This image appeared on the KCNA website on October 10 and is 400×276 pixels (click to enlarge)

Regular visitors to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) might have noticed something different about the site in the last few days. The North Korean state-run news agency has begun publishing higher resolution photographers alongside articles.

The change was first noted by Frank Feinstein, the New Zealand-based researcher who runs the KCNA Watch service.

The most recent images offered by KCNA are more than double the resolution of previous images at 900 pixels by 620 pixels. In the past they were a relatively low 400 pixels by 276 pixels.

The higher quality images are part of the general increase in the amount of photo and video material being produced by KCNA, said Feinstein.

This image appeared on the KCNA website on October 25 and is more than double the size

“As they increase image and video production, they don’t just add these to an ever increasing spread of articles. They specifically target articles which they consider have propaganda value, and increase the number of images/videos associated with that article.”

He pointed to one recent article, on the completion of a water park in Pyongyang, that carried 32 associated images — a record according to his monitoring.

It all adds up to good news for North Korea watchers who don’t have access to the original KCNA feed or photos redistributed via western news agencies.