trade might actually lead to positive developments (see China, where people are gaining rights and freedom very slowly but surely as the wealth grows). These countries all have their own unique histories and cultures and need to develop on their own. We can only hope that trade and contact with the West has a positive influence, and I think it does.

 

[TheMikado]

It's a valid question, but I think it's truly none of our business how other countries run their affairs. Not trading with them only further compounds the problem and isolates those nations, while wealth and prosperity gained by free trade might actually lead to positive developments (see China, where people are gaining rights and freedom very slowly but surely as the wealth grows). These countries all have their own unique histories and cultures and need to develop on their own. We can only hope that trade and contact with the West has a positive influence, and I think it does.

And that's where I'm getting at. If we continue trade and other agreements even in the midst of human rights violations so will argue that we give validity and we should instead levy sanctions. It's not something I have an answer to, but I don't think we can continue to trade with allow relations with countries with gross violations. We as a country have been here before in our disputes of the ethics of Chinese sweatshops and child labor practices.

I don't have an answer of course, but I don't think its as simple as let countries do whatever they want to the people that live in them. Even if we don't interfere do we also turn away refugees or even worse return refugees to those countries they escape from just to retain positive trade partners.
This has come up before even with NK and the American public and news channels criticized merely the idea of meeting with dictators who violate human rights. I'm not against meeting with these individuals and forging a better path. But my question becomes how do we do this and where are the lines.

https://nowthisnews.com/videos/poli...ing-negotiations-with-north-korea?jwsource=cl

 

[mild sriracha]

i've started wondering, is there any country/government that would want NK to remain a threat to nearby countries ?

 

[Deleted member 713885]

This is so arrogant. America shouldn’t even be there in the first place.

It’s ironic when people talk about the China and Russia bogeymen when it is the U.S.A. that has boots on the ground worldwide like a disease.

Cue the “they’re there for a reason” posts.

I'm not one for us (America) being world police..but at the same time I kinda accept the fact we need to be in places as to be able to move quick.

Like Isreal. I for one give zero fucke about Isreal/Palestine. They can blow each other off the map for all I care.

But... I know it gives us a staging area in the middle east, as well as access to prob one of the biggest cyber terrorist nations.

I would like to see other super nations pick up the slack but I worry that Euro land (aside from Eastern Euro) is far to soft.