North Koreans must prioritise safeguarding propaganda portraits of their leaders, the country's official newspaper said, as a tropical storm made landfall on the Korean peninsula on Thursday.
Tropical Storm Khanun, which battered Japan before taking a circuitous route towards the Korean peninsula, is set to move into North Korea early Friday after spreading heavy rains across the South.
Natural disasters tend to have a greater impact on the isolated and impoverished North due to its weak infrastructure, while deforestation has left it vulnerable to flooding.
But Pyongyang's official Rodong Sinmun said North Koreans' "foremost focus" should be "ensuring the safety of" propaganda portraits of its leaders, as well as the country's statues, mosaics, murals and other monuments to the Kims.
Pyongyang is extremely sensitive and protective when it comes to the image of the ruling Kim dynasty.
Portraits of current leader Kim Jong Un's father and grandfather are ubiquitous, adorning every home and office in the country.
Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency said on Thursday that "all the sectors and units" in the country were "conducting a dynamic campaign to cope with disastrous abnormal climate".
"Strong wind, downpour, tidal wave and sea warnings were issued," it added.
Efforts were also being made by officials in the agriculture sector to proactively safeguard crops against the typhoon, according to KCNA.
The North has periodically been hit by famine, with hundreds of thousands of people dying -- estimates range into millions -- in the mid-1990s.
The country held a high-level party meeting in February to specifically address food shortages and agricultural problems.
Officials, meanwhile, were advised to ensure the country's economic output was not affected by "any natural disasters", including typhoons, according to Thursday's Rodong Sinmun.
© 2023 AFP
20 Comments
2020hindsights
What the actual f! Maybe dear Kim could lift a finger to help his people. What a monster.
La vie douce
Pyongyang's official Rodong Sinmun said North Koreans' "foremost focus" should be "ensuring the safety of" propaganda portraits of its leaders, as well as the country's statues, mosaics, murals and other monuments to the Kims.
Talk about wrong priorities.
virusrex
How much is this about emtpy vanity and how much about a valid worry that without the constant brainwashing the population may recognize the hell they are living in?
buua
Morons!
Asiaman7
Propaganda is unfortunately everywhere.
U.S. residents tolerate repeated mass shootings because they have been brainwashed to believe that “a well regulated militia [is] necessary to the security of a free State” — like there are non-governmental militias out there protecting them from some real threat.
Japanese seem to think that Japan is one of the few places that has four seasons.
To the outsider, it’s all nonsense.
sunfunbun
M.NK.G.A
A delusional cult.
bass4funk
Propaganda is unfortunately everywhere.
No, apples and oranges argument, not even remotely close to reality, the 2nd amendment is constitutionally enshrined and that threat can be foreign or domestic and I would argue that because of 2nd amendment we don’t have to fear that the government will ever dominate or takeover the nation for whatever reason, in todays political climate it would be propaganda to think that a one party rule would never take power.
That’s until they travel abroad.
Some people think that Cleopatra was Egyptian or that slavery was only practiced in the US or that all Norwegians are blonde. You can find propaganda in every part of society, every part, but it’s different when you are born in what technically can be described as a giant prison in a country that has them everywhere and where every single thought and action is controlled with precision.
For many in NK the only thing they know is that world and nothing else. You do have varies individuals that make money sneaking in dvds of South Korean movies and life and sometimes foreign movies, but purchasing these movies is extremely dangerous to possess them, if caught can either get you locked in a gulag or executed. So North Koreans have no choice but to buy and believe the nation’s propaganda because all over forms of outside information is controlled or blocked.
Sanjinosebleed
Absolutely ghastly! I hope there is a special place in hell set aside for this "dynasty!
GBR48
The chaos of a storm is a good cover to overthrow a dictatorship.
bass4funk
I agree
Tony Kaku
Imagine the prison they have been born in and had to endure all this time. Particularly regular families with little education who didn't have the opportunity to be of particular use to the regime and work themselves somewhat up the greasy pole and get a slightly better life. One can only wonder if we will all be in some kind of digital prison in the future and not much better off and with no way of changing our circumstances like the North Koreans.
wallace
90% have hunger and health problems.
Sh1mon M4sada
...Must be a genius, elsewhere in China, the CCP was saying something similar, all other cities must be used a a flood sink to protect the properties of party elites in Beijing.
Common prosperity!
Rodney
I’m in love his sister. World needs more women leaders, just not Margaret Thatcher!
Speed
Things over people.
Coulda been
Rodney @ 9.44am
She's all yours- go for it and the best of luck. Just don't say or do the wrong thing otherwise your dreams will be shattered.
TaiwanIsNotChina
There actually are non-governmental militias. Deflect much?
Fighto!
Just look at those two pathetic, ugly men wearing ill-fitting suits in the propaganda piece!
I really hope all their pictures get destroyed. Notice how the sick regime is more concerned with these images than helping the millions who were already starving?
Rat-face is all yours.