Some North Korean civilians living in areas abutting China learned of Park Geun Hye’s election victory in real time last night thanks to YBTV, a regional Korean-language broadcaster for China’s Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture that can be picked up with an ordinary television in some areas. As a result, the news has been spreading rapidly through border cities.
According to sources in the area, local people can scarcely believe news that South Korea has elected a female president.
One such source from Hyesan in Yangkang Province told Daily NK today, “We learned that Park Geun Hye was fighting the election from Rodong Shinmun, but could not imagine there was a way for a woman to actually become president. It’s a topic of conversation, and that’s why it’s spreading like wildfire.”
“There are people asking how it is that the daughter of the dictator who annihilated democracy, someone who a majority of South Koreans once opposed, could become president,” the source went on.
A second source from Shinuiju confirmed that Chinese television was the key to their knowledge of Park’s victory as well, explaining, “The news about Park’s win is going around this city because of those people who watch the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. People knew her name because people like Rodong Shinmun kept mentioning it, which meant that people came to assume she was not a normal figure.”
