YouTube Brings Down The Curtain On 11-Year-Old Vlogger Promoting Kim Jong Un's North Korea: Report

An 11-year-old video blogger, Song-a, who shares her life in Pyongyang on Alphabet Inc’s GOOGL GOOG video streaming platform YouTube, has been identified by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) as a part of North Korea’s “psychological warfare” operations, Financial Times reports.

North Korea’s Propaganda Strategy

Under Kim Jong Un’s leadership, North Korea has been developing subtler propaganda techniques, aiming to present a more relatable image to the world. Channels like Song-a’s are believed to be part of this effort.

The Sogwang Media Corp Connection

Analysts have traced the accounts of Song-a and other young female presenters to the Sogwang Media Corp, a North Korean company with close links to the Kim regime. The company has been operating so-called sockpuppet accounts that echo the government’s narrative on various social media platforms.

The Story of Song-a

Song-a first appeared in 2020 on another YouTube program, “What’s Up Pyongyang?”. Her own channel was launched in April 2022. Analysts at NK Pro suggest that she is the daughter of a North Korean diplomat previously based in London.

YouTube’s Action

Google confirmed that the YouTube accounts hosting Song-a’s videos, along with two other accounts, have been removed in compliance with applicable US sanctions and trade compliance laws.

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