Recent years have seen a tightening of ideological control in North Korea, from propaganda campaigns warning of harsh penalties for possession of foreign media to a crackdown on “abuse of power.”
The COVID-19 pandemic and related economic hardships appear to have driven North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to demand ever-greater shows of loyalty and purity. Interestingly, however, another period of intense suffering in the DPRK led to a different message, at least as delivered through cultural works.
Recent years have seen a tightening of ideological control in North Korea, from propaganda campaigns warning of harsh penalties for possession of foreign media to a crackdown on “abuse of power.”
The COVID-19 pandemic and related economic hardships appear to have driven North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to demand ever-greater shows of loyalty and purity. Interestingly, however, another period of intense suffering in the DPRK led to a different message, at least as delivered through cultural works. 
Tatiana Gabroussenko obtained her PhD in East Asian Studies at the Australian National University. She is currently a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University, Seoul. Her latest book, “Soldiers on the Cultural Front: Developments in the Early History of North Korean Literature and Literary Policy,” was included in the Choice magazine list of Outstanding Academic Titles of 2012.
Specialist news and analysis,
research tools, and unique data sets
Internet Explorer is not compatible with this website. We instead recommend using Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.
Microsoft ceased supporting IE 10 and older in 2016.
In addition, Microsoft cyber-security chief Chris Jackson has been urging users to stop using the browser since February 2019.
Join the influential community of members who rely on NK News original news and in-depth reporting
Enter your details below
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Forgot Password?
Don’t have an account? SIGN UP
Join the influential community of members who rely on NK News original news and in-depth reporting
Already have an account? SIGN IN
Join the influential community of members who rely on NK News original news and in-depth reporting
Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Don’t have an account? SIGN UP
The NK Pro, NK News and KCNA Watch websites do not support private mode or incognito browsing.