As the inter-Korean thaw continues, South Korean broadcasters are getting more serious about reporting on the North.
North Korea has been always one of the most popular topics for South Korean broadcasters. This tendency has become even more obvious in recent months, after several inter-Korean summits. More South Korean broadcasters are rushing to air programs about their isolated northern neighbor in the hope of gaining more attention and viewers.
Producing programs about the North is not something new, but one thing is different after the series of summits: broadcasters in the South are showing signs of a change in attitude in their portrayals of the secretive country.
Broadcasters in South Korea used to focus on “revealing” the realities of life in North Korea, which often meant something negative. They focused on the suffering and struggles of people’s lives in the North, with coverage of human rights violation among other deplorable stories.
Sensational, but often unverified, stories were also popular. A story about the ex-lover of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un being executed by firing squad was a high profile one.
As pointed out above, however, that trend is changing.
Take South Korea’s national broadcaster MBC as an example. They produced a special interest documentary about Pyongyang cold noodles, which became popular after one of the inter-Korean summits between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Another national broadcaster, SBS, aired a documentary focusing on ordinary people’s economic life in North Korea while the country’s most influential broadcaster KBS aired a program discussing the impact of improved inter-Korean summits on the region.
These changes in the attitude toward North Korea also can be seen at cable broadcasters, which are often considered as more “aggressive” when covering North Korea.
Cable broadcasters have enjoyed popularity with programs that feature intense criticism of the North Korean regime.
