North Korea launches phoney war: Doctored picture turns five military hovercraft into eight



Close inspection of photo of hovercraft storming North Korean beach reveals two extra vessels were digitally added

Suspicious state-released pictures suggest officials tampered with photos to boost numbers of hovercraft

Meanwhile genuine pictures emerged of army tanks in South Korea demonstrating the country's own military might



North Korea today announced it was severing its last military hotline with its neighbour to the south




At first glance it appeared to be an impressive show of force by North Korea.

Its fleet of modern military hovercraft projected the image of a combat-ready force at a time of mounting tension with the United States.

It fitted, too, with warnings by the Communist dictatorship that it is preparing for an offensive to break the armistice which ended the Korean War 60 years ago.

Scroll down for video



Propaganda: Image shows just how handy the North Koreans are with Photoshop as they get to work doctoring a picture to turn five military hovercraft into eight



Similarities: Close examination of the first two hovercraft approaching the shore appears to show identical patterns of surf flying up the side of the vessels, while parts of the background have been crudely erased using photographic software - with the one on the left a copy of the one on the right



But on closer examination the photograph seems to have been doctored, with images of two hovercraft each used twice and another pasted in.



Thus five craft seem to have been turned into eight.

The photo, issued by the Korean Central News Agency and widely carried in the international media onTuesday, was said to show the hovercraft coming ashore on North Korea’s east coast the previous day.

Troops of the Korean people’s army and navy could be seen running ahead, watched by the country’s new leader Kim Jong-un.



Clones: The hovercraft furthest from view appears to be a copy of the one on the left of this close-up suggesting the rogue state only have six



In this picture which does not appear to have been doctored, troops are seen disembarking and storming up the beach. But there are only six hovercraft visible - so what happened to the other two?

However photographic expert Alan Taylor believes the photo was digitally manipulated.

Writing in Atlantic magazine’s In Focus section, Mr Taylor said: ‘Two hovercraft crashing through the surf, nearest to the photographer, appear to be just a single hovercraft, with a digital twin copied and pasted nearby.



'Two of the more distant craft appear to be digital twins as well.



'A third vehicle in the scene has some of the hallmarks of digital pasting, including colour mismatch, a slight halo, and soft edges.’



Scenes from the South: Meanwhile in South Korea tanks were seen being rolled out in Pocheon, around 28 miles north east of Seoul and nine miles south of the demilitarised zone separating the country from its neighbour to the North

Firepower: A South Korean army tank participating in a military exercise at the training field in Pocheon today, as North Korea announced it was severing its military hotline to the south

Heightened tensions: Cutting the military hotline with the South is the latest in a string of provocative moves by North Korea

Military might: Several South Korean army K1 tanks were seen in action at the Seungjin fire training field today, as tensions between the two Koreas rose even further

It is not the first time that North Korea has been accused of doctoring images for propaganda effect.

A photograph taken at the December 2011 funeral of the state’s previous leader, Kim Jong-il, showed half a dozen men, apparently TV journalists, looking away from the cortege in the capital Pyongyang.

In the manipulated version, the men and their cameras had vanished, giving the impression that all eyes were on the spectacle.

Tension between the two Koreas has risen sharply since the North conducted its third nuclear test last month, triggering new UN sanctions against Pyongyang. North Korea is also angry about controversial joint military exercises involving the US and South Korea in the region.

A female army unit fires a salvo of rockets during the landing and anti-landing drills which were said to have taken place on the east coast on March 25

A dramatic picture shows rockets being launched during the landing and anti-landing exercise

Action man: North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is surrounded by military chiefs as he presides over the beach landing exercise

Wrong-Un: The 30-year-old dictator waves a baton authoritatively as he informs commanders of his expert opinion