North Korea’s Kim Jong Il recently fired his top TV official for airing a series of advertisements, apparently out of concern that the commercials represented too much influence of capitalism.
Since early July, the North’s state TV had aired rare advertisements on beer, hairpins, ginseng and quail meat in what appeared to the country’s first such commercials, sparking speculation that the country might launch broader market reforms.
Leader Kim, however, was angered when watching the advertisements recently, saying that “Such commercials are what China did when it started its reforms and openness,” according to Yonhap news agency.
Yonhap, citing sources it said are privy to North Korea affairs, said that Kim subsequently fired Cha Sung Su, head of a government committee in charge of state-run television.
China is still North Korea’s biggest source of economic aid and diplomatic support, but bilateral relations drifted apart in recent decades as Beijing embraced free-market reforms while Pyongyang remained a defiantly closed, totalitarian state.
North Korean defectors have said there are limits to how far the North would go with its recent economic changes, saying Kim fears Chinese-style economic reform and openness coming to his country.
The report said Cha’s committee began airing the advertisements after Kim instructed it to make TV programs in a “more interesting, diverse” manner. Yonhap said the commercials haven’t been seen on the state TV since late August.
Seoul’s Unification Ministry, which handles relations with the North, said it couldn’t immediately confirm the report.
North Korea has long tightly controlled its economy and is wary of capitalistic influence. North Korean TV programs normally have no advertisements and usually consist of news, factory descriptions and documentaries on Kim and his father, Kim Il Sung.
