North Korea Revisited: An Unknown Land
UPDATE December 19th, 2011: Kim Jong Il, North Korea's "dear leader", has died of a heart attack. His death was announced by a weeping anchorwoman on North Korean television. His obituary in the LA Times quotes sources who describe the departed dictator as both "jealous and cunning" and a "sensitive and arty type who ended up by birth floating through this world that is pure evil." That last quote may seem like it was translated into English from another language, but it was written by Michael Breen, the British journalist who wrote one of the only English-language biographies about Kim Jong Il. Clearly, Kim Jong Il was a leader who provoked many different kinds of reactions.
In 2009, one of our writers visited the notoriously isolated North Korea and contributed a fascinating travelogue that explores the contradictions the people of North Korea have lived with under Kim Jong Il. It remains to be seen what will happen to North Korea now that their charismatic leader has died, but revisiting this article today adds a whole new layer of meaning. For now, North Korea remains an unknown world. The original article begins below the photo.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) is a country that only comes up in the media for its supposed development of nuclear weapons or for the latest crazy comment or act from the "Dear Leader," Kim Jong Il. In reality, most people know very little about what day-to-day life is really like inside the country, which doesn't allow any foreign media to enter.
For us at Urban Samurai, this unknown world was the main appeal of making the effort to get in to the DPRK. As one can imagine, getting in is not an easy task. After flying to Beijing, one must go to Shenyang in northeastern China. Shenyang is where we were able to get our temporary visas for the DPRK. The United States doesn't officially have a relationship with North Korea so the North Koreans wouldn't stamp our passports. From Shenyang we flew Air Koryo aboard a 20-year-old Russian plane on a 45-minute trip over the border to Pyongyang, North Korea.
Normally I would go on to tell you our day-to-day activities and describe the sights we saw, but the fact is that what we were shown was a structured tour that some high-up government official planned out a long time ago and has probably not been updated for years. So instead I'll give you a brief insight on a few things that I found interesting.
On the first night that we arrived, our guides (one of whom was probably a government spy) asked us what we wanted to visit and do in North Korea and he told us that we could choose what our tour could be like. He then proceeded to deny everything we asked for. When we asked why they wouldn't let us do anything else, one the guides responded with a statement that I feel summed up the mentality of the whole country: "You have to understand that in North Korea we have many rules and regulations, all of which are very important and must be respected…but we don't know why." We ended up doing exactly what was previously decided before we arrived.
During our time there we were never allowed to leave our hotel alone. So in the evenings I spent time reading George Orwell's 1984. It felt as though Kim II Sung (the founder of Communist North Korea) and Kim Jong II had followed Orwell's book as a guide to create a Korean version of Oceania. The only real difference is that instead of focusing on building up the image of a governmental party controlling everything, they made their world one in which they are treated and viewed as gods amongst the citizens of DPRK. We were endlessly told of the exploits of the two leaders, from the "on the spot guidance" in creating pretty much every single somewhat creative project produced in the country, to being able to sense ancient prehistoric bones in mountains. It's hard to really know for sure how much of this propaganda the people actually believe. We weren't allowed to talk to or even walk amongst the common people on the street. So our only connection to actual North Koreans was our guides, one of whom one evening told me in a very serious tone "You must understand that I will do anything our Dear Leader (Kim Jong Il) asks of me." That's coming from somebody who has daily contact with foreigners and has heard of what it's like outside the country.
Our way of getting around was aboard a little tour bus. The streets of North Korea are almost empty of traffic since only those affiliated with the government or army are allowed cars. This does not stop all the "major" intersections from having full-time traffic girls. As we found out, it's actually a great honor to be a traffic girl since Kim Jong Il himself designed their uniforms and picks only the prettiest girls in North Korea for the job.
Most people get around by walking, sometimes for miles and miles. We often came across the odd person in the middle of nowhere in the countryside. The lucky few are able to use public transportation, which consists of a subway system which we were allowed to take for one stop and one stop only. That seemed kind of weird, but when we asked why the guides just responded that we didn't have enough time. In fact, this was the default answer whenever we asked if we could see more of anything that they didn't want to show us. The other public transportation was buses that all looked in pretty bad condition and had stars on them for each time the bus was in an accident (some had over 5 stars). Despite this, we always saw huge lines of over 50 people waiting for the bus at each bus stop at the end of the day.
By far the most impressive thing we saw in North Korea, and one of the most impressive things I've ever seen, was the Arirang Games. The Arirang Games is an annual performance that tells the story of North Korea by using over ninety thousand performers. The backdrop alone uses eighteen thousand school children who turn pages in a card book to create something I like to call "people pixels." The effect of the background creates the biggest screen in the world. Having another twenty thousand kids performing dances and gymnastics on the ground level in perfect synchronization is a surreal experience that makes the Olympic Opening Ceremony or the Super Bowl halftime show look like a school play.
What the mass media wants you to believe about North Korea is that they are a huge threat to the United States because they are developing nuclear weapons and supporting terrorism. The reality is that what we saw was a country that holds a horrible grudge against the United States because of what we did in the Korean War more than 50 years ago, as they rightfully should since we did do horrible things to their country. The problem lies in that this was the last bit of information that has been allowed to the people. So when we would introduced ourselves, with smiles, as Americans to the few people we were allowed to talk to, they would react with doubt., At first they could not believe that Americans could actually be friendly and not the devil himself, which is how we are portrayed in all the propaganda posters that we saw around the country and like what is taught to them in schools .
To sum things up, since this a really long write-up for most to read on a blog. I'm not afraid of North Korea, but I do feel sorry and worried for the people who live there. They have been completely brainwashed and kept uninformed of the rest of the world and modern times for over fifty years. It's sad to think that generations of young, smart people are being held back, and it's worrisome to think of what might happen to the country when the reign of Kim Jong Il is over.
Thanks for reading,
Ecr L'inf
Originally Published March 2009.
More images at Urban Samurai.
22 REVIEWS
December 14, 2012
seems Joge is the only boring here from his constant ” I hate the West” rhetoric. You sound lke a broken record that has nothing better to wrtie about.
Mario
November 19, 2012
Why did you not visit ‘Camp 14′ or one of the other terror/death camps, may one ask ? Why is it that we have dealings at all with terror regimes operating concentration camps? Did we learn nothing from the past? Why do we allow representatives (so-called ‘diplomats’) of such terror regimes into our societies?
Charles Nesbit
Berlin, Germany
November 2, 2012
“ONE (guide) of whom was probably a government spy”? They were all government spies. Spying on each other and you. And what horrible things did the US do?
Up with people
October 16, 2012
There is much more to it all on both sides but thank God NK did not take over the whole peninsula. Chiank Kai Check was in on it as well. There were border clashes instigated by the South or US before the war started. Yes NK wanted the South. The turning factor was Stalin who when realising that his A bomb actually worked blessed the attack. It became a different ball game. Chiang Kai Check wanted a war with Mao to destroy the Chinese commmies and get back into power. Formosa was happy about it all. Stalin’s A bomb changed the game. Mao DID NOT WANT to get involved. Stalin pressured him hence the Chinese enter armed with soviet weapons and MIgs15′s flown by Russian pilots just near the border areas to make sure that no russian pilot was ever captured if shot down. USAF got a shock of their life till the updated their planes. Stalin had a field day. It was Stalin’s death that finally allowed some success to peace. Mao wasn’t keen to keep it going. US was running out of reserves. North K was wrecked with biological weapons as well as any other crap US could master. I am very pro-US. NK should vanish.
Zustra
melbourne, australia
September 4, 2012
Nelson,democratic crap?
all lefties are the same.Probably live confortably in some western,democratic country enjoying Capitalism but then put down the very system that has given them their good life. Nelson,you have access to internet something that an average North Korean won’t ever see
efrhen
August 12, 2012
All this western crap about North Korea. Has anyone visited SINA blogs on North Korean travels by Chinese tourists? They show otherwise what you westerners portray the hermit kingdom as. Food is abundance and life isn’t as bad as what westerners made it out to be. You guys have all pre-conceived bias towards North Korea and some are still talking about the Korean war. The world is a better place if you let the North live a life they choose. Nobody cares two hoots about American democracy. They have their own brand of ideology and you cannot impose upon them what you think is good.
Nelson S
July 13, 2012
“Excuse me! The North Koreans didn’t start the Korean war, we the United States did. At the end of WW2 Korea was divided, Russia occupied the north and the US occupied the south. Russia withdrew but we did not.”
Fred54 – Your ignorance of the FACTS is astounding.
1. North Korean People’s Army invaded South Korea in a surprise attack.
2. The Russians left a hand-picked, Russian trained dictator to run the North for them. Kim Jong-Il.
BTW-I live in S. Korea
Chris
June 6, 2012
Yes Jorge.. Once to have been to North Korea, you will change your mind about what you wrote. North Korea is for real, and communism at first hand is another thing….. and the Gulags are places of great suffering that I think you will never imagine until you know about them. I went to north Korea with my family. it is very easy to get there, just apply for the visa, and wait a few months. We went by train, ( from china) which allowed us to film and take photos without any problems. The train was a wonderful experience and very cheap. After which we flew back. It is a very interesting country which has not changed since the 1950`s. The impressive tower blocks/ and buildings look good at a distances, but close up, they have need of repairs, and of course a decent heating system. There are no shops, and very few cars. In fact the motorways are weeded by hand. Everywhere, people watch other people. and we watch them. The whole country is brained washed, and there is little to say to our guides except agree with them. There are many things to see, and in fact everyday is more interesting than the previous day. There are of course the the schools, which show remarkable young people playing music, and dancing, and singing. They have very little TV, so they make their social life them selves like we used to do.Out in the country, people live a hard life. they heat with coal, in small houses, and they work long hours in the fields, and they walk maybe 15 km to get to work, and then 15 to get back to their cold house. Winter must be tough, and we are not allowed to enter NK in the winter. We travelled all over NK , and even passed Gulags which is a terrible fact. We estimated there were no more than 12 tourists in this country at any one time. It was easy to take photos, and we took over 2000 photos which clearly not all well composed, but interesting. It is clear, that when these people are liberated, there will be chaos.Our guide realised that we have more than them, and they feel left out of nice things. If anyone goes there, take pencils and school things for the kids.. and soap, socks ( they get 2 pairs of socks per year) they have no idea what is happening in the outside world… and hide these things in the train if you go by train, Our suitcases were searched, but they never looked under the blankets in the train! and keep your mouth firmly shut! and enjoy… it is the most interesting place to visit, and well worth the small effort to get there. And I forgot to say, the food is good, but alas the same every day.
anne
May 15, 2012
we all know the truth of the how’s and why’s from the history book’s and photo’s and film’s but most of all from those people that endured that conflict first hand . my dad did serve in the 8 th in pusan as a medic given the highest medal the president of south korea could give a soldier. the man left the usa with jet black hair and returned with white hair from korea . he was not always in a tent behind the battle lines but also in the hill’s in the dead of winter fighting for the lives of the korean people also the rock soldiers he calls them it got real bad most of the time fighting not just the north korean army but also red chinese
harold
March 1, 2012
“Horrible things”, during the war? If not for us, the entire peninsula, and not just the north, would be a Stalinist horror show.
The Sanity Inspector
January 30, 2012
You are both incorrect about the Korean War. There were actually two Korean Wars. It is true that North Korea started the first war and did push all the way to down to Pusan(부산). America basically forced a U.N. mandate through that allowed America and allied troops to contain the invasion up to the 38th parallel. (On a side note North Korea would have won the war, and at this time there were American troops present in the South and were beat back repeatedly by North Korea). The first Korean War came to end after the landing of Inchon and the North Korean forces retreated. Now the U.N. mandate stated our duty was over, however this was not good enough and American and the allied forces attacked the North.
Chris
January 30, 2012
Interesting article, and I agree with Lirelou. However I finally just picked my jaw up off the ground after reading Fred54′s misguided illogical uninformed view.
Don
January 27, 2012
Jorge,
If you think North Korean is right up there with the UK, I invite you to defect to North Korea. Tell me what it’s about after you get there, I’ve always been curious. From the 35 years I’ve studied North Korea I don’t get the same impression.
Making a comparison between the UK and NK is ridiculous, it shouldn’t have even published.
Fred54,
The notion that the U.S started the Korean War is even more bizarre. How much time have you spent in Korea? Have you ever visited the South Korean War Memorial Museum? They paint a different picture then you, when you said, “When the Koreans crossed the Yalu River it was to reunite their country and kick out a foreign invader.” (You made it sound so peaceful, like there were no infantry, no tanks, mechanized forces, no aircraft. What plant are you from?)
Until you’ve been there, had family that’s been in the war and witnessed it first hand, perhaps you should stay on the side lines….and just wonder what happened.
The ignorance in the world is astounding!
15 Aug 45 – Korea divided into US and Soviet occupation zones along 38th parallel
26 July 47 – President Truman’s National Security Act creates US Department of Defense
15 Aug 48 – After supervised elections, US military government turns over power to Republic of Korea
25 Jun 50 – North Korean People’s Army invades South Korea – UN calls for an end of aggression
27 Jun 50 – UN asks member countries to aid Republic of Korea – US announces intervention. North Korea attacks Seoul airfield.
28 Jun 50 – US bombers attack troops in Han River area – North Korean army captures Seoul
30 Jun 50 – President Truman orders ground forces into Korea and authorizes Air Force to bomb North Korea
5 Jul 50 – Near Osan, Task Force Smith troops fight for the first time and suffer heavy casualties
18 Jul 50 – US Cavalry lands at Pohangdong – US aircraft destroy key oil refinery in Wonsan
22 Jul 50 – Battle for Taejon ends with heavy US losses and retreat
4 Aug 50 – Pusan perimeter established in southeastern Korea
13 Aug 50 – First UN counterattack collapses
15 Aug 50 – Four-day battle of “the Bowling Alley” – UN forces hold back North Korean offensive
15 Sep 50 – Inchon landing of UN forces
29 Sep 50 – UN troops complete recapture of Seoul
7 Oct 50 – UN forces cross 38th parallel – UN sanctions defeat of North Korea and attempted reunification
14 Oct 50 – Chinese Communist troops cross Yalu River into Korea
19 Oct 50 – UN captures P’yongyang, the North Korean capital
1 Nov 50 – Chinese attack in force near Unsan
24 Nov 50 – General Douglas MacArthur’s final “Home by Christmas” offensive begins
11 Dec 50 – End of Chinese strike against marine and army divisions at Chosin Reservoir – marines retreat
4 Jan 51 – Seoul captured by Chinese
25 Jan 51 – UN forces resume offensive
11 Feb 51 – Chinese counteroffensive begins north of Hoengsong
1 Mar 51 – UN line reaches between the 37th and 38th Parallels
18 Mar 51 – UN forces retake Seoul
11 Apr 51 – MacArthur recalled – General Matthew Ridgway given command
13 Jun 51 – UN forces dig in on the 38th Parallel
10 Jul 51 – Truce talks begin at Kaesong – Communists break off talks six weeks later
북한은 구려!
Mark Cumber
January 27, 2012
Fred54, I think you forgot to mention the Armada of Tanks and Mig fighters the Russians gave the NK’s. And the idea that they wouldn’t have invaded had we not been there is total baloney, the US liberated Korea from the Japanese, we had a right to station a force there. And just so you know, when you throw a division of tanks across a border into someone else’s country, for the purpose of destroying it and making it part of your own, it’s called “invading”. When that happens, you start a war.
Bill
January 27, 2012
Because of what WE did? Are you serious?! THEY invaded South Korea, THEY started a war that killed hundreds of thousands, WE were there to defend democracy. You have one Skewed view of the world Ecr L’inf.
Bill
January 27, 2012
To LireLou
Excuse me! The North Koreans didn’t start the Korean war, we the United States did. At the end of WW2 Korea was divided, Russia occupied the north and the US occupied the south. Russia withdrew but we did not. When the Koreans crossed the Yalu river it was to reunite their country and kick out a foreign invader. The Chinese helped when they were asked but left after hostilities ended in 1953. The reason the war is still technically being fought is because the US still occupies the south with military bases. There are NO foreign bases in the north. All of the death and destruction is because the US wouldn’t leave, because we want to contain China. The United States is the problem on the Korean peninsula, not the North Koreans. We have bottled them up for 60 years and now have a grotesque
characature of a nation. Had we left after WW2 things might have been very different
fred 54
January 18, 2012
Hey Jorge…People like you with your myopic view of communism and childish approach to sensitive events are really quite redundant in this day and age…Get a grip or a job Jorge…you are the one that is boring !
Marcus
January 9, 2012
Concise and well balanced article. The only glitch I see is the line that they should “rightfully” hold a grudge against the U.S. for the “horrible things” we did to their country bit. It was a war. One which they started. In which they did ‘horrible things’ in their attempt to crush the Republic of Korea. Yes, the scorched earth policy followed by retreating U.N. forces in North Korea in late 1950 did horrible damage to the North. But visit the War Museum in Seoul and there is a fine exhibit on the second (third?) floor that shows what a typical scene was in South Korea after the war. They have risen from the ashes, and their wartime generation views the U.S. with gratitude. “We” provided the defensive screen behind which Koreans built one of the world’s economic tigers. Perhaps future North Koreans will rue that it wasn’t pushed as far north as the Yalu and Tumen rivers. But, as the article makes, clear, it is not a country where grudges can be expressed against the leadership.
lirelou
January 5, 2012
‘More’ troubling than WW2 Nazi propoganda?
I can see ‘as troubling’… but ‘more’?
Please explain.
David K.
January 2, 2012
Those pictures are more troubling that WW2 nazi propoganda.
James H
December 27, 2011
I visited North Korea last September and the descriptions are very good. To add my tuppence worth I would mention that it is almost surreal to be in a place where the only brand names you can read are on the back of vehicles. Aside from that there are no shop windows, petrol stations, traffic jams, baby strollers, newspapers or toiletries – the North Koreans take BO to a whole new level but with rationed water there’s nowt they can do.
It is hard not to feel a tremendous sadness because of the opportunities denied them.
Rev Frank Gusset
December 25, 2011
Ha-ha-ha-ha!!! You could actually take PICTURES at a North Korean Airport?
That sounds like some really oppressive Communistic country, indeed.
I was at Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom not long ago, took one photo inside the terminal, was surrounded by three machine gun toting thugs (they looked like police), and taken away to a windowless room for “interrogation.” Missed my flight for that day, too.
I just love this lame Western crap about the “evils of Communism” — won’t you people give it up already? The “Red Menace” story is getting to be ever so boring, you know.
Jorge