Deception of Media Through International Stage

Looks can be deceiving. KUNA 2’s first International Stage started on an inspirational note with countries like Spain and Ireland performing traditional dances and recounting folklore; it ended with a powerful punch from North Korea that shed light on the troubles citizens experience to receive their basic human rights and necessities, and the media’s efforts to mask the hardships defectors face.

Delegates initially portrayed the peace talks held in South Korea with United States President Donald Trump shaking hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. They depicted North Korea as having a gilded façade of an ideal situation for growing citizenship. However, there was more than met the eye.

Two North Korean soldiers dragged three prisoners who shared stories of attempted defection and the punishments that followed. They were based on true stories that the average person wouldn’t know unless they delved deeply into North Korea’s human rights violations. One of the prisoners described how she failed to defect from North Korea via the Tumen River due to its depth and fast current; she even noted that the soldiers did nothing at the call for help as her father was drowning.

North Korea is portrayed primarily concerning one issue: its nuclear weapons. We never hear about defections or whether they are successes or failures because the media rarely covers North Korean humanitarian violations. This leads us to wonder: Why? Why are these stories covered up?

In order to mimic the fashion in which the media disregards current conditions in North Korea, the delegates demonstrated two different perceptions of a nation: governmental and humanitarian.

They successfully depict how completely powerful governments can trick us if they so choose.