North Korea Restores Order to Kim Funeral With Photoshop
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The funeral procession for Kim Jong-Il was carried out with military precision and when a handful of dawdlers messed up those regimented lines, they were eliminated. From the photo, that is.
A photo released by the North Korea’s state news agency and transmitted by the Germany-based european pressphoto agency is slightly different from a photo taken at nearly the identical moment and released by Japanese agency Kyodo News.
The Japanese picture captured a half-dozen men near a camera on a tripod lingering behind the line of mourners on the left side of the boulevard as the motorcade passed by.
In the photo by the North Korean Central News Agency, those men, their camera and their footprints have been digitally removed, restoring absolute order to the crowds lining the boulevard as the cortege passed by.
The alterations were discovered by the New York Times with the help of digital forensics expert Hany Farid of Dartmouth College.
The european pressphoto agency, which distributed the doctored North Korea photo along with other news agencies, issued a “mandatory kill” for its clients, meaning they were not to use the picture. The epa was the first news agency to pull the photo from circulation.
The agency granted an exception to ABC News “for the sole purpose of being able to show and explain what had been altered before the picture was provided to international news agencies by KCNA [North Korean Central News Agency]. We consider this as part of a transparent and responsible clarification process.”
A european pressphoto agency spokeswoman told ABC News, “Any kind of digital manipulation violates EPA’s code of ethics.”
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I feel so sorry for the peopple of this country………..nothing like living under the rule of insane dictators
Posted by: Really??!! | December 29, 2011, 2:44 pm 2:44 pm
You’re speaking about the USA…right???
Posted by: Daniel | December 29, 2011, 2:55 pm 2:55 pm
if you do not like this country leave it
Posted by: robert wells | December 29, 2011, 3:15 pm 3:15 pm
“if you do not like this country leave it” …they said the same thing in Germany in 1930.
Posted by: NotanIdiot | December 29, 2011, 3:28 pm 3:28 pm
North Korea is such a loser of a country…
Posted by: RalphF | December 29, 2011, 3:33 pm 3:33 pm
no one noticed the flag that was added?
Posted by: J | December 29, 2011, 3:33 pm 3:33 pm
“if you do not like this country leave it” – wow that’s a great formula for change.
Either like everything – as-is – or leave. No possibility of working on issues for positive change – wonderful. Daniel is a cheerleader. If he had been born in North Korea, he’d be cheering on North Korea, but we are the lucky ones.
Gee.
Posted by: RoboBobo | December 29, 2011, 3:35 pm 3:35 pm
The flag was not added….it is just shown in the revised pic and only a sliver is shown in the original pic.
Posted by: Lindsay | December 29, 2011, 3:41 pm 3:41 pm
a flag wasn’t added.. you are seeing it from a different angle. I can clearly see the pole and edge of the flag.
Posted by: Kay | December 29, 2011, 3:42 pm 3:42 pm
“If you do not like this country leave it” – spoken like a true insane dictator…. On the other hand, I read today that the standard of living in Canada has surpassed that of the US. You wouldn’t be able to take your weapons arsenal though, and you’d have to be comfortable with Universal Healthcare. Also no litter. Fewer murders.
Posted by: Steve From NH | December 29, 2011, 4:00 pm 4:00 pm
Amazing that NK can use modern technology (Photoshop) to doctor a picture but use it in the most idiotic ways. To doctor the photo to make it look like citizens line up in perfect rows actually hurts their cause and brings more attention to the fact that the citizens do things out of fear.
Posted by: NoSpin1600 | December 29, 2011, 4:10 pm 4:10 pm
Yeah, but at least political leadership isn’t a birth right in this country. Wait, let me think a little more about that ….
Posted by: newcountryman | December 29, 2011, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm
“if you do not like this country leave it.” Daniel, it’s people with your mentality that let countries fall apart and become North Koreas, Nazi Germany’s etc.
Posted by: The_Mick | December 29, 2011, 4:26 pm 4:26 pm
This is all rubbish. Time to give it a rest
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | December 29, 2011, 4:34 pm 4:34 pm
Umm While these are retouched THE AREN:T THE SAME PHOTO. can we at least see the real original with the retouched one not one taken some amount of seconds later and a different Camera Angle so probably a different camera. (those are things that didn’t happen in retouching.) I appriate that people are so upset that they retouched out some small marginal things that are retouched all the time even is US Government PR photos. So yes N. Korean bad but really this isn’t exactly a shocking doesn’t happen with all PR photos from EVERY country on earth = slow news day. (oh and I am an expert on image manipulation having been a digital retouching starting in 1988 on super highend retouching programs that cost MILLIONS of dollars and now design VFX for Feature films.)
Posted by: Randola Granola | December 29, 2011, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
2 totally different pictures
Posted by: -Rod- | December 29, 2011, 4:54 pm 4:54 pm
It wouldn’t suprise me at all if WE did the same thing. And while we are at it… how can we be so sure WHICH is the original photo? Hey… just trying to get the masses thinking here… America was founded on not trusting government. Personally, I’d like to see that tradition continued… (Note how this is party neutral!)
Posted by: TroyS | December 29, 2011, 5:17 pm 5:17 pm
Can’t crop Obama out of the last 3 years…. It’s a damn shame….
Posted by: Thatguynathan | December 29, 2011, 5:26 pm 5:26 pm
Someone always has to blame Obama for something… Let’s blame FoxNews and Billy-O. They’re about as unAmerican as they come. Funny how no one brings up their doctored photos.
Posted by: Yuliq | December 29, 2011, 5:38 pm 5:38 pm
At least it was photoshopped. Mr. Obama’s picture of him smoking is never to be revealed to the American public.
Posted by: young_voter | December 29, 2011, 5:49 pm 5:49 pm
Um…. -ROD- it states just that in the second paragraph. “… is slightly different from a photo taken at nearly the identical moment and released by Japanese agency Kyodo News….” See?
Posted by: puppyfeet217 | December 29, 2011, 5:51 pm 5:51 pm
Does this mean we can photoshop congress out of existence?
Posted by: HowSilly | December 29, 2011, 5:55 pm 5:55 pm
Oh yeah, this is so much worse than the time when America only released four frames of ‘photographic evidence’ of what military officials said was a plane crashing into the Pentagon. Only after they confiscated 98% of the film from the other cameras that would have shown us what actually happened. Or the time absolutely nothing slammed into the ground in Shanksville, PA, yet the media managed to convince the population that an American Airliner disappeared into a tiny hole in the field. Sooo much worse. Poor Korea’s media failures ;) At least they tried to make it look realistic.
Posted by: Andrew | December 29, 2011, 6:02 pm 6:02 pm
Who really cares I don’t the man is dead like so let it be nothing more nothing less.
Posted by: Carol | December 29, 2011, 6:02 pm 6:02 pm
Photoshop … then “firing squad” …
Posted by: yeah.i.said.it | December 29, 2011, 6:18 pm 6:18 pm
The second car has moved about 25 feet and at funeral pace that is atleast 20 seconds, definitely NOT “nearly identical moment”. These are facts why lie about the timing.
Posted by: Peter | December 29, 2011, 6:20 pm 6:20 pm
“if you do not like this country leave it.” … Sounds like the “right wing” – (when “their man” is in office that is) … quit your cryn’ …
Posted by: yeah.i.said.it | December 29, 2011, 6:22 pm 6:22 pm
I have photoshop 9 and I’m learning how to use it. I photoshopped my niece out of a picture and it wasd kind of scary to think I erased someone. The more I use it, the more I learn.
Posted by: Judge Jupiter | December 29, 2011, 6:27 pm 6:27 pm
If you notice the relationship of the lead vehicle to the crowd, you’d see it’s not the same photo. Depending on how slow it was moving, the second photo could have been a couple seconds to several seconds later.
Look at the vehicles and how they’re further down the road. THIS IS NOT THE SAME PHOTO!!!
Posted by: TW | December 29, 2011, 6:34 pm 6:34 pm
the flag wasn’t added either. IT”S A WIDER ANGLE. the flag pole shows a tiny bit in the first, but all of it in the second as does more of the building. Also more is showing on the other side as well. THESE ARE TWO DIFFERENT PHOTOS – PEOPLE.
Photographer changed the aperture which also allowed more light as well. there is way too much being read into this.
Posted by: tw | December 29, 2011, 6:41 pm 6:41 pm
“Either like everything – as-is – or leave. No possibility of working on issues for positive change – wonderful.”
And doing nothing but complaining about everything you can think of on a news message board is changing what, exactly?
Posted by: AmericaThePitiful | December 29, 2011, 6:51 pm 6:51 pm
!984 anyone, where documents and pictures are redone to prove nothing changed.
Posted by: just saying | December 29, 2011, 7:37 pm 7:37 pm
This article is a load of bologna. If you look at the men in front of the crowd; look at where the car is in respect to the last guy. These are two different pics taken at different times at least seconds apart and could be minutes depending on the vehicle speed or if it stopped. They were also probably taken by different cameras with different resolutions. BOO to the author Mark Mooney at ABC News. False reporting.
Posted by: Yfl | December 29, 2011, 7:43 pm 7:43 pm
They are acknowledged to be two different pictures. The first, doctored picture was released by the North Koreans. The second, undoctored picture was taken by a Japanese photographer. And as to RANDOLA GRANOLA’s requeat “can we at least see the real original with the retouched one”, no you can’t. Obviously the North Koreans aren’t going to release that one. So many commentators in these forums seem to only read the headline.
Posted by: 2hundredthousand | December 29, 2011, 8:08 pm 8:08 pm
Wasn’t it the Liberal Hollywood types screaming that if Bush2 was elected that they would leave the Country, well here’s a Country that they can move to (I’ll even help them).
Posted by: Gunz2fun | December 29, 2011, 8:39 pm 8:39 pm
Okay people, first these photos are not purported to be the same, or even from the same source. They are simply “purported” to be taken (by different entities) at approximately the same time. The flag and column can be easily accounted for by use of a different lense and/or spatial features (i.e., distance) though almost certainly a different lense in this instance. Yes, of course, the idea of placing people in the photo is every bit as real as taking them out (as pointed out by another reader). If we must pursue these ideological gymnastics based on a photo taken during a funeral, note the superior image quality of the purported NK photo while the other photo purposefully has the wrong exposure, or was taken with an inferior camera and/or photographer than that from NK’s press. (Or was the Japanese News Agency’s photo purposefully retouched to appear as a more gloomy day.) In the end, however, does anyone really care?? Should anyone be putting time into this “question”??? How is this such a negative relative … because someone in gov’t retouched an official photo. … Has happened since cameras were invented, will continue as long as their are cameras and no one does it better than the government “labs”–both those of good guys and bad guys–that want to send a message or sway present (or future) opinion . … Really, let’s move on….next please!!
Posted by: Thomas | December 29, 2011, 9:03 pm 9:03 pm
How does CNN know that the mourning was “highly choreographed” as they claim? In any case doesn’t every country somehow choreograph their major events? And regarding the robotic police and stuff, the USA elected Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegar to office so what gives? I am not for oppressive dictatorship but I’m also not for trumped up statements either. Please report responsibly CNN
Posted by: guy rozario | December 29, 2011, 9:43 pm 9:43 pm
Come on guys….. you are misleading the public as well. these are two different photos…… Pay attention too details….
Posted by: Martin Hunley | December 29, 2011, 9:45 pm 9:45 pm
the pictures are from two different frames all right. but if you calculate the time the limousine had traveled from the left frame to the right frame, it would be impossible for the people to get in the row order even if they run and some were showing standing still. magnifying both photos and count the heads you are going to see the missing people, and hopefully they are eliminated just in these photos op ! the photo on the right is definitely altered.
Posted by: commom sense | December 29, 2011, 11:16 pm 11:16 pm
Do you people just not bother to read before commenting? TW, the second paragraph states very CLEARLY that they are not the same photograph…they are not even from the same camera. Why, my goodness sake – they were both made by entirely different photographers from different news agencies. Just. like. the. article. states. You’ve missed the point entirely.
Posted by: puppyfeet217 | December 30, 2011, 12:48 am 12:48 am
Well, isn’t there a possibility that the stragglers would have caught up by then? I mean, funeral processions are usually slow, and thus the time difference might be larger than expected.
Posted by: no inconsistency | December 30, 2011, 2:49 am 2:49 am
that’s 2 different frame shots .. take a look at the second car (after the first car that’s carrying kim’s photo on top) notice the ground underneath the second car, notice the dark area on the ground the car is on? look at both photos .. and the photo on the right, the brightened up one, notice in the right, in the snow area, there’s someone there .. hmm why is there someone added there? if the others were taken out? I think it was just brightened up because it’s 2 different photos ..
Posted by: Just.The.Facts | December 30, 2011, 2:54 am 2:54 am
Steve Froim NH: ““If you do not like this country leave it” – spoken like a true insane dictator…. On the other hand, I read today that the standard of living in Canada has surpassed that of the US. You wouldn’t be able to take your weapons arsenal though, and you’d have to be comfortable with Universal Healthcare. Also no litter. Fewer murders.”……………………. What are you talking about? Canada’s gun laws are not that much different then ours except one little part.. “ALL” guns have to be registered (YEA.. LOL that is funny if they think they have that). I go to Canada once a year to hunt, I take my own rifles everytime I go… no problems.BUT, you are correct on one thing, less gun crime in Canada, so I guess that says it isn’t the Gun.. doesn’t it?
Posted by: todaywastheday | December 30, 2011, 8:25 am 8:25 am
Nothing has changed: Obama sucks.
Posted by: Sai | December 30, 2011, 11:24 am 11:24 am
“if you do not like this country leave it” …they said the same thing in Germany in 1930.”
Uhh, no they didn’t. Germany said “We don’t like you, so GET OUT!”
sorry — try again
Posted by: david | December 30, 2011, 3:30 pm 3:30 pm
“If you do not like this country, leave it.”
They do, Or, they try. People run from North Korea all the time. 10,000 people defected to South Korea alone in 2010. Those that make it all the way to freedom and don’t get lucky enough to be taken in by support groups like LiNK spend their whole lives in hiding. Those that defect and run to China (as most do) are often caught and sent back, where they rot in punishment camps — those that aren’t shipped off into sexual slavery or child labor, that is.
It’s not as black or white as that. If you don’t know, don’t open your mouth.
Posted by: Star | December 30, 2011, 8:59 pm 8:59 pm