NK's YouTube vlog channels blocked in S. Korea on spy agency's request

2024-06-23 11:20:34      点击：628

A screenshot of North Korean YouTube channel Olivia Natasha- YuMi Space DPRK Daily

By Nam Hyun-woo

A number of North Korean YouTube channels that have been publicizing daily life inside the regime were blocked at the request of South Korea's intelligence authorities, according to the Korea Communications Standards Commission, Friday.

The broadcasting regulatory agency said it blocked YouTube channels Sally Parks, Olivia Natasha- YuMi Space DPRK Daily and NEW DPRK from viewers in South Korea, following its decision on June 5 as requested by the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Access to those channels was blocked and video clips in the search results were disabled, with the message, "This content is not available in this country due to a legal complaint from the government." Accessing the channels from outside of South Korea is still possible.

The channels are said to be propagating the North Korean regime through young women and girls who are fluent in English, introducing content centered on "daily life" in North Korea's society.

However, critics have pointed out that the lifestyles and recreational facilities shown in the videos are accessible only to a privileged few, presenting a skewed representation of daily life in North Korea. These videos contrast starkly with the desperate reality experienced by average citizens.

For more than a decade, Google has been closing North Korean propaganda channels such as Uriminzokkiri whenever they appear, citing slander and smear campaigns against the South Korean government as violations of YouTube's guidelines. After first appearing in October 2010, Uriminzokkiri has been shut down in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2022.

Unlike Uriminzokkiri, Google had not been restricting the vlog channels, saying they do not violate YouTube's policies. Some of the channels have tens of thousands of subscribers, triggering concerns that the videos may result in misunderstandings about the true nature of the North Korean regime.

In light of these concerns, the NIS has decided to take action, considering the channels a part of North Korea's propaganda tactics.

"Those YouTube channels are part of North Korea's psychological tactics against South Korea, and responding to those tactics is the NIS' job," an NIS official told Yonhap News Agency. "Under relevant laws, the NIS is taking measures to delete the North Korean regime's propaganda."