N. KOREA UTILIZES SOCIAL MEDIA FOR PROPAGANDA

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea is turning to social media as a new channel for the regime's propaganda. The North is introducing the daily lives of its people on YouTube. As viewing North Korean state media is prohibited in South Korea, Seoul is mulling whether or not to allow South Koreans to access to the North Korean YouTube posts

[Pkg]

​Entitled "The life of a Pyongyang Child," this video can be watched on YouTube. It is about a seven-year-old girl named Ri Su-jin.

[Soundbite] "Ri Su-jin's "Daily TV" starts today."

In the video, the girl boasts her excellent piano playing skills.

[Soundbite] "Have a listen please."

She openly reveals personal aspects of her life, such as washing hands and studying.
The YouTube post offers an up-close look at the daily life of her and her family living in Pyongyang. Other YouTube videos introduce various locations in the North Korean capital. A trendy food show is filmed at Daedong-gang Fisheries Market. Another is fact-checking rumors about consumer prices in Pyongyang. These YouTube videos are presumed to have been produced by the North Korean government. The South Korean government says there is no legal grounds to ban South Koreans from watching these videos. Although it added that circulating such videos is illegal, the government's stance is virtually interpreted as approval. However, Seoul bans accessing all forms of North Korean state media, whether it be newspapers or TV broadcasts. This is why experts are calling on the government to revise related standards and regulations in line with the evolving media landscape.

[Soundbite] PROF. LEE WOO-YOUNG(UNIVERSITY OF NORTH KOREAN STUDIES) : "North Korea is working to embrace global trends. As part of the efforts, it is actively utilizing new media. South Korea needs to begin discussions on how to address this issue in the age of an open society."

It appears that disputes over the North's new propaganda channel will continue for the time being, since it is nearly impossible to block North Korean social media accounts and servers based overseas.