A Glimpse into the Hermit Kingdom of North Korea

Posted on December 12, 2017

It has taken me almost a month since returning from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) to start writing this article.

All this time I have been mulling over how to start this very first paragraph in which I should explain why I visited this country. I am not sure if I should write purely about my travel experiences, or tell it like it is - everything I was told by my local guides (referred to as the “minders”), my experiences, and my thoughts.

I know that whatever I write, there will be critical comments and various opinions of support and opposition – the latter mainly from those who have never been to North Korea to have first-hand experience connecting with the locals.

I am also fully aware that should I be honest, I could never go back to visit North Korea. Even worse, should I speak out too harshly, North Korean agents may arrive on my doorstep! I decided to be honest and objective and should not be held responsible for reporting my experiences.

I know it was probably not the wisest, politically correct, or safest decision to visit this oppressive country, but I knew it would enrich my understanding of humanity, or rather bizarre human behaviour.

But wait. Can I really promote the rest of the world we happily travel and declare it a perfect place where there is no injustice, no oppression, no self-serving politicians, or ruthless dictators? Of course not!

In the eyes of the world’s oppressed, those living in war-torn regions such as Syria and Yemen, and the millions around the world living in extreme poverty, there certainly are places worse off than North Korea. At least North Koreans have free education, free housing, free medical services, and free indoctrination from childbirth! Violent street crime is largely non-existent. While none of these perks are glamorous, they must sound like bliss to the suffering millions around the world.

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Globerovers Magazine December 2017