Mick Hartley

This is interesting. Parts of North Korea are being swamped with a barrage of Chinese media, according to the Daily NK:

China’s cultural development and cooperation program with North Korea across the three northeastern provinces of Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang goes far beyond simply sharing cultural content. Instead, it represents part of a sophisticated overseas cultural campaign tailored to current North Korean attitudes.

“China recognizes that North Koreans feel less threatened by Chinese media than by content from South Korea or the U.S. The fact that North Koreans are more receptive to Chinese media was a major factor behind this program,” a source in China told Daily NK recently.

By "North Koreans" here, what the source in China means is the North Korean regime. Actual North Koreans would doubtless much prefer South Korean media, but are forbidden from watching on pain of serious repercussions, up to and including execution. Pyongyang, it seems, is less concerned about Chinese influence.

According to the source, North Korea’s tendency to view Chinese cultural content as relatively safe presents an opportunity that China is seizing. This has led Chinese producers to focus on programs that North Koreans consider “less dangerous foreign information,” such as dramas, documentaries and lifestyle content.

Specifically, China’s strategy involves making cultural inroads into North Korea by providing useful, apolitical content such as Chinese language educational videos and informational programs about daily life in China…

The goal isn’t just for North Koreans to consume Chinese content, but to become familiar with Chinese culture and view it as part of their daily lives….

“While North Koreans will continue seeking South Korean media, China believes that over time, Chinese media will begin feeling more familiar and comfortable to them. China’s long-term plan is to cultivate a shared cultural identity between the two countries,” the source explained.

This is at a time when North Korea is closely allying itself with Russia, notably in the sending of troops to Ukraine in return for unspecified military hardware. Relations with China, meanwhile, are reported to have cooled. This is surely a blip though. China is overwhelmingly of greater significance to North Korea in the longer term – as China clearly knows.

Another factor is South Korea's heavy reliance on US support. If the Trump administration is lecturing Europe on its need to look after its own defence instead of relying on American power, that surely applies with even greater force to Seoul. Trump doesn't do policy based on principle, like defending democracy. South Korea, fortunately, is a rich country, and could perhaps tempt Trump with a juicy deal or two, but still, it's all looking a little worrying for a small country with an insanely belligerent other half now arming up, and supported by both China and Russia.

As China implements this overseas cultural strategy, it’s closely watching the possibility of the U.S. scaling back efforts to influence North Korea.

“China is pleased by signs that the U.S. is voluntarily abandoning its democracy promotion campaign. If U.S.-backed content dissemination efforts lose momentum, China will become the only significant content provider. It sees this as an ideal opportunity to spread its own culture,” the source said.

“China is also preparing to use this program as a diplomatic tool. If North Korean officials and young people develop positive attitudes toward China, that could strengthen pro-China policies,” the source added.

Korean reunification is looking deader by the week.