arth final paper

8/9/2019 ARTH Final Paper

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South Korea’s propaganda against North Korea

ARTH 61/AMES 43

North Korea’s propaganda has been we !nown "or its # ear$ dire#t and %essage& aden posters' ("

)ou *oog e +North Korea propaganda, o-er 1 %i ion ea" et i%ages su#h as "igure 1 wi instant ) pop up

on the website' .o%pared to these pro-o#ati-e posters "ro% North Korea$ South Korea’s propaganda against

North Korea has not gained %u#h attention "ro% the pub i#' Howe-er$ it see%s un i!e ) that in the %idst o"

-arious !inds o" propaganda i%p e%ented b) North Korea$ South Korean go-ern%ent has not initiated its

own propaganda against North Korea' (n "a#t$ South Korea’s propaganda against North Korea has de-e oped

o-er ti%e to %at#h di""erent regi%e’s %oti-ations$ and a though it a#!ed egiti%a#) during the authoritarian

regi%es$ the essened %edia #ensorship and situationa needs ha-e pro-ided the egiti%a#) "or go-ern%ents

to uti i e propaganda against North Korea a ong with the Nationa Se#urit) A#t to ser-e a #ru#ia purpose "or

South Korea'

The propaganda o" an) side o" Korean 0eninsu a #annot be dis#ussed without introdu#ing the Korean

ar$ whi#h was the origin o" a propaganda a#ti-ities' The Korean ar was a resu t o" a po iti#a di-ision

between the two do%inant powers during the period$ the 2nited States and the So-iet 2nion' A"ter the

or d ar (($ the surrender o" the E%pire o" apan e"t the Korean peninsu a with no distin#t po iti#a power

and the 2nited States and the So-iet 2nion both u%ped into the Korean peninsu a to e5ert their po iti#a

in" uen#e' oth sides put %u#h e%phasis on the Korean peninsu a be#ause it was #onsidered as the bu""er

region between both the #o%%unist and de%o#rati# #ountries$ .hina and apan' 2nder the na%e o"

disar%a%ent o" apanese troops$ both sides di-ided the peninsu a a ong the 37 th para e $ and the 2'S

o##upied the South whereas the So-iet 2nion o##upied the North'

The tension between both sides intensi"ied when the North and the South estab ished their own

go-ern%ent8 Ki% ( Sung estab ished a #o%%unist go-ern%ent in the North$ whi e Rhee S)ng%an

estab ished a de%o#rati# go-ern%ent in the South' The North Korea’s Supre%e 0eop e’s Asse%b )

de%anded the o##upation troops’ withdrawa "or the reuni"i#ation o" the Korean peninsu a' (n 1947$ the

So-iet 2nion ar%) withdrew "ro% the North$ whi e the 2nited States ar%) against strong disagree%ent o"


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South Korean go-ern%ent withdrew "ro% the South' Ki% ( Sung$ howe-er$ was not see!ing "or the pea#e"u

reuni"i#ation o" Korean peninsu a' Right a"ter the withdrawa o" the o##upation troops$ the North Korean

go-ern%ent he d a #o-ert %eeting with the So-iet 2nion to obtain the So-iet 2nion’s weapons and the

agree%ent o" the So-iet 2nion and .hina’s troops’ parti#ipation in the war'

0ro#uring the support o" the So-iet 2nion and .hina$ Ki% ( Sung waited "or the appropriate ti%ing$

and on une :; th 4a% #rossed the 37 th para e to in-ade the unprepared South$ where the ha " o" the ar%)

was out on the wee!end$ probab ) sound as eep at ho%e' (t was a trau%ati# e5perien#e "or Korean peop e'

Three )ears and a %onth o" war"are e"t the Korea 0eninsu a ruined and deserted$ %ore than 1< %i ion

peop e were separated "ro% their "a%i ies$ and o-er :'; %i ion #asua ties resu ted "ro% both sides' A%ong

those #asua ties$ Koreans were about 1 %i ion peop e and 7;= o" the% were #i-i ians' oth sides #a ed a

tru#e in 19;3$ whi#h %o%entari ) stopped the bruta war between the sa%e ra#es'

The uni>ue nature o" po iti#a #on" i#t during the Korean ar with the North’s #o%%unis%

sti%u ated the 2nited Nation "or#es to de-e op po iti#a propaganda against #o%%unis% and the So-iet

2nion to dissuade the North Korean and .hinese so diers "ro% parti#ipating in the war' There are %an)

e5a%p es o" the %anipu ati-e and #a #u ated pa%ph ets$ etters and entreaties that 2N "or#es distributed'

?igure :$ "or instan#e$ de%onstrates the 2N "or#es’ e""orts and thoughts put into propaganda' The ea" et

"eatures three di""erent so diers$ the one on the -er) e"t is Sta in$ the pre%ier o" the So-iet 2nion$ who is

pushing the .hinese so dier ne5t to hi%$ and the .hinese so dier in return is pushing the North Korean

so dier ne5t to hi% towards the batt e"ie d' (t represents the idea that the So-iet 2nion is behind the Korean

ar and %ost o" the .hinese so diers and North Korean so diers do not ha-e persona interests in the war$

and "or these so diers su#h war is #ost ) and not worthwhi e to sa#ri"i#e their i-es' ?igure 3 disp a)s another

e5a%p e o" the 2N’s propaganda against ene%ies' This e5a%p e sends %ore dire#t and # ear %essage to

Koreans that #o%%unists ed b) the So-iet 2nion and Ki% ( Sung atte%pt to di-ide Koreans$ whereas 2N

"or#es ed b) the 2nited States stri-e to unite Koreans'

.hinese and North Koreans did not re%ain passi-e toward the 2N "or#es’ propaganda and

i%p e%ented their own !inds o" propaganda against the 2N so diers' The) %ain ) portra)ed the 2N so diers

as pawns in a ga%e p a)ed b) ri#h business%en and >uestioned the 2N so diers o" true %oti-ations "or their

"ight' ?igure 4 suggests the idea that the 2N so diers’ sa#ri"i#e is nothing %ore than the a##u%u ation o"


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wea th "or business%en who en o) their eisure ti%e in ? orida' ?igure ;$ on the other hand$ e i#its great

one iness and so i#itude "ro% so diers b) >uoting @Those who o-e )ou want )ou ba#! ho%e sa"e and

sound' ?(N A AB C2TD (t’s no disgra#e to >uit "ighting in this un ust warD,

oth the 2N "or#es and the North Korea dropped %i ions o" pa%ph ets$ ea" ets and entreaties to

in" uen#e ea#h other$ %ain ) to persuade ene%) to surrender$ but e-en with e5tensi-e use o" propaganda$ it

is not # ear whether su#h aggressi-e propaganda had an) rea e""e#t on both sides'

A though during the Korean ar$ the 2N "or#es initiated the propaganda against North Korea$ a"ter

the war South Korea’s authoritarian go-ern%ent i%p e%ented its own propaganda against North Korea

under the na%e o" nationa se#urit)' Most o" its propaganda was uti i ed to arouse pub i# awareness o" North

Korean spies who #rossed the 37th para e to instigate the #rowd to rebe against the go-ern%ent or to stea

# assi"ied in"or%ation "ro% the inte igen#e o""i#ia s' (n "igure 6$ ( presented 4 di""erent posters that were

#o%%on "ro% 19;


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#ensored %edia to #ut out an) anti&state$ antiapita is% ideas a ong with its propaganda against North

Korea'

Media #ensorship has a wa)s been a part o" po iti#a ta#ti#s "or authoritarian regi%es in South Korea'

The "irst president o" South Korea$ Rhee S)ng%an out awed e"tist newspapers' He a so arrested nu%erous

reporters and pub ishers "or anti&state reports' 0ar! .hung Hee went "urther than that and estab ished his

own radio station and newspaper agen#) to pro%ote his o""i#ia ines' Cn the other hand$ under the

#o%prehensi-e Nationa Se#urit) A#t$ he was ab e to ban an) thing #o%%unisti# or anti&state' ?or instan#e$

boo!s written b) North Korean authors were banned and "i %s were "or#ed to in# ude go-ern%ent ideo og)

ea-ing no roo% "or "i %%a!er’s independent ideas' (t was no #oin#iden#e that this period was the owest

point o" Korean "i % industries' Media #ensorship was at its pea!$ howe-er$ during the .hun oo Hwan

regi%e' (n ate 197


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Korean ar or North Korea$ and un i!e during the 0ar! .hung Hee regi%e$ "i %%a!ers had "reedo% to

e5press their own opinions about the sub e#t' ?or instan#e$ Kang oo Seo! produ#er #reated the "i %

@Si %ido, whi#h dea s with the Si %ido in#ident that happened in 19G1' (n 1967$ the go-ern%ent #reated the

674 2nit in whi#h so diers were trained to be sent to North Korea to !i Ki% ( Sung' Re#ei-ing the

@Mission (%possib e, t)pe goa $ trainers "or 674 2nit pushed so diers to the i%it$ and when so diers were

about to in-ade North Korea$ the South Korea’s go-ern%ent a tered their po i#) against North Korea to

%ore pea#e"u one and dire#ted the trainers to assassinate the so diers to #o-er up the e5isten#e o" the 674

2nit' The in"or%ation$ howe-er$ was ea!ed and 674 2nit so diers !i ed the trainers the%se -es$ hi a#!ed a

bus in (n#heon and entered Seou $ and on the wa) to the ue House$ the) #o%%itted sui#ide b) e5p oding

hand grenades' (t was a s#anda ous in#ident$ in whi#h go-ern%ent ordered the o""i#ia s to !i its own

#iti ens$ and tried to #o-er up the in#ident b) "a se reporting to the pub i# sa)ing the bus had a %e#hani#a

prob e% and e5p oded' More than 1< %i ion peop e wat#hed the %o-ie and there were %u#h #ontro-ers)

about the in#ident a"terwards' Su#h anti&state %o-ie #ou d not ha-e been s#reened to the pub i# be"ore'

Foosened %edia #ensorship did not %ean the end o" propaganda against North Korea' *o-ern%ent

agen#ies and %i itar) organi ations sti produ#ed @the pre-ention o" espionage, posters' ?igure G disp a)s

the propaganda #reated b) the Nationa (nte igen#e Ser-i#e$ one o" whose purpose is to #at#h North Korean

spies' The %ain %essage o" the poster is i" )ou "ind so%eone suspi#ious i!e the person targeted with the red

s>uare in the poster$ )ou shou d i%%ediate ) report the person without hesitation' Another e5a%p e o"

propaganda poster "igure 7I "ro% the Nationa (nte igen#e Ser-i#e "eatures an e)esight test #hart with the

%essage @Here and there in our so#iet)$ there %a) be spies and e"tist o""ender$ internationa #ri%ina s' Bour

reporting %enta it) prote#ts the nationa se#urit)', ) %a!ing the %essage s%a er as it #ontinues to the

ower row$ the poster a so i%p ies that South Korean #iti ens shou d ta!e a # oser oo! at the peop e around

the% to dete#t North Korean spies'

(n spite o" the "a#t that %edia #ensorship has been redu#ed than!s to the de-e op%ent o" de%o#ra#)$

so%e #riti>ues argue that the Nationa (nte igen#e Ser-i#e or po i#e stations’ e""ort to pro%ote su#h

propaganda against North Korea indire#t ) endangers the "reedo% o" e5pressing other ideas' Their %ain

argu%ent is that when these organi ations raise pub i# awareness o" North Korean spies$ the) indire#t )


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#ontro peop e "ro% e5pressing other ideas about the go-ern%ent or ideo og) be#ause the) worr) about

other peop e’s suspi#ious e)es toward the%'

This #on#ern$ no %atter how %u#h truth it entai s$ #annot be usti"ied "or two reasons' ?irst$ as %u#h as

#iti ens ha-e the right to e5press their ideas$ go-ern%ent agen#ies a so ha-e the right to pro%ote whate-er

the) desire' (n this #ase$ the Nationa (nte igen#e Ser-i#e and the 0o i#e are doing their ob b) arousing

pub i# awareness about North Korean spies' (t is a hard "a#t that hundreds o" North Korean spies sti re%ain

a#ti-e in South Korea$ but nowada)s %ore peop e neg e#t su#h truth be#ause the Korean ar see%s too

an#ient and unre ated to their i-es$ espe#ia ) to )ounger generations' There"ore$ "ro% the Nationa

(nte igen#e Ser-i#e’s point o" -iew$ this %a) be the ti%e "or e-en %ore a#ti-e propaganda against North

Korea$ not the ti%e to redu#e the usage be#ause it %a) dis#ourage #iti ens "ro% -o#a i ing other ideas'

Se#ond )$ i" the "reedo% o" e5pression were se#ured "or #iti ens$ peop e wou d not be swa)ed b) one %ain

idea pro%oted b) the go-ern%ent$ be#ause other peop e wi be ab e to present their own ideas on the

sub e#t$ un i!e the period during 0ar! .hung Hee regi%e or .hun oo Hwan regi%e' Ta!e the "i %

@ e #o%e to ong%a!go $, "or e5a%p e' e #o%e to ong%a!go is the %o-ie depi#ting the Korean ar

in a tota ) new perspe#ti-e' The North and South Korean so diers and an A%eri#an so dier end up in a

se# uded -i age #a ed ong%a!go where peop e are ignorant o" the ongoing war between the South and

the North' (n the end$ North and South Korean so diers #ooperate a%ong the%se -es to prote#t the s%a

-i age "ro% the air "or#e atta#!s' The sheer "a#t that North and South Korean so diers #ooperated during the

Korean ar is #ontro-ersia $ but it was s#reened in Korea and o-er 7 %i ion peop e wat#hed the "i %' hen

su#h "i %s #an be s#reened a o-er the #ountr)$ peop e #annot rea ) insist that the Nationa (nte igen#e

Ser-i#e’s propaganda has great e""e#ts in pre-enting the e5pression o" other ideas'

There is$ howe-er$ one sensiti-e issue regarding the -io ation o" "reedo% o" e5pression' A though

%edia #ensorship has been oosened and peop e #an e5press their own ideas through -arious %edia$ the

Nationa Se#urit) A#t$ ena#ted in 1947$ is sti inta#t' The Nationa Se#urit) A#t a ows the go-ern%ent @to

restri#t anti&state a#ts that endanger nationa se#urit) and to prote#t nation’s sa"et) and its peop e’s i"e and

"reedo%', This aw #an a#tua ) threaten South Korean #iti ens’ "reedo% o" e5pression b) b o#!ing an)

#o%%ents the go-ern%ent @dee%s inappropriate', ?or instan#e$ in :


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uri%in o! tweets about North Korea’s po iti#a ideas$ %ain ) pro-o#ati-e %essages towards A%eri#a or

South Korea' South Korean go-ern%ent did not to erate su#h propaganda "ro% North Korea and atte%pted

to b o#! a a##ess to uri%in o! "ro% South Korean #iti ens' Boung Howard$ the president o" Cpen Radio

"or North Korea$ >uoted @0ersona )$ ( a% -er) s!epti#a o" South Korean po i#) to b o#! a eb sites o"

North Korea' e are de%o#ra#)' e don’t ha-e to do this',

An)one #an %a!e a #ase out o" this in#ident that South Korea’s Nationa Se#urit) A#t shou d be

abo ished be#ause it pre-ents the pub i# "ro% a##essing #ertain in"or%ation and as a resu t pre-ents the

"reedo% o" e5pression "or #ertain groups' A though it is so%e sort o" a -io ation o" "reedo% o" e5pression$

the Nationa Se#urit) A#t #an be usti"ied on two grounds' ?irst$ it is a situationa ne#essit)' North Korea is

sti in the atta#! %ode$ and god on ) !nows what North Korea’s go-ern%ent wou d do ne5t to pro-o!e a

war' So%e o" the re#ent in#idents in# ude the North Korean sp) on eong Hwa in#ident$ and .heonanah%

in#ident' on eong Hwa was a North Korean sp) who #a%e to South Korea in :


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pub i#’s attention "ro% go-ern%ent’s "a a#ies$ and ater b) the Nationa (nte igen#e Ser-i#es to %ain )

re%ind #iti ens about the e5isten#e o" North Korea’s pro-o#ations and its se-erit)' A ong with the use o"

propaganda$ %edia #ensorship has been an issue during the authoritarian regi%es$ and a though it is now

di%inished in great a%ount$ the Nationa Se#urit) A#t and the propaganda against North Korea are sti

sub e#t to so%e #riti#is%s that the) -io ate the "reedo% o" e5pression and dis#ourage anti&state thoughts or

ust an) ideas apart "ro% the %ainstrea%' Howe-er$ su#h # ai%s are too "ar&"et#hed and under the

sur-ei an#e o" peop e’s e)es$ the propaganda against North Korea and the Nationa Se#urit) A#t #an ser-e

their purpose o" prote#ting the nation’s sa"et) and its peop e’s i"e and "reedo%'


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Bibliography

Anon)%ous' @ eginners’ *uide to Korean .ine%a', Den of Geek. 6 ?eb' :


10/17

&When pro!oking a war of aggression' we will hit ba$k' beginning with the ()*+ :


11/17

@Why die for ,ussia-+2N’s propaganda ea" et during the Korean ar

http8//www'aw%'go-'au/e5hibitions/!orea/weapons/propaganda/

3I ?igure 3

ommunists are trying hard to di!ide the Korea. (N is trying to unite Korea+2N’s propaganda ea" et during the Korean ar

http8//www'aw%'go-'au/e5hibitions/!orea/weapons/propaganda/4I ?igure 4


12/17

&Mr. Moneybags is in lorida this #hristmas+&Where are you- /n Korea* 0ou risk your life' 1ig 1usiness rakes in the dough+

.hina and North Korea’s propaganda ea" et during the Korean ar http8//www'aw%'go-'au/e5hibitions/!orea/weapons/propaganda/

;I ?igure ;


13/17

@?ro en Rations eaten on the run' An) %o%ent he %a) ha-e to run again$ to "ight or die & and so %a) )ou'Those who o-e )ou want )ou ba#! ho%e sa"e and sound'

?(N A AB C2TD(tQs no disgra#e to >uit "ighting in this un ust warD,

.hina and North Korea’s propaganda ea" et during the Korean ar http8//www'aw%'go-'au/e5hibitions/!orea/weapons/propaganda/

6I ?igure 6


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1I @(" )ou see a rebe ious #o%%unistI ea" et$ report right awa)D, Top e"tI:I 0o i#e o""i#ers and #iti ens #at#h North Korean spies with one %ind Top rightI3I The pre-ention o" espionage otto% e"tI4I The dete#tion o" ene%) espionage b) )ou and ( prote#ts our i-e ihood otto% rightI

0o i#e Station/Ar%) Head>uarters/ The Ministr) o" Ho%e A""airs/http8//%'!%db'or'!r/re-iew/a-'asp id5O;4

GI ?igure G


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&Perhaps- /mmediately*+1999$ The Nationa (nte igent Ser-i#e

http8//www'oh%)news'#o%/N SL eb/-iew/atLpg'asp5 .NTNL. OA


16/17

& "ere and there in our so$iety' there may be spies and leftist offender' international $riminals. 0our reporting mentality prote$ts the national se$urity.+

The Nationa (nte igent Ser-i#e

http8//b og'oh%)news'#o%/post9/tag/=E =7?=A.=E.=7A=A4=E =74= <

9I ?igure 9


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&Tweet messages+ May 23 th 4524' urimin6ok7North Korea go!ernment8s tweet a$$ount9http8//twitter'#o%/PD/uri%in o!

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