Rodong Sinmun, the DPRK’s national daily newspaper of the Workers’ Party of Korea, attacked the U.S. on Tuesday for “waging a vicious psychological warfare on the basis of modern science and technology.”
The article, an English synopsis of which was reported by KCNA, said the U.S. is using it to attack “anti-imperialist independent countries.”
It’s the first time in a while that psychological warfare has come up on KCNA, but the article is frustratingly lacking in specifics of the specific actions it is complaining about.
U.S. intelligence gathering bodies and their affiliated institutions are now busy widely using modern scientific and technological means for the psychological warfare. A huge amount of money is now being allocated for this and plots are being hatched to make a maximum use of it in practice. – KCNA, Dec. 14, 2010
And
The present IT age calls for channeling big efforts into the development of science, technology and IT. This provides an important way for effectively countering the U.S. imperialists? psychological warfare.
This kind of bluster isn’t unusual, but it’s typically tied to something happening at the time.
For example, a string of KCNA articles earlier this year complained about psychological warfare when human-rights groups were sending propaganda over the border in balloons, and when the South Korean military was reinstalling speakers along the border after the Cheonan sinking.
- US Psychological Warfare Flayed – April 6, 2010
- North Demands South Stop Psychological Warfare – May 16, 2010
- KPA to Destroy Means of S. Side’s Psychological Warfare – May 26, 2010
- CPRK Condemns S. Korean Authorities’ War Moves – May 30, 2010
- Psychological Warfare of Imperialists under Fire – May 31, 2010
- US Anti-DPRK Smear Campaign Blasted – May 22, 2010
- S. Korea Accused of Its Moves to Intensify Anti-DPRK Campaign – July 21, 2010
- S. Korean Defense Minister’s Anti-DPRK Outbursts Flayed – Oct. 9, 2010
This time there isn’t much to go on but the original article, in Korean, can be found on Uriminzokkiri.com and gives a few more clues: “??????? ??? ??? ??? ?????.” (Here on Google Translate)
It mentions the spread of U.S. influence through international radio and TV broadcasts – specifically calling out the Voice of America by name – and mentions the advance in satellite TV broadcasting. It also mentions the spread of mobile phones and the wide availability of video news.
It might be tied to an increase in radio broadcasts or the severity of programming since the shelling of Yeonpyeong island. In the last few days there have been calls for the South Korean government to give more support to independent broadcasters and any increase in programming puts greater strain on the DPRK’s radio jamming activities.
