Based on a Radio Free Asia (RFA) report, Kim Jong Un’s latest speech to flood victims in North Pyongan Province attracted consideration for his use of South Korean phrases, that are banned in North Korea.[1] Nevertheless, roughly half of the seven expressions cited within the report have been used recurrently by North Korean print media for years, which appears to counsel a discrepancy between media language and every day colloquialism, no less than in North Pyongan Province.[2] The opposite half of the seven examples have additionally appeared in North Korean print media, though hardly ever, which helps clarify North Koreans’ reported “shock.” This will likely counsel that acceptable language remains to be evolving in North Korea regardless of the nation’s efforts to standardize the language.
The phrases in query included “주민 [inhabitants],” “TV,” and “음료수 [drinking water],” which have appeared recurrently within the nation’s print media since no less than Could 2005, together with in Kim’s personal speeches.[3] It’s uncommon for a Kim chief to straight tackle the folks as “expensive inhabitants [주민 여러분],” nonetheless: The extra widespread expressions could be “comrades [동지들]” or “folks [인민들].” Notably, Kim’s speech particularly referred to folks “from the flood-stricken space” on this method. The excellence between “inhabitants” and each “comrades” and “folks” is that the previous is in reference to folks residing in particular areas.
The time period “험지 [unfamiliar areas]” was utilized in North Korean print media solely often earlier than September 2020, within the wake of the floods, however has appeared extra usually since then.[4]
In the meantime, North Korean print media’s use of “폄훼 [slights],” “어르신 [the elderly],” and “병약자 [sick persons]” has ranged from extraordinarily uncommon, uncommon, and once in a while, in that order.
In North Korea, nothing may be extra vital than the Kim chief’s phrases. In that vein, we now have to imagine that Kim’s language was chosen with the best of care, meant to maximise attraction to the plenty. With out over-parsing the that means of each change, it might be price monitoring the evolution of North Korean propaganda language over time, if not for indicators of elevated acceptance of outdoor affect, for hints of change in North Korean society.
