The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) has formally requested that the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) take action to block access to a North Korean propaganda YouTube channel named "Olivia Natasha," run by a young North Korean female Youtuber named YuMi. The KCSC plans to convene a meeting next week to evaluate this request.
According to The Korea Times, this move follows South Korea's previous actions, where three YouTube channels—Sally Parks SongA Channel, Olivia Natasha-YuMi Space DPRK Daily, and New DPRK—were blocked due to their use for North Korean propaganda purposes.
Although Google had shut down the Olivia Natasha channel in June last year, new videos have resurfaced on YuMi's new YouTube account. These recent uploads, such as the one from January, depict a luxurious lifestyle, including preparations for a year-end family dinner featuring king crab.
North Korea's propaganda strategy is shifting, aiming to engage a broader global audience by mobilizing young North Korean women and children as primary narrators. This shift reflects an attempt to move away from traditional propaganda methods.
The NIS has warned of increased cyberattacks and psychological warfare from North Korea leading up to April's general elections in South Korea.
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No matter how they post about the daily life in North Korea, I'm not going to buy it because that place is opposite of what these YouTubers are trying to narrate. No average North Korean lives like that. It's as if the masses are slaves in their country.