North Korea's TikTok Propaganda Machine

Sources/further reading:
Human Rights Watch

Radio Free asia

Shin Dong-hyuk

Poverty in north Korea

Otto Warmbier

[yakultsoju]

I'm a South Korean with a grandmother from North Korea and these videos are frustrating and harmful to the very important discourse on reunification of the Koreas. These ultimately serve to dehumanize North Koreans and we will never see our peninsula united when we constantly find new ways to minimize and dismiss the humanity of the people of North Korea. This serves no one but the larger foreign powers who were the cause of the war and division to begin with. So much nuance is lost, both for Koreans and non-Koreans discussing this topic. And my grandmother passed last year, never been able to visit her hometown. Some have no idea how this 'fun little political discourse' is someone's lived reality.

[jasmine]

“Look at how nice my visit was!”

Honey. You can go to Aspen. That doesn’t mean the US doesn’t have poverty and conflict.

[Stargirllyfe]

the way people treat Madeline like a genius and a history teacher???? The amount of people going "thanks TikTok for real history" is so worrying, and they're so serious too. Its so sad how just stupid people have become.

[idioteza]

I do tend to believe that some of the claims that are made about North Korea are exaggerations, like "they believe that their supreme leader created Mickey Mouse" or things of the sort, but to go from that to claiming that actually North Korea is good... my god, people are really bonkers

[Springcocomuffin]

This is so insane..how can these people speak over actual North Korean defectors with such confidence? 😒

[etta]

I remember seeing that tiktok whenever it was blowing up. While what she claimed was very questionable, from my leftist anti-capitalist viewpoint I was far too quick to believe that the horrors of NK were exaggerated. She did sway me quite a bit and that's embarrassing to look back on. This video brought me back to reality.

[ohhadivist]

Paper Will's video Entertainment Made by North Korea is a fantastic video with a ton of good sources that goes into the history of North Korea and what their day to day life has been like as well as their attempts to convince the rest of the world that they are a friendly and normal country. I highly recommend watching it regardless of how much you already know or don't know about this stuff.

[francescaintheusa]

As somebody with family who was raised in multiple dictatorships, I heard stories about propaganda, imprisonment for making even the smallest comment, etc., I cannot help but feel that these people do not listen to accounts of people who came from those regimes. Like we are either totally ignored, not believed, or only used for talking points. And I think this reflects in people not understanding how brutal these styles of government can be. Like it’s all a myth when it very much is not.
Just because something is favored by someone/some government you don’t care much for doesn’t mean it is false. I am struck by the fact that anything anti-north korea is propaganda to them but pro-north korea stuff from the north korean government is not.

[clovers]

when i’m in a yapping competition and my opponents are tankies

[Lostboy]

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is a nefarious.

[tonatiuhornelas]

Imagine the brainrot in an argument between Yeonmi Park and a tankie supporting China/NK...

[penthousewhippit]

I'm glad you made this video. I get that the US spends a lot of money and time on propaganda, but to just write off everything bad about other countries as "CIA lies" is so weirdly self centered? It's almost like the reverse of American exceptionalism.

[katebradley]

Almost 2 minutes of sponsorship reading in an 11 minute video is kinda crazy

[TimaiosGottfried]

Thank you for using the word Tankie and shining light on those weirdos that are so loud and therefore largely fuel the conceptualisation of "communist" and "communism" that many, especially in the U.S., have. This shit is not communism, this is authoritarian capitalism, nothing else. Trying to say that North Korea or whatever isn't that bad is madness. Good Lord

[ms.felonystrutter]

They probably tortured and killed his parents anyway. She is a disgrace and clueless

[groggyroom]

New to the channel and enjoying the topics I’ve seen you discuss but would love to see articles or references for the clams you are making. Not because I disagree with what you’re saying (I think you’re 100% right) but to add validity to backup what you’re saying.

[Peachyytrees]

*WOW* !? Someone trying to *defend* NK and act like it is such an “amazing country”, BLOWS my mind! So disrespectful to try discrediting the people who have actually been able to make it out of that hell hole alive! 😐

[triplehearts]

in the nicest way possible, they look exactly like someone who would shill for north korea

[jackiortiz]

Pretty sure that Zoey discovers Korea account is confirmed to be from a girl who works for a tour agency (I think Koryo) that takes westerners to North Korea. She lives in China and only shows the sites that are allowed by the regime. In other words, its advertising for promoting Koryo tours and probably something her job pays her extra money to do...

[katetaylor]

If people feel they have defect and risk their lives, says a lot to me! ❤