Global Media News

YouTube Deletes North Korea’s Propaganda Channel

Under the power of a dictator, all forms of news (newspapers, television and internet content) are filtered by the government. North Korea has been broadcasting some disturbing videos on YouTube. The nation has been running a propaganda channel, “Uriminzokkiri.” The channel gave the United States an insight on North Korea's leadership, military, and economy. 

After viewing the videos, YouTube, which is owned by Google, decided to shut down the account. The media outlet released a statement on why the channel was shut down. (h/t Rachel Leah of Salon) 

“This account has been terminated for violating YouTube’s community guidelines. The channel that routinely posted videos bragging of the country’s nuclear and missile programs and lauding its leader Kim Jong-un, often with colorful, animated images of American cities burning in nuclear fire.”

According to the Washington Post, one of the videos was titled “What will the cost be for Americans, who are losing sleep at night?” The Post detailed the captions in the video: “Since the North gave notice of its Guam attack plan, there has been a commotion at the White House, the Pentagon, on Guam, and on the political scene.”

The larger issue raised by YouTube was North Korea not following the community guidelines, which includes threats or hateful content in videos. While the North Korean YouTube channel was taken down, Uriminzokkiri is still active on Facebook and Twitter, along with their independent website. 

YouTube has blocked countries like China and Iran, along with North Korea. Afghanistan, Russia, and Syria are three of twenty countries that have been censored by YouTube.

After the North Korean YouTube channel was taken down, Curtis Melvin, who works with US-Korea Institute, was infuriated with YouTube's decision to take down the North Korean channel and questioned YouTube's decision. 

INFURIATING! @Google and @Youtube have pulled the Uriminzokkiri Youtube Channel AGAIN! What is the legal issue here? pic.twitter.com/beR8H6w3bC

— Curtis Melvin 커티스 멜빈 (@CurtisMelvin) September 12, 2017

Joshua Pollack, editor of The Nonproliferation Review, stated on Twitter that it's the worst time for the channel to be shut down. 

There has been tons of tension between the United States and North Korea since Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States. The Trump administration has been warned by North Korea and were told keep “its eyes and ears open from now on” in one of their recent videos. North Korea doubled down by stating the "US should be beaten to death like a rabid dog” and should be “beaten to death like a rabid dog.

Trump stated that "Kim Jong Un made a very wise and well reasoned decision" when he chose not to fire missiles at Guam. Guam is a territory owned by the United States. Along with the statement made by the 45th President, Trump even threatened North Korea with “fire and fury.” 

North Korea owns a large amount of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The nation has carried out multiple nuclear tests, so it's important to analyze what's going on.  

“North Korea is a country with thermonuclear weapons sitting on ICBMs [intercontinental ballistic missiles] that can reach the United States. It is really important to understand them even if we don’t like them,” Jeffrey Lewis, an Arms control expert, told the Guardian. “That starts by analyzing their propaganda. Even though it’s tendentious, you can learn a lot about a country from the lies they tell.”

Lewis said the YouTube channels will help "analyze videos of missile launches and tours of factories, to better understand the regime’s nuclear capabilities."

At the end of the day, it may not completely be negative. While Uriminzokkiri was taken down from YouTube, there are three other ways to monitor North Korea's plans. As Curtis Melvin and Joshua Pollack mentioned, these websites are significant to the United States. With the United States going back-and-forth with North Korea, it's important to monitor Kim Jong Un and his nation.

'The Interview' Shines A Light On North Korean Regime

 

   "The Interview", a Sony film, pushes boundaries of the North Korean regime.  The movie shows off how weak of a country the North Koreans actually are by showing the peoples poverty and belief in their leader.  Many political relationships between North Korea and other countries are put on the line due to "The Interview" shining a light onto North Korea's regime.

    "The Interview" entails a U.S. celebrity interviewer invited to interview North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un,  and in the process the United States FBI plots to assassinate Kim Jong Un with the help of the celebrity interviewer.  It opens up topics for the celebrity interviewer to possibly ask Kim Jung Un such as, why does North Korea spend billions of dollars on their nuclear weapons program but needs a hand out of $100 million from the UN to feed their people.  Such things as famine, brainwashing propaganda, and censorship show how much the regime controls its people.  This movie has the power to challenge the North Korean regime and authority. It also shows other countries like America that despite all of North Korea's missiles and nuclear threats, North Korea is a repressed country.  According to the Washington Post,

"That is why the North Koreans have reacted so aggressively. Because if this movie is seen by audiences around the world, and if copies are pirated in to North Korea, it is a very real challenge to the ruling regime's legitimacy."

   Being that "The Interview" is a Sony Pictures film, and Sony is a Japanese company that has since expanded into America, there were some concerns that it was possible that the movie would destroy the negations and relationship between North Korea and Japan.  This movie has the potential to distance and ruin the relationship the Japanese is trying to build with North Korea. In the past there has been abductions in Japan and test missiles that have launched towards Japan.  The Wrap reports,

"A New York Times exposé published Dec. 14 suggested that Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai intervened in creative decisions for “The Interview” to avoid provoking Pyongyang:
“While many Americans seem to see North Korea as too distant to keep them awake at night, many Japanese see it as a very visible threat. Until three decades ago, North Korean agents occasionally snatched people off beaches in neighboring Japan to serve as Japanese-language teachers, and long-range North Korean rockets on test runs still fly ominously over Japan’s main islands.”

    Could a movie starring comedians James Franco and Seth Rogan have so much power as to destroy the bonds and agreements made by North Korea and Japan? According to a NewYorkTimes.com article, 

"North Korea fired three short-range projectiles off its east coast on Thursday, a day after it warned of retaliation against the release of an American comedy film involving a plot to kill its leader, Kim Jong-un."

It remains unclear if the act was in retaliation of the movie "The Interview", or not.  

North Korea has said that they view "The Interview" as "an act of war".  Time will tell if these wounds can heal between the countries.

North Korea Receives US Sanctions After Sony Attacks

 

    US sanctions against 10 North Korean officials and three organizations have been issued by US President Obama.  This comes after there was an attack on Sony Pictures company on the movie to be released titled "The Interview", featuring a storyline of two interviewers set to interview and kill North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un.  These sanctions seem to be very military and cyber based.  According to BBC News:

"Among those named in the sanctions were:

• The Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea's primary intelligence organisation.
• North Korea's primary arms dealer, the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (Komid).
• Korea Tangun Trading Corporation, which supports North Korea's defence research. 
• Jang Song Chol: Named by the US Treasury as a Komid representative in Russia and a government official.
• Kim Yong Chol: An official of the North Korean government, according to the US, and a Komid representative in Iran.
• Ryu Jin and Kang Ryong: Komid officials and members of the North Korean government who are operating in Syria, according to the US."

     The 10 officials named in the sanctions are big time players in North Korean weapon technology.  President Obama wanted to hurt North Korean officials who may have been involved in the attacks without hurting the people of North Korea.  North Korea has denied any involvement in the Sony attack, but US Intelligence begs to differ.  

The NY Times reported a statement made by US Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew, which said:

“Today’s actions are driven by our commitment to hold North Korea accountable for its destructive and destabilizing conduct,” Mr. Lew said. “Even as the F.B.I. continues its investigation into the cyberattack against Sony Pictures Entertainment, these steps underscore that we will employ a broad set of tools to defend U.S. businesses and citizens, and to respond to attempts to undermine our values or threaten the national security of the United States.”

     The US administration also said there would be a secret plan of response to North Korea's Sony attacks as well.  For two weeks following the Sony attack, North Korea's internet connection had been shut down.  US Officials skirted around questions asking if the US was involved in North Korea's internet loss.  

Gay Expression Restricted in Nigeria

Homosexuality is scorned upon by the Nigerian government. Laws have been past to restrict gay marriage in Nigeria. Anyone found or assumed to be gay can be captured and tortured legally. Arrests have been made to punish those suspected to be gay leading to fourteen years of jail time. Nigerians are allowed to beat and even kill gays in public. Gay Nigerians have fled the country in order to protect themselves and their families.

Bisi Alimi was one of the first gay Nigerians to come out about his homosexuality on television. His appearance caused his interview to be taken off air and the show to be canceled. The show producers where putting together a project covering stories of people in the L.G.B.T community. Although Alimi was a guest on the show, he was ridiculed by the host for his sexuality. The host felt the need to apppear against homosexuality in order to convince the public that they do not promote it on the show. The host Funmi Lyanda had stated "In a country like this how dare you come out and say your gay?" (The New York Times) Unfortunately the public wasn't satisfied with Funimi's backlash because they did not want any coverage on homosexuality at all. After the show he was harassed and death threats pushed him to flee his country.  Since the show, Alimi has received positive and negative support on social media such as twitter over his sexuality.

Whether people believe in homosexuality or not, some just can'y understand why its a major problem. People question as to why laws are being made over gay marriage instead attention being paid to poverty and underdevelopment. The Nigerian government is expected to have kept homosexuals detained in order to collect more money from their families and take advantage of their charge. Dorethy Aken'Ova, executive director of Nigeria's International Center for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights stated "Even after extorting them, they have not released the people". The bias and lack of self expression against gays is unfair.

Reference:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/04/15/meet-the-first-man-to-come-out-as-gay-on-nigerian-television/ 

http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/16/meet-the-first-gay-nigerian-to-come-out-on-tv/

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2014/12/22/372536703/adebisi-alimi-gay-nigerian-actor-puts-his-sexuality-in-the-spotlight

Global Media News Webcast #5: February 28, 2013

Media News from Japan, North Korea and South Korea!

Global Media News for February 28, 2013

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• Google Tourism?  Eric Schmidt's Visit to North Korea
• Internet Access & Censorship in North Korea
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Foreigners allowed mobile internet use in North Korea

    Foreigners in North Korea will soon be allowed to use the mobile internet on their cell phones, Ipads and other mobile devices.  The mobile Internet service will be offered by provider Koryolink.  However, North Korean citizens will still not have access to the mobile Internet. 

    This story comes from FOX News.  This announcement comes weeks after North Korea began allowing foreigners to bring their own cell phones into the country, but only to be used use with Koryolink SIM cards.  This new policy reverses a longstanding rule requiring most visitors to relinquish their phones at customs and leaving many without easy means of communication with the outside world. 

    North Koreans, however will remained to be governed by a separate set of telecommunication rules than that of foreigners.  Though North Korea is equipped for broadband Internet, only a small, approved segment of the population has access to the World Wide Web.  Foreigners will be allowed to purchase monthly mobile Internet data plans for use with a USB modem or on mobile devices using their SIM cards starting next week. Prices have not been announced yet. 

    I think this shows that North Korea is becoming more open to the outside world.  Hopefully in the near future North Korean citizens will be given more freedoms such as internet access. 

Is Something Johnny Rotten in Pyongyang?

Has North Korea Spawned a Sixth Sex Pistol?

'God Save Kim Jong-un  --  We Mean It, Man!' 

Is it 'Anarchy in the DPRK'? 

Is there really punk rock north of the DMZ?