Well, in the interest of being accurate, I would say it was less “spouting off” and more like faux-innocent, passive-aggressive ribbing.

Which sort of doubly proves my point: The belief in the hyperbolic propaganda tends not only to be taken very seriously, but is not very open to ironic or sarcastic interpretations of it.

If I were a North Korean minder and some Yankee spouted off to me like that, I’d give him the evil eye and the cold shoulder, too. Foreign visitors mouthing off fearlessly must annoy and sometimes scare the hell out of people whose entire family might be bundled off to a camp for the slightest hint of disloyalty to the regime.

In N. Korea, no other interpretation is really possible.

Nice theory, but I’ve been to Pyongyang twice and many of the people there really do believe what they say. Even innocent and subtle probings of their theoretical contractions could result in an immediate, hostile lashing out. After hearing so much BS about how the North “ardently longs for immediate reunification,” I finally told one of my guides (an older ajosshi), “I think Kim Jong-il could have reunification tomorrow if he really wanted it. The decision is entirely up to him.” My guide, who had previously been quite friendly and polite to me, gave me the evilest eye I’ve ever been on the receiving end of, and the “kibun” was arctic for the remainder of my tour there, at least with him.

At the same time, many of the “progressives” and naive communists/socialists here in the South also believe the propaganda they spew. Last night in front of T’apgol Park, the anti-LMB demonstrators there (the same groups behind the anti-US beef protests last year, now latched onto the Yongsan incident) really did look like they meant it as they shrieked loudly and repeatedly, “Overthrow the dictator!”

Yes, it was quite parodic, but try telling them that.

Nice theory, but I’ve been to Pyongyang twice and many of the people there really do believe what they say. Even innocent and subtle probings of their theoretical contractions could result in an immediate, hostile lashing out. After hearing so much BS about how the North “ardently longs for immediate reunification,” I finally told one of my guides (an older ajosshi), “I think Kim Jong-il could have reunification tomorrow if he really wanted it. The decision is entirely up to him.” My guide, who had previously been quite friendly and polite to me, gave me the evilist eye I’ve ever been on the receiving end of, and the “kibun” was arctic for the remainder of my tour there, at least with him.

At the same time, many of the “progressives” and naive communists/socialists here in the South also believe the propaganda they spew. Last night in front of T’apgol Park, the anti-LMB demonstrators there (the same groups behind the anti-US beef protests last year, now latched onto the Yongsan incident) really did look like they meant it as they shrieked loudly and repeatedly, “Overthrow the dictator!”

Yes, it was quite parodic, but try telling them that.

Whenever some misogynist ajosshi would banmal me, I would honorific the hell out of every word in my response. Insincere politeness and praise is a blameless form of resistance.

I recall Dr. Lankov describing how Russians would return home to the Soviet Union and realize that Communism was a failure, but they had to play dumb until the country opened up under Glasnost. At least some KCNA employees must have access to international news since world events are reported in the North Korean media and play dumb to avoid disappearing into a concentration camp.