Packed with missile tests, propaganda hailing the great leaders and tirades against the United States, North Korea’s top newspaper has long been considered so incendiary that South Korea banned its citizens from reading it.
But dovish President Lee Jae-myung is now seeking better ties with Pyongyang and has joked that he doesn’t believe the public will “become commies” by reading Rodong Sinmun.
That means from this week, South Koreans can access the publication – whose name means “Workers’ Newspaper” – at select locations without state approval.
Prospective readers no longer have to identify themselves and submit an application explaining their purpose, though they still must visit public libraries to view a copy. Opinions in Seoul were divided on allowing free access to propaganda from Pyongyang.
All media in North Korea is tightly controlled by the government and Rodong Sinmun is the mouthpiece of the repressive ruling Workers’ Party.
“It’s like giving people access to IS propaganda,” said Park Si-won, a 22-year-old university student, referring to the militant group also known as Islamic State.
“You wouldn’t do that unless you wanted them to join the group.”
Hong Se-wung, 81, called the change “undesirable”.
“To allow people to read the newspaper of a hostile country, or to lead them towards reading it, the very idea itself is extremely unsettling.”
But others were sceptical that South Koreans would go out of their way to seek out the paper.
“Many people these days don’t even read physical newspapers anyway. I doubt they’ll make the effort to read Rodong Sinmun,” said Son Yu-jin, 27, a graduate student. — AFP
