Since last month, the North Korean government has been holding lectures to incite hatred against South Korea and the U.S. The speakers also appear to be increasing criticism of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.
“Various anti-American and anti-South Korean class-consciousness lectures were held during the Monday study sessions of the companies last month. The topics of this month’s study sessions also focused on indoctrinating us against South Korea,” a source in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Monday on condition of anonymity.
According to the source, a speaker at a third-class enterprise in Namyang Workers’ District, Onsong County, North Hamgyong Province, began a lecture on July 1 by praising North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “Thanks to the wise leadership and sacrificial devotion of our esteemed comrade General Secretary, the power of the republic has truly reached the highest level in history in recent years,” the speaker said.
The speaker then brought up the joint military exercises of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan while trying to portray a tense atmosphere in which war could break out at any moment. This was followed by harsh criticism of Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden.
While lectures aimed at stirring up antagonism against South Korea and the U.S. are held several times a year, the source explained that in this year’s lectures, the criticism of Yoon is much harsher and more frequent than before.
“The South Korean president used to be mentioned at the end of the lectures. But this year, 80% of the lectures are spent attacking him. You basically have to listen to this criticism for the entire hour of the lecture,” the source said.
To many N. Koreans, the lectures are nothing new
But while these lectures have been going on for more than a month, they’ve been received coolly by North Korean audiences, the source said.
“We have been hearing talk of war for more than 70 years, but nothing has ever happened. I’m just tired of the whole subject. Considering how hard our lives are these days, it would be nice if there really was a war,” said one North Korean after attending a lecture.
Another North Korean mentioned hearing in a lecture that Yoon had given Biden a Korean-style name. “A long time ago, the Japanese made us Koreans take Japanese names, so it was strange to hear that the American president agreed to accept a Korean name. In the end, it seems to show how much prestige South Korea has gained.”
The source told Daily NK that “some people say that since South Korea kept quiet even after [North Korea] released all those garbage balloons over the border, they don’t believe that South Korea really wants to go to war. Holding so many organized lectures to criticize South Korea and the U.S. only serves to make people more curious.”
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons.
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