North Korea
Japan tried to suppress Korean traditions and culture and ran the economy primarily for its own benefit. Korean resistance groups known as Dongnipgun (Liberation Army) operated along the Sino-Korean border, fighting guerrilla warfare against Japanese forces. Some of them took part in allied action in China and parts of South East Asia. One of the guerrilla leaders was the communist Kim Il-sung, who later became the first leader of North Korea.
Censorship in North Korea
North Korea's biggest economic, political and military benefactor under Kim Il-sung was the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin reportedly handpicked Kim Il-sung, who was a fluent Russian speaker to lead North Korea. To help consolidate power, Kim Il-sung launched the Concentrated Guidance Campaign; a massive ideological census and registration of the background and political purity of each and every North Korean. The Soviet influence in North Korea was endorsed under Kim Il-sung and the censorship seen in North Korea today began with the nationalization of major industries, labor reforms, seizure of privately owned land and a propaganda campaign to enhance Kim Il-sung's image in North Korean minds.