Students from North Korea have arrived in Malta to begin their internship with ONE TV.
The 20 undergraduates, who are studying journalism at Kim Il-Sung University in Pyongyang, will be interning at ONE as part of an educational exchange program between the reclusive pariah state and the Labour Party’s media wing.
Over their three-month-long stay, they will be gaining practical work experience – mainly by helping to write articles and scripts – across the organisation’s different platforms: ONE TV, One Radio, and One.com.mt.
“We are delighted to continue strengthening the Labour Party’s historic ties with North Korea and welcome the latest batch of students to ONE,” said chairman Jason Micallef.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to put everything they have learned in class about propaganda, misinformation and whataboutism to good use here in Malta. And to be honest, their arrival couldn’t have come at a better time. What with Covid-19, Keith Schembri, and the PN leadership election, it’s going to be all-hands-on-deck for the next few weeks,” he added.
The students themselves also expressed their excitement.
“I cannot wait to learn from my heroes, the most-revered Karl Stagno Navarra, and Beautiful Lotus Flower of News, Nicole Buttigieg. At school back in Pyongyang, we are shown episodes of Pjazza as an example of the perfect current affairs show. It is said that even Dear Respected Leader Kim Jong-un watches it,” said student Pak Song-Choi.
“While I’m here, I will do everything I can to make sure the accursed dogs of the Fazzjoni Busuttil remain in the gutter where they belong!” exclaimed his classmate, Ri Myong-Guk
“I will throw many lemons at our enemies. Ma tagħmlu xejn mal-Perit Mintoff!” sang Hong Un-jong.
As part of standard protocol at ONE, the North Korean students will also be assigned with fake profiles with which to disseminate propaganda and denounce critics on Facebook.
“We have instructed them not to threaten people with imprisonment in hard-labour camps as this could get them banned, and also because we haven’t finished building them yet,” Micallef said.
