See Kim Jong-il in HD: rare reels of North Korean leader in his youth released online
Clips, in colour and monochrome, show leader during his time as heir apparent to father Kim Il-sung
North Korean state television has apparently released a rare trove of footage showing Kim Jong-il as a much younger man – this time in high definition.
Viewers can now see high-resolution archive clips of Kim, in colour and monochrome, from his time as heir apparent to father Kim Il-sung, up to when he became leader of the country.
Three high-definition (HD) clips were published on a YouTube account under the name KCTV News, North Korea’s broadcaster and sole provider of the reclusive socialist state’s programming.
Kim – a film enthusiast – is seen inspecting new equipment and fiddling with a news camera inside a studio while chatting with media staffers and his aides.
In another scene-within-a-scene, the camera pans to one of the multiple television screens in the newsroom showing TV interviews with Kim Il-sung, who ruled North Korea from 1948 until his death in 1994, while on a visit to farming areas.
Although the old footage has simply been converted to a new format, North Korea expert Steve Chung says it signals that the country is stepping up technological upgrades.
The current ruler of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, “promised to the people that they would try to upgrade the standard of living, and that includes technological development”, said Chung. “[That way], Kim can get more support from the people.”
“Watching TV is really important for North Koreans because they don’t have many other kinds of entertainment. Upgrading the quality of TV programming and transmission can be a way to give the impression to the people that the country is improving,” said Chung, who has been studying the country for five years.
Kim, said to be in his 30s, succeeded his father Jong-il when the latter died in December 2011.
“So while the broadcast is technically in high-definition, the content isn’t … yet,” website founder Martyn Williams wrote in the report.
Williams noted that “recent coverage of major national events has been produced in a widescreen format, which probably means it’s being filmed with high-definition equipment”.
North Korea’s TV station was upgraded in 2012 when China’s state television, CCTV, gave it US$800,000 worth of digital broadcasting equipment, the report said. North Korea broadcasts via the Thaicom 5 satellite, whose signal reaches parts of Asia and Europe, it said.
Chung says North Korean citizens typically watch television before going to work in the morning and after dinner, when they are unwinding from the day's work and relaxing with their families.
During prime-time hours from 6pm to 9pm, KCTV delivers news programmes followed by dramas, old films, propaganda or documentaries, Chung said.
Children can also watch locally-produced cartoons in the afternoon.
However, not all North Koreans enjoy the high-definition programming, as resources such as electronics are concentrated in Pyongyang.
“Some of them already have HDTVs from China, especially those in the upper echelons of the [Workers’ Party],” Chung said. “But its probably not for the rest [of the country].”
With additional reporting by John Kang
