Ministry of Unification: "North Korea Has Gone Beyond 'Burning Ceremony'... Stop Baseless Claims"

North Korea Opposes Strengthened Extended Deterrence in 'Washington Declaration'
"Seems to Also Have Propaganda Nature Controlling Residents"

The government expressed strong regret over North Korea's 'burning ceremony' targeting the South Korean and U.S. leaders, carried out in opposition to the 'Washington Declaration' that includes measures to strengthen extended deterrence.

An official from the Ministry of Unification told reporters on the 4th, regarding the previous day's report by North Korean state media on the burning ceremony rally, "North Korea is expressing dissatisfaction in various ways about the Washington Declaration, which reflects the agreement to strengthen extended deterrence between South Korea and the U.S.," adding, "We deeply regret that such excessive acts of condemnation, like the burning ceremony, are being reported by official media."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The official analyzed, "Considering that North Korea is focusing on reporting these trends through the internal-use Rodong Sinmun, it appears to have a propagandistic nature aimed at exaggerating external threats to control its population."

Earlier, North Korean state media such as the Korean Central News Agency and Rodong Sinmun reported on the 3rd that a 'scarecrow burning ceremony' targeting the South Korean and U.S. leaders took place at a youth and student rally. At that time, the media described the burning ceremony by saying, "The ugly figures of the old war monster of the U.S. and the top henchman of the puppet regime were turned to ashes, intensifying the heat of punishment," but did not release related photos or videos. In the past, in March 2012, North Korea's Korean Central TV reported that a 'burning ceremony' targeting then-President Lee Myung-bak was held at Kim Chaek University of Technology, showing footage of a rally burning scarecrows labeled as the president and others.

Regarding North Korea's decision not to release photos or videos, the Ministry of Unification official said, "It is difficult to assess at this point whether North Korea is moderating the level of its expressions of dissatisfaction or if there are other considerations," adding, "We will observe the situation a bit longer."

The official also stated, "North Korea is meticulously monitoring external media, civic groups, and politicians to find criticisms of the Washington Declaration," and directly criticized, "We hope North Korea will stop searching only for material to support its groundless claims and instead rediscover the freedom of the press and freedom of expression enjoyed by the people of the Republic of Korea with a broader perspective."

Meanwhile, immediately following the recent South Korea-U.S. summit, North Korea has been disparaging the summit and the Washington Declaration by extensively introducing critical views of the Washington Declaration found in various protest rallies and related reports published in South Korean and overseas media. On the 1st and 2nd, it featured reports related to the Washington Declaration from media in the U.S., Japan, China, and Russia, and on the 3rd, it covered South Korean media reports. The latest reports also mentioned internet media, statements from civic groups, and remarks by South Korean politicians.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.