North Korea under lockdown: My COVID experience (Part 6)
Everything started changing in North Korea in January 2020, when the border was suddenly closed. At first, we thought it would just be temporary, that...
The end of free medical care: My COVID experience in North Korea (Part 5)
During the pandemic, we would often see soldiers on TV and in movies in protective suits handing out medicine and checking people’s temperatures during the pandemic.
My COVID experience in North Korea (Part 4)
Most people naturally assume that when you get sick, you can go to the hospital, get a prescription, receive treatment, maybe even get vaccinated. But in North Korea, none of that was taken for granted.
My COVID experience in North Korea (Part 3)
To explain how North Korea initially responded to COVID, I originally planned to talk about the healthcare system, but then I came across the story...
My COVID experience in North Korea (Part 2)
During COVID-19, an enormous amount of “filth” washed ashore. Many of these were strange items we had never seen in North Korea before. Some refrigerators were huge — unbelievably large ones — and yes, even refrigerators floated in from the sea.
My COVID experience in North Korea (Part 1)
Growing up in Haeju, in a coastal military area in North Korea’s South Hwanghae Province, Kim Yumi was able to secretly watch South Korean news...
When free medical treatment is not free
"Oh, are you a North Korean defector?" the South Korean man at the book club asked me politely. "If it's not too intrusive, may I...