N. Korean news broadcast takes on global look

An anchorwoman reads the news against the backdrop of a rotating globe in this clip from North Korea’s official Korean Central Television, which was uploaded on YouTube, Sunday. The North has been trying to modernize the look of its news programs. / Korea Times file

North Korea is tinkering with its television news broadcasts to create a modern feel in line with the style of new leader Kim Jong-un, analysts said Monday.

Over the weekend, the state network Korean Central Television (KCTV) featured new backdrops behind its anchors including a rotating image of the Earth with the Korean Peninsula highlighted.

Another features what appears to be a modern office building and a new apartment complex.

It is the second time since the death of late leader Kim Jong-il in December that KCTV has updated its format. In March, it introduced a computer-generated backdrop as a sign of modernization efforts pushed by his son and successor.

That switch came after years of wooden panels or paintings of Pyongyang serving as the backdrop, according to North Korea Tech, a website tracking the North.

“It is a sign that Kim Jong-un’s instructions to try to catch up with the global community are being followed,” said Park Young-ho, an analyst with the Korea Institute for National Unification. “The graphics will seem very new to North Korean viewers.”

Since taking power, Kim Jong-un has sought to present himself as more engaged and modern than his reclusive father. Analysts say this could suggest that he is trying to update the country’s outdated economy.

The Swiss-educated leader has repeatedly used the phrases “global trend” and “global standards” during site inspections this year in reference to airports, land management, environmental protection and other areas.

In line with the push, the media has heavily featured new facilities such as an aquarium and a sleek new apartment complex in Pyongyang’s central Mansudae district. Kim was shown Monday inspecting a gym with modern equipment.

The stylistic changes, watchers suggest, are hints that Kim is more attuned to global economic trends than his father, who focused on developing nuclear weapons. The younger Kim has also shown more tolerance and openness to the West by attending a concert featuring Disney characters and introducing his first lady Ri Sol-ju.

Speculation is building over whether the North will reform its economy.

The regime recently passed down instructions to implement the so-called “June 28 new economic management system,” a policy that ditches its rationing system and offers new incentives for workers. It reportedly involves factory enterprises setting their own prices for goods, rather than the state, giving them more leeway to decide on matters such as production and distribution of profits.

One Seoul official said last week that Pyongyang is shifting control over economic projects from the military to the bureaucracy as a sign of upcoming reforms. <The Korea Times/Kim Young-jin>

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