[imText1]North Korea is not excluding propaganda for centenarians.
Rodong Sinmun, on January 31, announced that, “On the 28th of last month, an old woman Lee Chang Gyun, who lives at Kanganly in Eunpa district of north Hwanghae province, was granted a benevolent centennial birthday gift by the great leader (Kim Jong Il)”.
Sinmun also wrote about the gratitude of the old woman, who said, “I am glad to have lived a century, enjoying happiness under this Socialist system. Besides that, I am grateful to recieve a centennial birthday gift from the great leader.”
Kim Jong Il-named gifts were granted to centenarians in North Korea. By broadcasting gift-granting ceremonies on North Korea’s Central TV and Broadcast, North Korea propagates ‘Kim Jong Il’s Benevolence Politics’ and draws loyalty from the North Koreans.
Until now, it is unknown exactly how many centenarians are in North Korea. The number can be roughly inferred only through broadcasts regarding gift ceremonies offered to centenarians.
Centenarians that the North Korean media recently presented to are as follows: on Central Broadcast, on October 17, 2004, Cho Sung Jae (100) of Gyangdory in Gaechun city of south Pyongan province, October 13, 2004, Ann Young Bock (100), on August 6, 2003, Park Sung Ock (100) of Sinchun district of Hwanghae province and in May 2003, Lee Mun Sik (100); on the Central News Agency, on September 12, 2005, Park Boon Lyue (100) of Suktanli in Songlim city of north Hwanghae province and in July 2004, Lee Jyung Sook (105) of Mankyungdae dong of Mankyungdae district in Pyongyang city; on Pyongyang Broadcast, in September 2002, Roh Young Sim (108) of Wooryungli in Sinchun district of south Hwanghae province, Lim Mun Sun (106) of Sinchun eup in Sinchun district of south Hwanghae province, Jun Taek Sun (106) of Kyumya eup in Kyumya district of south Hamkyung province, Han Young Won (102) of Jangchung 2 dong in Mission district of Pyongyang city.
Rare Centenarians, Flashed over the Country
According to the South Korean National Statistical Office, the South Korean centenarians amount to 1,915, 169 males and 1,746 females.
Compared to this, the North Korean centenarians are too rare. If a centenarian appears, the news is flashed all over the country.
The North Korean administration encourages being centenarians – Central TV introduces national food (traditional food) preferred by centenarians on the ‘health common knowledge’ program and emphasizes a balanced combination of work and exercise. Books regarding health common knowledge are also published. In 2001, the publication ‘a way to centenarians’ even got attention.
‘Three secret formulas’ are famous, which leaders spread around. The three secret formulas are ‘do not put work down, do not have an unbalanced diet, and be optimistic’. When the leaders say things like this, the North Koreans complain that ‘although we work to the death and do not have any unbalanced diet, we do not live for a century.”
