Party intensifies promotion of Kim Jong-un’s achievements… “Political study sessions sharply increased”
Report on the Expanded 8th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Party [Photo/NK Times]
North Korea is intensifying propaganda efforts to highlight the achievements of Kim Jong-un ahead of the upcoming Party Congress, according to sources inside the isolated country.
They say factory workers and young employees are now being forced to attend political study sessions twice a day. “Recently, in factories and enterprises in cities such as Chongjin and Hoeryong, political study sessions praising Kim Jong-un have sharply increased,” a source in North Hamgyong Province told NK Times. “Twice a day is the minimum, and on Saturdays, workers are made to spend the entire day in related political study.”
The source explained that in Chongjin’s factories, every morning assembly includes an hour of study based on reports from the Rodong Sinmun about Kim Jong-un’s on-site inspections and their supposed achievements. These sessions are usually led by junior officials such as cell secretaries or youth secretaries, and conducted in a lecture format.
In the afternoons, workers are again gathered during work hours for another 45 minutes to an hour of political study promoting Kim Jong-un’s accomplishments. As a result, workers lose their rest time, and this is leading to accumulated fatigue and reduced productivity, according to the source.
“These political sessions repeatedly emphasize that Kim’s recent inspection tours and directives are directly linked to ‘innovation and miracles.’ But many people say they don’t feel any tangible impact in their daily lives,” he said.
“In factories and enterprises in Hyesan, political study sessions have been greatly intensified,” a source in Yanggang Province said. “Even during Saturday study sessions, there is propaganda about Kim Jong-un’s accomplishments.” “Television and newspapers portray constant innovation and miracles, but this propaganda is actually one of the factors exhausting people,” he said.
“Everything requires moderation, yet excessive time is being devoted to political study. Many people feel inconvenienced but remain silent out of fear of punishment.”
“In reality, we must endure exhausting daily routines, and especially struggle with food shortages. Meanwhile, broadcasts and television keep showcasing Kim Jong-un’s achievements to the point that people’s ears hurt,” he said.
“Given the timing ahead of the Party Congress, this intensified political study trend is likely to continue for the time being. As the burdens of production and daily life grow heavier, the gap between propaganda and reality feels even wider,” he said.
Kang is a reporter at NK Times, a Seoul-based media outlet focused on North Korean issues. He was born in 1978 in Chongjin and graduated from Chongjin 1st High School in North Korea. After 10 years of military service in the 4th Army Corps, he attended Chongjin Agricultural University before defecting.
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