Most of us know little about North Korea. We rarely hear about it on television and if we do they usually show us new North Korean nuclear trial or absurd law that some people believe to be funny. We are not aware of what is going on there. There are many relations of refugees from the north but usually they are out of date. Three years ago we could rely on 4-5 years old stories but now we need new information. In December 2011 Kim Jong-il died, in April 2012 his son, Kim Jong-un, took over ruling party leadership, becoming First Secretary of the Workers Party. New leader always means some changes in both domestic and foreign policy. It is difficult to prefigure what Kim Jong-un’s leadership will carry.
| Kim Jong-un |
(Here you have short film about difficulties in getting photos of what Korean regime don't want us to see: http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2014/05/21/banned-from-north-korea.cnn.html)
2013 KOREAN CRISIS - second year of Kim Jong-un's leadership
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| Maximum ranges for North Korean missiles |
Evils arrived in North Korea
Disney in North Korea
Even though Kims family makes people believe that everything connected with America is bad and comes from hell, Kim Jong-un decided to introduce to his people some Disney films. Above you can watch North Korean Disney show (click here to read more about it). What is more, some western brands became allowed and there is even one fast food restaurant in Pyongyang, however, there is no Coca cola in it.
Pyongyang University of Science and Technology
What is even more surprising than Disney in North Korea (you can always say that it's North Korean production, right?) is existance of Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. What is so unique about it? It is a university financed mostly by the west where North Korean elite is taught (in English!) economy and other things by foreign lecturers. BBC was allowed to stay there for a week and make a short documentary about it (I've posted it's trailer above). Over 500 students study at this university, they are the sons of most powerful people in North Korea. Regime chose them to get western education so that they will be able to modernise the country and engage with counselling in foreign policy. Even though the students are more aware of the outside world than most people in North Korea, they are strictly guarded. Surprisingly they have even access to the internet but before using it they have to declare what sites they will visit. No cheating is allowed. Between western courses which are to open their mind, students sing songs in memory of the Great Leader, clean the paths around some monument and do exercises. In every classroom there are portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong-ill. The university enabled three students to go for the exchange. Unfortunately, we do not know what they think about the outside world as they couldn't share their opinions freely with the interviewer (all school is surrouned by guards).
If you want to know more:
I believe that there are two films that everyone with any interest in North Korea should see: ‘The Parade’ and ‘Yodok Stories’ directed by Adam Fidyk. Both of them are quite regularly aired by TVP. The first one was shot in 1988 on the 40th anniversary of the state's founding by Kim Il-sung. The film was made in a very wise way, it shows only what North Korea wanted to show with little commentary but for people outside the regime it’s criticism to totalitarianism is clear. At first DPRK didn’t notice the real meaning of Fidyk’s work, he even received official thanks from them. However, as it got many prizes for anti-totalitarianism message, North Korea found out author’s real intent and now Fidyk is persona non grata there. Yodok stories is a film about North Korean concentration camps. 'Yodok stories' is a film about North Korean concentration camps. Over 1,000,000 people are now enslaved in North Korean camps. Yodok, kwan-li-so number 15, is the only one a few might leave, other labour camps no ones leaves alive. Fidyk visited South Korea to find refugees from North Korea who survived in Yodok. As he knew (from making the film The Parade) North Koreans are very talented and have much experience in making shows, he wanted them to make a play about their traumatic experiences. Soon plans of making small play changed and a group of refuges prepared big musical (you can see some scenes in the trailer above).
Other film that is worth seeing is 'DPRK: Land of Whisperers'. It is a film of youtuber who went for the trip to North Korea and tried to show as much as possible from ordinary citizens life. There are also short, half an hour long, reportages made by BBC but in my opinion they are made in too preconceived way, they focus on confound regime but they say little about people living there.
Much information can be found via the Internet, still I would like to recommend you the book 'Nothing to Envy: Ordinary lives in North Korea' written by Barbara Demick. She talked with refugees from North Korea and the book is compilation of their experiences and historical facts. The book concentrates on ordinary people's lives during North Korean Famine. It is written with good taste - Demick do not overdramatize and even though the way she present us people tragedies is very moving, she does not make from her characters weak victims of the regime butshows how creative and pragmatic they were.
North Korea’s timeline:
1945 - Japanese occupation of Korea ends
with Soviets troop occupying the north, and US troops the south with the at the 38th parallel as a border
1948 - Establishment of the DPRK with Kim Il-sung
as Premier (he didn’t took presidential title)
1950 – South declares independence provoking North invasion – Korean War starts
1953 – End of the Korean War (over 2 million people died)
1991 - both North and South Korea join the UN
1994 - Kim Il Sung died and son Kim Jong Il took over as North Korean dictator
1994 – 1998 - Arduous March (economic crisis) and North Korean famine (and flood in 1995). Because of loss of Soviet support DPRK had problems with electricity, fuel and food shortages, factories stopped, people lost their food rations (it is claimed that between 250,000 to 3,5 million people died from starvation).
1998 - Kim Il-song was named "Eternal President". UN brought help to the victims of famine. North launched rocket insisting it was a satellite not a missile
1950 – South declares independence provoking North invasion – Korean War starts
1953 – End of the Korean War (over 2 million people died)
1991 - both North and South Korea join the UN
1994 - Kim Il Sung died and son Kim Jong Il took over as North Korean dictator
1994 – 1998 - Arduous March (economic crisis) and North Korean famine (and flood in 1995). Because of loss of Soviet support DPRK had problems with electricity, fuel and food shortages, factories stopped, people lost their food rations (it is claimed that between 250,000 to 3,5 million people died from starvation).
1998 - Kim Il-song was named "Eternal President". UN brought help to the victims of famine. North launched rocket insisting it was a satellite not a missile
2000 - Historical meeting in Pyongyang - Kim Jong-ill and South Korean President Kim Dae Sung decided on opening liaison border offices. South Korea gave amnesty to over 3,500 prisoners, DPRK reduced propaganda against the South.
2002 - Gun battle on Yellow Sea between South and North Korea
2003 - North Korea withdrew from Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and declared it had enough plutonium to make up to 6 nuclear bombs
2005 - DPRK announced that they had built nuclear bomb for self-defence
2006 - North Korea claimed to successfully detonate a nuclear device
2005 - DPRK announced that they had built nuclear bomb for self-defence
2006 - North Korea claimed to successfully detonate a nuclear device
2009 - Second nuclear detonation
2010 - Kim Jong-ill announced that Kim Jong-un had been made a four-star general and was prepared to be his successor
2010 - Kim Jong-ill announced that Kim Jong-un had been made a four-star general and was prepared to be his successor
2011 - death of Kim Jong-ill
2013 - DPRK entered a 'state of war' with South Korea
Questions:
1. Are you interested in what is going on in North Korea? Why? Why not?2. Do you think that Kim Jong-un’s leadership is more dangerous for us than his predecessor’s used to be? Why?
3. What do you think of making a musical about concentration camp? Should it be treated more seriously or was it good idea of attracting attention of the world to the problem? Have you seen the film ‘Yodok stories’?
4. Do you believe that peace on Korean Peninsula is possible in the nearest future?
I am not looking for informations about what is going on in the Noth Korea, but I must say that it is such a controvercial topic and very interesting in many reasons. I do not think that Kim Jong-un’s leadership is more dangerous. We need to be careful what we do and what we say to the goverment of this nation.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen the film ‘Yodok stories’. I think that musical is good option to show this problem. I do not think that peace on Korean Peninsula is possible in the nearest future. They just want to have a power and they do not care about normal people.
The last time I've heard something about North Korea was that grief and mass hysteria when Kim Jong-il died and the taht was spectacular. I watched a few documentaries about this country and afterwords, I realized how lucky I'm that I was born in Poland not there. The world knows what's going on there anddon't think the musical attract global attention. It's hard to say what will happen tomorrow, next Saturday on in 3 years because people are very unpredictable.
ReplyDeleteI'm not interested in news about in North Korea, because I spend time time on reading about other topics. It's hard to say, that one leadership is more dangerous than another one, it depends on a person. Being unresponsible, stupid or egoistic is enough to make something dangerous...
ReplyDeleteMusical about concentration camp seems to be a orginal way to attract attention of the world to the problem. In this situation popularity of this fact should be more important than being serious. I haven't seen ‘Yodok stories’. I believe that peace on Korean Peninsula is possible in the nearest future, just if people will really want to have it...
I'm not a fun of North Korea culture. I don't know history of this country. But two years ago I heard a lot of about the death of Kim Jong-il. Media showed people, which cried terribly but in my opinion it was fake. I don't think so, that Kim Jong-uncan could be more dangerous, than his father. But everything is possible, peace in Korean Peninsula too. No, I haven't seen film "Yodok stories" but in summer time I would like to see it. I think that it is good idea to performance this kind of problems. People like miusicals.
ReplyDeleteI must admit I've got poor knowledge on the subject. It's obviously very important though and what's happening there may affect the whole world sooner or later. We don't know much about North Korea other than it seems very dangerous and the reason is that we can't simply go there and check but we get the simple and obvious signals. The fact that people still suffer there as during the World War is not interesting itself- it's terrible and unacceptable- and we can't really do much about it probably. More interesting for me is the cause of such course of history. I don't want to judge anything but the only thing I can say is that most individuals as most companies and as most countries are actually concerned only about themselves always fighting for power in one or different way. I don't really believe that ideas of unions can really work because the nature of an organism is selfish and a country is just an organism/organisation which acts depending on the situation with the goal being power and control. I just wonder whether the case of war between North and South Korea is just one of many manifestations or consequences of the Cold War, war between two hypothetical empires influencing the rest of the world.
ReplyDeleteI think Kim Jong-un seems more dangerous than his predecessor showing agressive tendencies and this might mean peace is not the option we can really expect in the near future.
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ReplyDeleteYes, I'm interested in what is going on in North Korea, because I'm a member of social movement, which is fighting about democracy in Belarus. So, the human and civil rights are important theme for me.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to say that Kim Jong-un’s leadership is more dangerous for us than his predecessor’s used to be, because I don't have any specialist knowledge to have statement. Also I think that the most of the specialists don't have this knowledge. This is pure guesswork.
Yes, I am really interested in situation in Korea. It is really horrible what there is happen. Of course, I think that Kim Jong-un's leadership is more dangerous for us than his predecessor's used to be. In my opinion is dangerous for all world.
ReplyDeleteI think people who live there are really hard life because they don't have any support and nobody can help them. It is really frustrating that today people have to live in this way.
1. Are you interested in what is going on in North Korea? Why? Why not?
ReplyDeleteto be honest I have really small knowlage on that subject. I know basic information, but I am not a partner to discucin to anyone about it. I don't that Kim Jong-un’s leadership is more dangerous for us than his predecessor’s used to be or not. It's hard to say without specialistic knowlage which I lacking of.
I think of making a musical about concentration camp is a stupid idea and beyond any limits. Musicals are happy andnot serious.
4. Do you believe that peace on Korean Peninsula is possible in the nearest future? Sadly, I don't. I think that people should do everything to help the people there but the peace and freedom on Korean Peninsula is in my opinion very far from today.
ReplyDeleteFrom time to time I read some news about North Korea, but I'm not a possiante of this country, Maybe thanks to that I have lots of my own problems but all in all I feel we are lucky living in Poland.
2. Do you think that Kim Jong-un’s leadership is more dangerous for us than his predecessor’s used to be? Why?
I think leadership of Kim Jong-un is not as dangerous as we think because he has got a lot of military experts who tell him that all in all they are to weak and to small to determine the order of the world. In the neighbourhood they have two big military powers, China and Russia and what is more USA still look at his movements.
It's difficult to say everything I want about this topic, but I think that I comprehended most of things that I wanted.
ReplyDeleteI am interested in East Asian countries including North Korea. However, it makes me feel very uncomfortable and sad to read about all those scary things knowing that I can do nothing to change it. I hope that this presentation will make you more aware of the situation in the North Korea.
It's difficult to say what Kim Jong-un's leadership will carry. Watching his actions I get a feeling that he is unpredictable and this is the most dangerous thing about him. However, he is the first North Korean leader who showed the world that he is partial to some western technologies and films.
I saw all the movies I mentioned in the presentation. I recommended 'Yodok stories' to some classmates when I was in high school, also my parents have seen the movie and all those people were really moved by what they saw. This film shows the problem from the perspective of refugees. It's terrifying to see that all those people even years after their escape they remember in detail everything that had happened. You really should see this movie. I believe that Fidyk had chosen the best way to attract people's attention to the problem because nowadays musical is much more interesting form than usual documentary.
Unfortunately, I don't believe that peace on Korean Peninsula will come soon. Neither North nor South want the union so I think that only if the threat of regular war become very plausible the situation is likely to change.
It's hard not to worry when you hear all this information in the media about North Korea. There is nothing else like deplore the state of things and hope that the situation in North Korea can be settled down. The worst thing is that North Korea is a very dangerous country since it has a strong army and weapons, so all the actions are difficult to conduct. However, I believe that international forces should take steps before it is too late.
ReplyDeleteI honestly do not know much about Korea. I can not tell who the leader is more dangerous. I hope that the situation will improve and Korea will be peace. I do not know, however, that in the near future it is possible. Surely see a video parade. This Polish film very moving. I think that any way to reach people is good. This idea is controversial, but who knows maybe something will change. Very sorry for the people living in Korea. I am glad that created such a presentation.
ReplyDeleteNorth Korea is interesting country, because of its culture and political situation. I've seen a documentary about living there and it made big expression on me, because it's all big one country of slaves. I think that there is no difference between leaders of this country, they were all insane. For me musical about concentration camp can be an orginal way to focused and pay attention of the world to the problem.
ReplyDeleteNorth Korea is a very misterious country, nobody from the outside knows what is living there really like. There is a satirical movie called 'The interview', it tells a story of two american journalists making one episode of their show about Kim Jong Un as a normal person who has bad reputation and he gets sypathy of americans. At the end, it turns out that Kim Jong Un is a really evil creature who brings terror in his country.
ReplyDelete