Chumiae Holding 'Kim Geonhui Special Prosecutor' Placard Appears in North Korea's Rodong Sinmun

Ministry of Unification: "Seems Intended to Highlight Negative Image of South Korea"

In a photo reported by the North Korean Workers' Party organ Rodong Sinmun on the 12th, former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae was captured holding a placard that read 'Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor.'

On that day, Rodong Sinmun published a six-column article titled "Anti-American and Anti-War Struggles Unfold Across All Puppet Regions, 68th Candlelight March Held" on page 6, containing content critical of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration.

Along with the article, 12 photos from a candlelight protest held near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu on the 9th were published. Among them, one photo showed former Minister Choo smiling while holding a placard that read 'Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor' above her head.

Protest photo published on page 6 of the Rodong Sinmun on the 12th. [Image source=Rodong Sinmun website capture, Yonhap News]

Unlike the external-facing Korean Central News Agency, Rodong Sinmun is a medium accessible to North Korean residents and is considered a key tool for regime propaganda. It is regarded as unusual for a prominent South Korean political figure to appear in such a medium.

Since the newspaper did not provide a separate explanation about the person in the photo, it is presumed that North Korean authorities did not recognize the individual as former Minister Choo.

The newspaper did not disclose the source of the photo. It is possible that the photo was used without permission from domestic media or organizations that filmed the protest, or that it was captured from an internet broadcast video.

In the past, Rodong Sinmun dedicated page 6 as the "South Korea page," publishing news about South Korean trends or anti-South messages. However, after North Korea blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in June 2020, the page mainly featured routine North Korean news and domestic and international COVID-19 updates. Since May, it has frequently published articles analyzing international affairs and introducing South Korean protests criticizing the Yoon Seok-yeol government.

An official from the Ministry of Unification analyzed, "It appears to be an attempt to block North Korean residents' positive expectations toward South Korea by distorting and emphasizing negative images of South Korea."

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