''The Pyongyang Times'' is a weekly
state-controlled English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and
French-language newspaper published in the
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
n capital,
Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populat ...
, by the
Foreign Languages Publishing House. It is the foreign-language edition of the ''
Pyongyang Sinmun''.
History and availability
The eight-page
tabloid was first launched on 6 May 1965 and is distributed in approximately 100 countries.
["North Korea This Week No. 435 (8 February 2007)." ]Yonhap
Yonhap News Agency is a major South Korean news agency. It is based in Seoul, South Korea. Yonhap provides news articles, pictures and other information to newspapers, TV networks and other media in South Korea.
History
Yonhap (, , translit. ...
. For this reason, its staff are trained in English abroad. The
newspaper
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...
also runs a website in several languages.
[ Fifty-two issues of the paper are published annually. there have been 2,672 issues. The circulation of the English and French editions is 30,000.]
In North Korea, ''The Pyongyang Times'' is in hotel lobbies, flights into the country, and other places frequented by foreigners.
Naenara
Naenara () is the official web portal of the North Korean government. It was the first website in North Korea, and was created in 1996. The portal's categories include politics, tourism, music, foreign trade, arts, press, information technology ...
, the official North Korean news source, is the home of ''The Pyongyang Times''.
Structure and content
The front cover is usually devoted to Kim Jong-un's visits to various institutions in the country along with praise for his leadership. The next few pages detail various technological and ideological exploits of the nation, followed by propaganda against South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
, Japan, and the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
along with other nations (such as Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
) who are considered hostile to North Korea. The last pages are similar to that of the ''Rodong Sinmun
''Rodong Sinmun'' (; ) is a North Korean newspaper that serves as the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. It was first published on November 1, 1945, as ''Chŏngro'' (), serving as a communication channel ...
'', offering "foreign news"—though few major world events are covered, and most of its content is focused on like-minded or socialist nations.[
Most of its content, like all North Korean state media, is dedicated to Kim Jong-un and most of its news is translated from articles in the ''Rodong Sinmun''.] It has been described as lacking "actual news" and is "basically a rundown of Mr. Kim's daily agenda, with substantial flattery thrown in for good measure."
Claims
''The Pyongyang Times'' has made various claims about South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
, particularly with regard to its allegedly poor human rights record. It has stated that 50 percent of South Koreans are unemployed, 57.6 percent are infected with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...
, and that American soldiers with AIDS are posted in the south as a deliberate policy to infect the South Korean population.[ In a 31 May 1986 article, it criticized the decision that the 1988 Olympics were to be held in South Korea, claiming that "If the Olympic Games were to be held in South Korea, many sportsmen and tourists of the world would meet death, infected with AIDS."
During the major flooding in 2007, the paper was unusually open, providing an extensive list of damage in the country. It stated that 20,300 homes were destroyed and "several hundred" people had died, as well as damage to "223,000 hectares of farmland, 300 bridges, 200 mining pits, 82 reservoirs, and 850 power lines."][Watts, Jonathan (3 September 2007)]
New paint and MP3 players: Pyongyang's nuclear dividend
''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''.
See also
* List of newspapers in North Korea
There are some 12 major newspapers published in North Korea and many other smaller ones. The most important newspapers are ''Rodong Sinmun'', the organ of the Workers' Party of Korea, and ''Joson Inmingun'', the newspaper of the Korean People's Ar ...
* Media of North Korea
The mass media in North Korea is amongst the most strictly controlled in the world. The constitution nominally provides for freedom of speech and the press. However, the government routinely disregards these rights, and seeks to mold informati ...
* Telecommunications in North Korea
Telecommunications in North Korea refers to the communication services available in North Korea. North Korea has not fully adopted mainstream Internet technology due to its isolationist policies.
Telephone
North Korea has an adequate telephon ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pyongyang Times
Newspapers published in North Korea
Mass media in North Korea
Publications established in 1965
English-language newspapers published in Asia
Mass media in Pyongyang
1965 establishments in North Korea