Silence from North Korean Media on South Korea's Martial Law Crisis
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Seoul, Dec 5 (NationPress) North Korea's state media on Thursday remained silent about South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief declaration of emergency martial law and its ensuing political implications.
Yoon unexpectedly announced martial law late Tuesday, accusing the opposition of hindering the government with 'anti-state' actions. He rescinded the decree just hours later, following a National Assembly vote against it, according to Yonhap news agency.
As of 9 a.m., none of North Korea's state media outlets, including the Rodong Sinmun, which is the primary newspaper of North Korea, and the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), had reported on the turmoil surrounding the martial law.
The Rodong Sinmun, aimed at the domestic audience, also did not feature articles about the anti-government protests in South Korea calling for Yoon's resignation in its Thursday edition. The publication has regularly covered such events almost daily throughout this month.
Analysts noted that North Korea might leverage the martial law situation as a propaganda avenue to stir resentment among its populace towards South Korea.
In March 2017, the KCNA and the state-run Korean Central Television quickly reported the impeachment of then-South Korean President Park Geun-hye, merely two hours after the Constitutional Court affirmed the decision.
In May 2004, when the court dismissed the parliamentary impeachment of then-President Roh Moo-hyun, North Korean state media issued a related press statement from North Korea's committee overseeing inter-Korean affairs, two days post the court ruling.
