N. Korea's Kim Jong-Il fires his top TV official

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 advertisement 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.

Calls to the National Intelligence Service - the country's main spy agency - were unanswered.

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 description and documentaries on Kim and his father, Kim Il Sung.

However, signs of a nascent market economy have been emerging in recent years, as the communist country suffers chronic food shortages and has relied on aid to feed its 24 million people since famine killed an estimated 2 million people in the 1990s.

In June, the North opened its first fast food restaurant in its capital Pyongyang in cooperation with a Singaporean company, according to the Tokyo-based Choson Sinbo.

The paper, considered as a mouthpiece for the North's government, also reported that the country opened its first Italian restaurant in December at Kim's order.

The regime introduced economic reforms in 2002, including regular street and farmers' markets.

But the government backtracked in 2006 after the reforms failed to revive the economy and resulted in an influx of foreign goods.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos Respond to this email