North Korea remains one of the most secretive and repressive regimes in the world. The government, led by the Kim dynasty, exercises an iron grip over its citizens: domestic media and internet remain sealed off from the outside world, while the ruling Party invests economic resources and massive control over what citizens see, read and hear. The contrast between the carefully curated image of North Korea presented to its people and the actual conditions they endure, slightly known from the outside world, is stark. Understanding this dual approach offers insight into how the regime maintains its power despite widespread hardship.
North Korea, a totalitarian dictatorship based on the political and social ideology of idolatration of the Kim family, has reinforced loyality to the Supreme Leader through decades: the government dictates the narrative through state-controlled media, where every piece of news glorifies Kim Jong Un, considered son of the God, and portrays North Korea as a thriving, self-reliant nation impervious to outside threats. Citizens are overwhelmed with messages that paint the country as a paradise of socialism, against the supposed corruption and decay of the outside world, particularly the United States and South Korea. TV channels are exclusively reporting documentaries of the Kim dynasty, brainwashing younger generations.
Indeed, education is another major vehicle for propaganda. From an early age, North Korean children are taught about the alleged heroism of their leaders and the evils of foreign adversaries. School curricula are designed to instill absolute loyalty, ensuring that even the youngest citizens grow up believing in the state’s version of reality. Public libraries are manipulated by the government, which hide the history of the country and only shows documents from the 1970s, decade in which Kim Il Sung, grandfather of Kim Jong Un, took over power and declared himself the eternal leader.
Despite the official narrative, everyday life in North Korea tells a different story. The majority of citizens face poverty, food shortages, and lack of basic freedoms. North Korea has been described by Amnesty International as the worst country in the world for human rights records. While the capital is kept as a showcase city for elites, rural areas suffer from chronic deprivation and extreme level of poverty.
The government also exerts control through a pervasive surveillance system. State guards are embedded in every neighborhood, workplace, and even family unit, creating an environment of fear where people are hesitant to speak freely. The punishment for perceived disloyalty can range from forced labor to execution.
This is not only for nationals, but also for foreign visitors. The country closed its borders in 2020 following the global pandemic of COVID-19, they were recently reopened, although after a few weeks the leader mysteriously decided to close them again. It is reported by the few international tourists who managed to get into the country, that they were severely controlled within the whole tour of the country, and that they were forced to pay homage to statues of Kim Jong Un. No photos or videos were allowed during the tour, and if they got caught taking some, they would face jail. Similarly, citizens cannot travel abroad without permission, and even domestic travel requires special authorization.
Despite economic sanctions, international condemnation, and internal hardship, the regime survives steadily and strongly. It’s military power, and the development of nuclear weapons, ensures North Korea to continue undisturbed its political regime and its oppressive lifestyle. Not to consider the strong sense of nationalism: many North Koreans, even those who suffer under the regime, have been brainwashed to see themselves as part of a greater struggle against external enemies, supporting the regime no matter what.
The government’s goal is clear: to keep the country isolated from external influences that could challenge the state’s propaganda, used to reinforce its greatness among citizens and to criticize external Superpowers, portraying them as evil and not interested in their citizens’ wellbeing. External news sometimes manages to flow in through illegal channels, nonetheless, the struggle between propaganda and reality will continue to define life in North Korea for the foreseeable future, as the leader’s ability to control and manipulate external scandals is strong,
By The European Institute for International Relations
