North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un touches tank armour as he tours a military equipment facility at an unspecified location in North Korea, in this image released May 4, 2025 by the Korean Central News Agency.Rumors that North Korea will “soon become an economic powerhouse by selling weapons” are spreading rapidly, with some suspecting the country’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) is intentionally promoting the claims.
A Daily NK source in North Pyongan province said recently that rumors claiming economic superpower status is imminent through arms dealing are widespread among people in Jongju city. The speed and scope of these rumors suggests they cannot be explained without state involvement.
Some people believe the rumors at face value and express hope, while others suspect the MSS is deliberately spreading them through local informants and market managers. The security agency is allegedly creating favorable public opinion while monitoring public attitudes.
People expressing suspicion note that the MSS typically cracks down quickly on rumors unfavorable to the regime and relentlessly tracks their sources, but generally watches silently as pro-regime rumors penetrate deeper into the population.
The state has systematically spread rumors to divert attention whenever public sentiment has wavered, the source said, citing the 2009 currency reform failure when authorities blamed Pak Nam Gi, former Workers’ Party finance chief, as a spy working for South Korea to redirect public anger.
During the “Arduous March” period, authorities highlighted stories about South Hamgyong province party secretary Yon Hyong Muk’s integrity to ease anger over the privileged class’s luxurious lifestyle, and early in Kim Jong Un’s rule, spread claims that he had served in frontline units to promote the leader.
Some people view the latest rumors about achieving economic superpower status through weapons exports as intentionally spread by the state to improve public sentiment, the source said.
Suspicions are growing that authorities are spreading rumors to shift public opinion and instill hope about overcoming economic difficulties, amid continued unsettled atmosphere since last month’s official acknowledgment of troop deployment and participation in the Russia war, and ongoing public unrest over persistent hardships.
The MSS doesn’t just hunt down and arrest dangerous elements but also works to suppress internal chaos and routinely manipulates and controls public sentiment through informants close to people, the source noted.
North Koreans tend to trust and listen more to what those around them say rather than propaganda through newspapers or TV. Taking advantage of this, the MSS uses informants who operate quietly among the masses to both monitor public attitudes and shape public sentiment, the source said.