North Korean citizens not buying rhetoric against Moon

President Moon Jae-in is still being lauded in Pyongyang for his humble gestures shown during his visit last year, and Pyongyang citizens are not buying North Korea's rhetoric against him, according to sources familiar with the matter. / Yonhap

By Yi Whan-woo

Despite an inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang last year, North Korea has continued to ratchet up harsh rhetoric against the South Korean leader.

Many Pyongyang citizens, however, are not buying the propaganda coming from state-controlled outlets.

According to sources familiar with the matter, this is because the citizens witnessed Moon's humble and friendly gestures on site when they were mobilized to greet him during an inter-Korean summit in September.

Back then, Moon appeared to have sparked comments in North Korea by giving a full 90-degree bow to those who greeted him at the airport. It was believed to have had a deep impact on citizens, especially those who witnessed it in person.

"A number of people were impressed by such a humble gesture from a head of state. Their impression remains unchanged, and people, although they do it secretly, have been talking about it," a source said.

An Chan-il, a defector-turned-researcher, voiced a similar view, pointing out North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also gave a 90-degree bow before the people days after the summit.

"This shows Kim sensed how captivated citizens are by a humble leader and that he must learn it to remain as the country's ruler," An said.

The citizens, according to the sources, were further impressed by Moon's speech directly addressed to an audience of 150,000 people, when he joined a mass games event at a packed Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang.

Repeatedly addressing the crowd as "citizens of Pyongyang, fellow Koreans," Moon proposed to move forward toward "the big picture of peace in which the past 70 years of hostility can be eradicated."

Speaking out about their leader in public can be punished as treason in the North, but some North Koreans have reportedly commented about Kim in comparison to Moon.

A man in his 40s was taken to a political prison camp for calling Moon "too opposite from our Supreme Leader," the sources said.

The source said the North Korean authorities have been concerned about Moon's exposure to the public. After Kim's second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed in February, the North Korean media has gone back to lambasting him.

For instance, it said Moon is "needlessly kibitzing" Pyongyang-Washington relations, dismissed Moon's pledge to take the driver's seat on the Korean Peninsula as "sophistry" and snubbed his comment on reunifying the Korean Peninsula as so preposterous it would "make the boiled head of a cow laugh."

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