Media assets

Television: Korean Central Television (KCTV), Ryongnamsan Television, Kaesong Television, Sport Television

Radio: Korean Central Broadcasting Station, Voice of Korea

News agency: Korea Central News Agency (KCNA)

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

KCBC operates under the auspices of the State Affairs Commission (SAC), the DPRK’s supreme policy-making entity, firmly under the control of Kim Jong‑un. Personnel appointments and directives for KCBC are orchestrated by the Propaganda and Agitation Department (PAD) of the Workers’ Party of Korea, underscoring its role as a central cog in the regime’s ideological machinery.

August 2025

As a state-controlled outlet, it serves as an extension of centralized media oversight, though with a relatively lighter, entertainment-focused identity compared to the flagship channel, Korean Central Television (KCTV).

Media assets

Television: Mansudae TV

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

August 2025

Media assets

Publishing: Rodong Sinmun

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

The paper is published by the Rodong News Agency. It is part of a trio of major state organs, alongside Minju Joson and Joson Inmingun, that dominate North Korea’s print media landscape. Its editorial stance is closely aligned with the Party’s ideological line, frequently republishing content from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and serving as a barometer for official sentiment.

As of mid‑2024, reports indicate a marked decline in distribution of Rodong Sinmun to rural workplaces, with some institutions receiving only half the copies previously delivered. The paper is even being repurposed as cigarette rolling paper or makeshift toilet paper, signaling a waning audience engagement

August 2025

Media assets

Publishing: Joson Inmingun

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

The paper is owned by the Korean People’s Army and functions as the KPA’s institutional organ, reflecting the political line of the Workers’ Party of Korea through the military’s ideological apparatus.

Alongside Rodong Sinmun (party) and Minju Joson (cabinet), Joson Inmingun is consistently identified as one of North Korea’s most important papers and — in many accounts — among the “top three” read or authoritative publications. Its mission skews to military ideology, political loyalty, and force readiness, aimed primarily at service personnel. Historical analyses describe its longstanding role in indoctrination and morale‑building within the armed forces.

North Korea discloses little about media finances or print runs; where specifics (e.g., circulation, revenue, budget) are absent above, that reflects a genuine lack of reliable public data.

August 2025

Media assets

Publishing: Chongnyon Jonwi

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Launched on 17 January 1946, the paper began its life under the name Chongnyon (“Youth”), later evolving to Minju Chongnyon in September 1946, then Rodong Chongnyon in May 1964. It finally adopted the name Chongnyon Jonwi in January 1996 when the youth league was rebranded the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League—a title that was later updated to Socialist Patriotic Youth League in April 2021.

Aimed squarely at North Korea’s younger generation, Chongnyon Jonwi serves as both a mouthpiece for Juche ideology and a platform for youth-oriented commentary on national affairs. Much of its content reinterprets Rodong Sinmun articles through a youthful lens.

Its editorial lineup frequently features Kim Jong Un’s site visits and ideological encouragement, ranging from visits to construction sites and museums, to messages of solidarity with foreign leaders. Recent coverage includes his guidance at the Wonsan Kalma coastal development, celebrations around Victory Day (July 27), and meetings with Russian dignitaries, particularly in June and July 2025.

August 2025

Media assets

Publishing: Minju Choson

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Often compared to the Soviet Izvestiya, Minju Choson pivots from ideological overtures to a more procedural focus—publishing newly adopted laws, decrees, and administrative regulations, as well as commentary on policy implementation and day-to-day governance. With its content overlapping that of KCNA and Rodong Sinmun, Minju Choson nonetheless offers additional coverage of governmental institutions and local affairs, including photo essays and videos. On occasion, it also introduces new legislation through its pages.

August 2025

Media assets

Publishing: Rodongja Sinmun

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Though less prominent than Rodong Sinmun, its better-known sibling, Rodongja Sinmun occupies a distinctive niche in North Korea’s media ecosystem. Whereas Rodong Sinmun, the voice of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party, serves as the nation’s mouthpiece, Rodongja Sinmun channels directives and ideological messaging directly to the working class through the trade union apparatus.

Its pages are often filled with campaign rhetoric, echoing Party slogans, reinforcing production goals, and urging workers to embody the revolutionary spirit. This media output complements broader efforts of political indoctrination via union organs rather than mass media channels.

August 2025

Media assets

Publishing: Pyongyang Sinmun, The Pyongyang Times

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

While Pyongyang Sinmun itself has remained under the radar in recent headlines, its English sibling, The Pyongyang Times, continues regular publication, evidence of its sustained role in the North Korean propaganda apparatus. The most recent editions into August 2025 are archived and accessible via platforms like KCNA Watch.

August 2025

Media assets

Publishing: Chollima

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Formally edited by the Chollima Editing Committee within the publishing house, the magazine has repeatedly been highlighted in official propaganda as widely read and “popular,” and has from time to time carried essays urging greater productivity, administrative “informatization,” and other policy leitmotifs associated with the Chollima ethos. While the Chollima brand today also surfaces in other state narratives (from monuments to industrial drives), the magazine continues to serve as a steady vehicle for those themes. 

August 2025

Media assets

Publishing: Choson Sinbo

News agency: Korea News Service

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

The paper is accompanied by an English-language edition—The People’s Korea—and operates the Korea News Service, a newswire that republishes content from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), but with a considerably broader archive. Because Choson Sinbo’s journalists enjoy greater reporting latitude compared to other foreign media, they have occasionally scooped exclusive coverage—particularly of North Korea’s domestic projects and developments in inter-Korean relations.

July 2025