Daily NK
Encyclopedia
The Daily NK is an online newspaper
focusing on issues relating to North Korea
. The site, run by opponents of the North Korean government
, is based in South Korea
and regularly reports stories from inside North Korea via a network of informants inside the country.
Founded in December 2004, the Daily NK covers mainly democracy and human rights issues in North Korea
. It publishes mainly in Korean
, but also in English
, Chinese
and Japanese
. Its sources inside North Korea communicate with the Seoul-based office using Chinese cell phones along the North Korea-China border. It also has several correspondents based in China
, who interview people escaping from North Korea. The site also has stories from North Korean defectors
and monitors output of North Korean media
.
Its reports are frequently cited by international media. North Korea's National Reconciliation Council
, in an official statement carried by KCNA
, has criticised Daily NK for what it called "anti-DPRK smear campaigns". Because of the difficulties of reporting from North Korea, some reports are inaccurate: Ha Tae-keung of Open Radio for North Korea, a radio station closely associated with Daily NK, concedes that “Because our sources have never been trained in journalism, exaggeration is a problem for us", while Lee Chan-ho, a chief analyst at the South Korean Ministry of Unification
, warned that the “flood of raw, unconfirmed reports” was unconstructive. However, the New York Times reports that as of 2010, the quality and accuracy of news published in Daily NK has improved as they have been able to recruit more North Korean intellectuals and former high-ranking officials who defected to the South.
Hwang Jang-yop
, a former major politician in North Korea who was Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly from 1972 to 1983, contributed to a column on the site. He defected from North Korea in 1997 by walking into the South Korean
embassy in Beijing
, making him the highest ranking defector from the country.
The Daily NKs President is Han Ki Hong.
Online newspaper
An online newspaper, also known as a web newspaper, is a newspaper that exists on the World Wide Web or Internet, either separately or as an online version of a printed periodical....
focusing on issues relating to North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. The site, run by opponents of the North Korean government
Government of North Korea
The North Korean government is the executive branch of the state, according to the Constitution of North Korea. In practice, the highest decisions are made by the National Defence Commission of North Korea which is led by its Chairman Kim Jong-il....
, is based in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and regularly reports stories from inside North Korea via a network of informants inside the country.
Founded in December 2004, the Daily NK covers mainly democracy and human rights issues in North Korea
Human rights in North Korea
The human rights record of North Korea is extremely hard to fully assess due to the secretive and closed nature of the country. The North Korean government makes it very difficult for foreigners to enter the country and strictly monitors their activities when they do...
. It publishes mainly in Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
, but also in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
and Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. Its sources inside North Korea communicate with the Seoul-based office using Chinese cell phones along the North Korea-China border. It also has several correspondents based in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, who interview people escaping from North Korea. The site also has stories from North Korean defectors
North Korean defectors
A number of individuals have defected from North Korea. Since the division of Korea after World War II and the end of the Korean War , many people have defected from North Korea, mainly for political, ideological, religious and economic reasons...
and monitors output of North Korean media
Media of North Korea
The media of North Korea is one of the most strictly controlled in the world. As a result, information is tightly controlled both into and out of North Korea. The constitution provides for freedom of speech and the press; however, the government prohibits the exercise of these rights in practice...
.
Its reports are frequently cited by international media. North Korea's National Reconciliation Council
National Reconciliation Council
The National Reconciliation Council is a North Korean body occasionally cited in official news releases from the Korean Central News Agency....
, in an official statement carried by KCNA
Korean Central News Agency
The Korean Central News Agency is the state news agency of North Korea and has existed since December 5, 1946. KCNA is headquartered in the capital city of Pyongyang...
, has criticised Daily NK for what it called "anti-DPRK smear campaigns". Because of the difficulties of reporting from North Korea, some reports are inaccurate: Ha Tae-keung of Open Radio for North Korea, a radio station closely associated with Daily NK, concedes that “Because our sources have never been trained in journalism, exaggeration is a problem for us", while Lee Chan-ho, a chief analyst at the South Korean Ministry of Unification
Ministry of Unification
The Ministry of Unification is a branch of the South Korean government that is charged with working toward the reunification of Korea. It was first established in 1969 as the National Unification Board, under the rule of Park Chung-hee...
, warned that the “flood of raw, unconfirmed reports” was unconstructive. However, the New York Times reports that as of 2010, the quality and accuracy of news published in Daily NK has improved as they have been able to recruit more North Korean intellectuals and former high-ranking officials who defected to the South.
Hwang Jang-yop
Hwang Jang-yop
Hwang Jang-yop was a major politician in North Korea who defected to South Korea in 1997, making him to date the highest-ranking defector from the isolated state. He was largely responsible for crafting the Juche Idea, North Korea's official state ideology.-Early life and career:Hwang was born in...
, a former major politician in North Korea who was Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly from 1972 to 1983, contributed to a column on the site. He defected from North Korea in 1997 by walking into the South Korean
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
embassy in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, making him the highest ranking defector from the country.
The Daily NKs President is Han Ki Hong.