Korean Central News Agency

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) is the official news agency of North Korea. It shares the views and messages of the North Korean government with people both inside and outside the country. KCNA was started on December 5, 1946, and has grown to include online news reporting.

Today, KCNA plays an important role in sharing information about North Korea with the world. It helps spread the government's perspective on events, policies, and developments. The agency works to inform people about what is happening in the country and beyond, reflecting the official stance of the leadership in North Korea.

Organization

KCNA is the main news agency of North Korea and shares the views of the North Korean government with people both inside and outside the country. It started in 1946 and now shares news online too.

KCNA is based in Pyongyang and works under the control of the Workers' Party of Korea. It shares news in several languages, including English, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish. The agency also creates summaries of world news for officials and has partnerships with news agencies around the world.

Recurring themes

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) uses strong language to describe governments and people it disagrees with, often calling them unkind names. At the same time, it praises the leaders of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un, using words like "wise" and "noble."

Every year since 1996, on January 1, KCNA and three other main newspapers in North Korea publish a special editorial. These editorials talk about the country's plans for the year ahead. They often praise the government's policies and leaders, and they may also talk about relations with other countries like South Korea, the United States, Japan, and Western nations. For example, in 2006, the editorial called for American troops to leave South Korea. In 2011, it mentioned plans to grow light industries as a way to improve the country's economy. This tradition stopped in 2013 when Kim Jong Un began giving the New Year speeches on television instead.

After a major political event involving Jang Song-thaek, KCNA removed many articles from its website. Thousands of articles in Korean and translations were deleted or changed to leave out certain names.