North Korea

[UK2K]

I was browsing yesterday and saw an article that included pictures inside North Korea's capital, Pyongyang. Anyone ever been there, or familiar with what life is like there? Obviously I can look at pictures but, I'd like to hear from someone who may have relevant experience.

Crazy to see as cars are very rare, and there was one picture of an 8-lane superhighway with one or two cars on it, and giant potholes in the road. 1500 miles of electric fences face the ocean to prevent people from fleeing.

Do the citizens not know what life is like elsewhere? I know their media is restricted and monitored, but as a populace, how do you manage to live like that?

http://all-that-is-interesting.com/north-korea-photographs

This is old, but pretty interesting.

[BigNBAfan]

Seeing as only 2500 US citizens visit north korea annually, i doubt anyone here's been there.

[ArbitraryWater]

Those sick torture camps they have over there :facepalm

[DCL]

i've been there twice.

[knickballer]

Seeing as only 2500 US citizens visit north korea annually, i doubt anyone here's been there.

There was actually a poster on ISH who visited NK and posted about his trip years back with pictures. Forgot the posters name though.

[UK2K]

Its really weird. Its almost as if the population has accepted their fate and agree to starve and work for nothing. Really odd.

[Draz]

There's nothing really the people can do. What do we expect? They can't riot or beg for change. I feel sorry for them. But don't think they like it there.

[sundizz]

Some N.Korean chicks recently started wearing skinny jeans (this is the title of the article that rolled by on my FB newsfeed).

http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-09-29/why-young-north-koreans-are-daring-wear-skinny-jeans

Answers all your questions.

[UK2K]

Some N.Korean chicks recently started wearing skinny jeans (this is the title of the article that rolled by on my FB newsfeed).

http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-09-29/why-young-north-koreans-are-daring-wear-skinny-jeans

Answers all your questions.

That's nuts.


She tells me about the time she was caught by youth informants for wearing a form-fitting outfit, which had been smuggled from the South.

“They draw a line on the street, and make you stand there, while they tear at your clothes as people walk by. To make an example of you,” she explains. Jeans were seen as a symbol of American imperialism—and girls caught wearing them would have holes punctured in them to keep them from being worn again. Hair that was too long was also cut on the spot, she says.

Danbi adds that if you’re caught five or six times, that’s when you’re sent to do forced labor, unless you have the connections and resources to pay a bribe.

I kind of want to go just to see it, since it is such a rare sight, but I also don't want to get snagged and disappear either.

[bladefd]

Its really weird. Its almost as if the population has accepted their fate and agree to starve and work for nothing. Really odd.

What will the public do?

-NK's army is 5th largest in the world all dwelling within the borders. Who would rise up against that? Plus, that's a lot of testosterone. I'm sure the soldiers assault & rape whichever girl they feel like with no consequences. People are scared for their entire families, especially the younger ladies (daughters/wives) in family. It's truly f*cked up situation..
-People are so desperate & deeply nationalistic that they will rat anyone out if they decide to rise against the government. Even closest relatives. I guess rating gets them food temporarily. Desperation + heavy nationalism ideals is very dangerous in police states.
-Public is scared by media propaganda into believing that other countries like USA/South Korea/etc are evil monstrous regions of the world.

Nothing they can do without outside forces coming in & destroying NK's military. Unfortunately, NK has no natural resources or wealth that can draw outside forces in. Only reason why Iraq war happened is due to oil (faulty reason being WMD) and Afghanistan was due to 9/11. NK has no such resource and neither are they a direct threat to America.

[UK2K]

What will the public do?

-NK's army is 5th largest in the world all dwelling within the borders. Who would rise up against that? Plus, that's a lot of testosterone. I'm sure the soldiers assault & rape whichever girl they feel like with no consequences. People are scared for their entire families, especially the younger ladies (daughters/wives) in family. It's truly f*cked up situation..
-People are so desperate & deeply nationalistic that they will rat anyone out if they decide to rise against the government. Even closest relatives. I guess rating gets them food temporarily. Desperation + heavy nationalism ideals is very dangerous in police states.
-Public is scared by media propaganda into believing that other countries like USA/South Korea/etc are evil monstrous regions of the world.

Nothing they can do without outside forces coming in & destroying NK's military. Unfortunately, NK has no natural resources or wealth that can draw outside forces in. Only reason why Iraq war happened is due to oil (faulty reason being WMD) and Afghanistan was due to 9/11. NK has no such resource and neither are they a direct threat to America.

I read that they are taught to believe South Korea is poor and the US awful. Amazing in this day and age you can keep people so brainwashed like that.

Bet nobody in the population has a gun, no chance to end the cruelty. Sad for them. Not much we can do really except keep giving them food.

[JEFFERSON MONEY]

Ask Dennis Rodman

[DeuceWallaces]

Cedric has. There's a long thread about it.

[Jailblazers7]

That's nuts.



I kind of want to go just to see it, since it is such a rare sight, but I also don't want to get snagged and disappear either.

http://media3.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2015_25/1075566/150615-shame3_1076327211819e7eb2f3fc9da0e1c5fd.nbcnews-fp-1200-800.jpg

[lil jahlil]

Seeing as only 2500 US citizens visit north korea annually, i doubt anyone here's been there.

Yep. And I'm ignoring those here who said they have been.

[Lebron23]

Poor North Koreans. I wish someday US and it's allies liberates them.

[CasterL]

I met a guy in Burma who had been. He hand't been on one of these micky mouse over the border for one day jobs either. Spent a good few days there at least, maybe a week I can't really remember.

I saw loads of photos. He said it was the cleanest city he's ever been in, quite few modern looking buildings, everything looked pretty good on the outside but people were afraid to talk to him and his group. Remember him saying they walked into a shop and the owner freaked the **** out as he thought he was going to get in deep shit for them being there and interacting with him.

[Solidape]

There was actually a poster on ISH who visited NK and posted about his trip years back with pictures. Forgot the posters name though.

Yeah I remember that by guy too, he posted photos as well.