A Puzzling Propaganda Discrepancy: Kim Jong-un Says the “Republic of Korea” but Others Say “Gwaerae”
South Koreans have a general idea of North Korea’s official name, yet few call it the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.” In fact, many students in South Korean universities’ North Korean studies courses omit the terms “people” or “democracy” when referring to North Korea. This may be intentional since North Korea is clearly not a democracy and doesn’t deserve to use that word in its official title.