Changes in North Korean Broadcasting: A Time-Series Analysis of Program Genres on Korean Central Television

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper aims to provide empirical evidence of changes in North Korea’s television programming through quantitative analysis. Since Kim Jong Un assumed power, North Korea’s broadcasting policy has been characterized by two principal orientations: (1) enhancing the entertainment appeal of broadcast content and (2) expanding distribution platforms to deliver a more substantial and diversified flow of information. Among these efforts, the rollout of the Manbang service which operates in a manner similar to Internet TV, represents the most distinctive outcome of this policy direction. The system was designed to address two challenges simultaneously: improving access in areas with poor terrestrial TV reception and broadening the range of broadcasting platforms. However, as is widely recognized, conducting on-site field research within North Korea is fundamentally impossible, and access to other literature sources remains extremely limited. Within the range of what is feasible at the present stage, this study generated statistical data by examining the program schedules of Korean Central Television (KCTV). Using KCTV program listings from 2006 to 2024, the study analyzed changes in broadcasting hours and program composition by genre, and their temporal variations to assess shifts in North Korean television broadcasting. The findings indicate that daily broadcast hourson weekdaysincreased substantially in 2013 and again in 2022. Specifically, the daily start time changed from around 3 p.m. to approximately 5 p.m. in 2013, and further advanced to about 9 a.m. in 2022, resulting in a significant increase in total broadcast hours. A genre-based analysis showsthat, in terms of the number of programs aired, news and films had long dominated the schedule. However, beginning in 2016, compilation programs surpassed films to become the second most frequent category. From 2023, following the COVID-19 pandemic, current affairs programs increased sharply, ranking either first or third overall. In terms of total airtime, films naturally occupied the top position due to their longer duration, but since 2020, after the outbreak of COVID-19, news and compilation programs have overtaken films as the leading categories. These results demonstrate that the North Korean authorities have made deliberate efforts to make KCTV both more entertaining and more informative, reflecting a clear policy intention to enhance viewer engagement and diversify broadcasting platforms.