AUP Student Shares Sobering Experience in North Korea
Taking a vacation in North Korea is highly impractical; in fact, it's nearly impossible. But "Lena's" father holds the World Record for the "Most Traveled Person" and was given permission to bring her for the return trip, so she couldn't resist that golden-ticket opportunity.
At first, Lena was hesitant to go because of the way the nation has been portrayed in films like The Interview, and horror stories about people getting stuck, imprisoned or killed. However, she decided to take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She shared exclusive photos with The Plume and described how to survive in North Korea and even have a good time.
Lena observed these students sitting in formation from 7 am to 7 pm for the annual celebration of South Korea's "Victory" of the Korean War in 1953.
1. Agree with the stories you are told.
As an American, this is crucial. In North Korea, even if someone insults the US, just smile and nod your head. Lena recalls North Korean folks saying that they won both World Wars I and II.
The Bronze statues of civilians next to one of the 'Dear Leaders' signifies the contribution of common citizens towards "winning" the North Korean War.
2. Don't disparage their ideals.
Recently, a young man tried to steal a propaganda poster and was questioned for three days, then sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. "Like anywhere, you respect the customs of the host country." Lena explained. This applies one hundred-fold in North Korea, where such customs are brutally enforced.
A Communist poster saying "Chosun is one." Chosun is the former kingdom of Korea, from 1392-1916, but North Korea still calls itself by this name. This poster calls for the unification of Chosun, but seems to be implied towards achieving unification with war, not peace.
The student's perspective as they sit for the 70 years' celebration.
Every time they see a picture of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Un, referred to as "dear leaders," citizens must get on their knees and bow, even the elderly and physically incapable.
Fresh flowers are required by law for any public art display of the dear leaders.
Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Un are seen as immortal gods. It is forbidden photograph their statues from behind.
Young soldiers salute the statues of the Dear Leaders.
3. Don't disobey the law.
It is illegal to bend, throw away, or even place any photos of the 'dear leaders' face, their writing, or articles that include them face-down. After reading a newspaper or magazine that includes these images, you are expected to put them back where you found them or they are collected from you.
Lena and her family stayed in this hotel, but were instructed to remain inside at night.
Public Transportation in Pyongyang. However, citizens may only use it to commute work.
4. Stay where they want you to stay.
When Lena and her family traveled back from the countryside, they had to take a detour through a small village. What they saw was astonishing. "People were living in huts and ran out in surprise to have seen a car, as if for the first time," Lena remembered. "Then it got worse, we saw people living under whatever they could find, and came across one family living under an oil rig, in 50 degree weather (10 degrees Celsius) ."
A surreptitiously snapped photo shows a family sheltering under an oil rig.
5. Don't take pictures that expose the grim reality.
Lena was only allowed to take pictures of things that would make North Korea appeal to western culture. Taking pictures inside Pyongyang, the capital city, was fine, but out where people are living in huts and under oil rigs is forbidden and punishable by law. The punishment, Lena and her family were told, is being held in jails "just like in the US."
Woman walks back into her hut, situated outside of the Capital (where they weren't supposed to be). Taking pictures that show poverty in North Korea is forbidden.
6. Prepare for reverse culture shock when returning to Western society.
Following North Korea, Lena went to South Korea and was shocked by the contrast. "South Korea has the worlds fastest WiFi, but in North Korea, no one but the 'dear leaders' have access to it -- so their society functions on ignorance. This is how they see the world, and probably haven't even considered a revolt, let alone a protest. It's astounding how two parts of a country can be like night and day," Lena recalled. After returning back home to San Diego, it was difficult to express what she saw for a few months because it was so incomparable to how we experience life in America and Europe.
The best media comparison of North Korea that America has made is in The Hunger Games."When I visited, it appeared North Korea was sectioned off into districts that supplied different sources of energy. There were districts specifically for coal mining, carbon, and oil to name a few, Pyongyang reminded me of the capital, and was the most glamorous district."
The Capitol as pictured in The Hunger Games. Source: blueprintsonline.org North Korea's Capital district.
The commodities displayed in supermarkets are always perfectly arranged...because no one ever goes inside.
But The Interview wasn't too far off either, as there were a vast number of grocery stores they were unable to enter. "From the outside, we could see shelves stacked with food, but no one was inside." They were also not allowed to take pictures of said grocery stores.
Click HERE for more astonishing photos from North Korea.
And here's the notorious grocery store scene from The Interview:
