loudspeaker, car, vehicle
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on March 3, 2023, that “construction units held an exhibit of agitprop tools and loudspeaker vehicles to ignite the spiritual power of the masses at the construction site for 10,0000 homes in the second stage of the Hwasong District in Pyongyang on Feb. 28.”

A power struggle over a loudspeaker vehicle has disrupted propaganda activities at a North Hamgyong province mining equipment factory, highlighting tensions between party officials.

The conflict came to a head during economic propaganda campaigns promoting the 11th Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee. According to a Daily NK source in North Hamgyong province, the factory’s loudspeaker car failed to appear for scheduled economic agitation activities earlier this month, triggering an incident.

Mobile propaganda teams attempted to compensate by performing live music throughout the factory. However, their efforts proved futile as factory floor noise drowned out their message, merely irritating workers operating lathes.

When the factory party secretary learned of this, he reprimanded the propaganda secretary, who then questioned the mobile agitation team leader about the missing vehicle. It emerged that the organizational secretary had dispatched the car to oversee composting work at a nearby farm without notification.

“This wasn’t an isolated incident – the organizational secretary frequently commandeers the loudspeaker vehicle for personal use,” the source explained. The situation stems from divided authority: while the propaganda secretary controls the vehicle’s operational use, the organizational secretary manages its maintenance.

The organizational secretary wields considerable power through oversight of personnel and discipline, whereas the propaganda secretary focuses on promoting party policy and ideological compliance. This split responsibility over the vehicle has created ongoing tensions.

“Since only the factory manager and party secretary have vehicles, officials often request use of the loudspeaker car for personal matters from either secretary, making conflict inevitable,” the source said. “The authorities deliberately created this structure to encourage mutual surveillance. If officials appear too cooperative, it raises suspicions, so the system promotes them exposing each other’s misdeeds through their disputes.”

Factory workers have noted the organizational secretary’s dismissive attitude toward the propaganda secretary as particularly problematic. “Many believe this incident could have been avoided if the organizational secretary had simply informed the propaganda secretary about redirecting the vehicle,” the source added. “The propaganda secretary might have avoided criticism from the party secretary.”

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