The low status and sorry life of scientists in North Korea
“Plant your feet firmly on your own soil, and set your eyes upon the world.” There is not a single university student in North Korea...
Kim Jong-un: What kind of leader is he really?
Until now, in writing about Kim Jong-un, I have focused on his humanity or lack of it. For example, I’ve noted what we all know,...
My life, and the lives of Koreans who relocated from Japan to North Korea
I sometimes wonder how it would have been if South Korea had not been a nation of single ethnicity but a multi-ethnic country. Would I...
The problem of anxiety inherent in capitalism
Why must capitalism lead to prosperity? Why must socialism lead to poverty? These were questions I had long before leaving North Korea. I suspect many...
What happens when cinema loses its freedom
Films have a great influence on our lives, whether we realize it or not. I can show this through my own life. If it weren’t...
Who digs through the garbage?
When I lived in North Korea, which was until recently, anything related to South Korea was completely taboo. All we knew was that it was...
Why North Koreans love the US dollar
Of course, no one hates money. But with North Koreans, there is an attitude to money that is rather unusual. Despite being steeped in intense...
The oppressed youth of North Korea
What does the word “youth” mean to us? Does it represent the most passionate period in the cycle of life? Or perhaps the most fun...
Changing loyalties in the North Korean military
Ideological education emphasizes sacrifice for the Leader and the Motherland. (Astrelok / Courtesy of Shutterstock) What is the meaning and purpose of the armed forces?...
Why North Korea has not collapsed
Don’t you find it puzzling that North Korea, which always seems like it could collapse at any time, is still standing strong? Our media constantly...
Where does patriotism come from?
What does it mean to love one’s country? It means to feel pain when the country suffers, and joy when it thrives. It means to...
How the social system deteriorates
What is the function of a society? Each country, each person may answer this in a different way, but there is one thing we can...
Why does North Korea criminalize sex?
The regime in North Korea makes people consider their natural desires shameful. It makes us feel guilty about the desire for sex or the instinct...
The delusion of home ownership
In North Korea, it is not possible to buy and sell land or property. We all have no doubt about that. All houses and buildings...
The capricious dictator
What kind of person is Kim Jong-un? As a former subject, I am genuinely curious about who he really is. But ordinary people like me...
Are we masters or slaves?
If you were born in North Korea, there’s something you’ve heard since childhood: we are the masters of society. That is the core principle of...
Who are the leader’s “good people”?
Throughout history, rulers have often complained about their subjects. That’s hardly surprising. Rulers fear the masses. They seem to them like a ticking time bomb,...
Copyright in North Korea
For North Koreans, copyright is an unfamiliar concept. That said, if you were to ask whether copyright exists there, my answer would be yes. It’s...