Rodong Sinmun

Rodong Sinmun
Type Daily newspaper
Format Broadsheet
Owner(s) Workers Party of Korea
Publisher Rodong News Agency
Editor-in-chief Ri Yong-sik[1]
Founded 1945
Political alignment Juche, songun
Headquarters Pyongyang, North Korea
Circulation 600,000 (as of 2015)[2]
Website www.rodong.rep.kp/en/
Rodong Sinmun
Chosŏn'gŭl 로동신문
Hancha 勞動新聞
Revised Romanization Nodong Sinmun
McCune–Reischauer Rodong Sinmun
Rodong Sinmun office in Pyongyang

Rodong Sinmun (Korean: 로동신문, IPA: [ɾodoŋ ɕʰinmun], Workers' Newspaper) is a North Korean newspaper that is the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. It was first published on November 1, 1945, as Chǒngro (Chosŏn'gŭl: 정로; hancha: 正路; "right path"), serving as a communication channel for the North Korea Bureau of the Communist Party of Korea. It was renamed in September 1946 to its current name upon the steady development of the Workers' Party of Korea. Quoted frequently by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and international media, it is regarded as a source of official North Korean viewpoints on many issues.

The English-language version of Rodong Sinmun was launched in January 2012.[3]

Contents

Rodong Sinmun is published every day of the year and usually contains six pages.[4] The newspaper has approximately 100 reporters.

New Year editorials

Since 1996, Rodong Sinmun, the Korean Central News Agency, Minju Choson, and Joson Inmingun has published a joint New Year editorial that outlines the country's policies for the year.[5][6] The editorials usually offer praise for the Songun policy, the government and leadership, and encourage the growth of the nation. They are also critical of the policies of South Korea, Japan, the United States and Western governments towards the country.[7][8] On January 1, 2006, the agency sent out a joint-editorial from North Korea's state newspapers calling for the withdrawal of American troops from South Korea.[5] While annual January 1 editorials are a tradition among the papers, that year's brought attention from Western media outlets, by calling for a "nationwide campaign for driving out the U.S. troops".[9] The editorial made several references to Korean reunification. The 2009 editorial received similar attention, as criticism of United States policy was absent, and the admission of severe economic problems in the country. The editorial also made reference to denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula, in what analysts claimed was a "hopeful" sign.[10][11] This was echoed again in its 2010 editorial, which called for an end to hostilities with the United States and a nuclear free Korean Peninsula.[12]

The 2011 joint editorial edition,[6] aside from its calls for a denuclearized Korea and for a slowdown of tensions between the two Koreas, has for the first time, mentioned the rising light industries of the DPRK, given as a reason for an upcoming upsurge in the national economy in the new year and for the achievement of the Kangsong Taeguk national mission.

The 2012 joint editorial edition, the first under Kim Jong-un's leadership, started with a great tribute to Kim Jong-il and aside from recurring calls for improving inter-Korean relations and for the fulfillment of the October 4 Declaration of 2007, also called on the whole nation to give priority to do Kim Jong-il's 2012 mission of Strong and Prosperous Nation, continue his and his father Kim Il-sung's legacies to the entire country and the socialist cause, and to build up and encourage the various sectors that compose the nation to become contributors to national progress in all areas at all costs.

This practice ended in 2013 when Kim Jong-un delivered the first New Year speech on television in 19 years.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kang Tae-jun (February 17, 2014). "Rodong Sinmun gets new Editor-In-Chief, possibly President". NK News. Retrieved 2015-08-07.
  2. ↑ Sung-hui Moon; Yunju Kim; Roseanne Gerin (2015-04-27). "North Korea Ramps Up Circulation of National Daily". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 2015-04-28.
  3. ↑ Kim, Young-jin (2012-01-11). "NK’s main paper launches English website". Korea Times. Retrieved 2012-01-11.
  4. ↑ Holloway, Andrew (2003). A Year in Pyongyang. Aidan Foster-Carter. Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Sociology and Modern Korea, Leeds University.
  5. 1 2 "Joint New Year Editorial Issued". Korean Central News Agency. January 1, 2006. Retrieved 2013-12-16.
  6. 1 2 Paul Tighe and Jungmin Hong (January 1, 2011). "North Korea, in New Year Message, Says Regional Tensions Should Be Defused". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2013-12-16. 'The danger of war should be removed and peace safeguarded in the Korean Peninsula,' the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported, citing a New Year editorial carried by newspapers including Rodong Sinmun and Joson Inmingun.
  7. ↑ North Korea issues New Year denuclearization pledge. Reuters. December 31, 2008.
  8. ↑ N. Korea Vows to Rebuild Economy in New Year Message, The Korea Times, January 1, 2009.
  9. ↑ "North Korea Demands U.S. Troop Withdrawal". .Fox News. December 31, 2005.
  10. ↑ 2009 Joint New Year Editorial Issued, KCNA, January 1, 2009.
  11. ↑ North Korea message is mild on US. BBC News. January 1, 2009.
  12. ↑ Kim, Sam (January 1, 2010). N. Korea calls for end to enmity with U.S., hints at return to nuclear talks. Yonhap.

External links

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