How the war between the USA and North Korea will go and how it will end.
IN Lately Interest in the “kingdom of hermits” – North Korea – has grown sharply in the world. This is not surprising, because the country claims to be the most closed and very exotic, and the forbidden fruit, as you know, is sweet.
We present to your attention 30 interesting facts, which we are sure few people know:
1. The average literacy rate of the population in the DPRK reaches 99%
True, given how literacy is defined, this is not surprising. Literacy is determined by a person's ability to write the name of a leader.
2. There are only 28 government-approved hairstyles allowed in the country.
Girls are allowed to wear 14 different haircuts; married women You are supposed to wear your hair short, but single women can grow their hair longer. Men are prohibited from growing their hair longer than 5 centimeters, while older people can afford hair lengths of up to 7 centimeters.
3. Former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's annual spending on luxury cognac was 800 times higher than the country's average annual income.
The father of the current leader of the country, Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-il, spent 700 thousand euros a year on the purchase of Hennessy cognac. The average annual income in North Korea is estimated to be between $1,000 and $2,000.
4. The leader was an avid film fan, and his collection amounted to about 20 thousand films - in general, the man enjoyed life
His favorites included Rambo, Godzilla and Friday the 13th.
5. Less than 20% of all lands North Korea suitable for sowing agricultural crops
The share of arable land in the DPRK accounts for only 19.08%.
6. Residents of the DPRK, especially those born after the Korean War, are almost 6 centimeters shorter than South Koreans.
The difference in height is probably due to lack of nutrition during the war, as well as chronic malnutrition of every third child in the DPRK. Citizens of the DPRK eat mainly corn, and those who are richer can afford rice
7. North Korea has the fourth largest army in the world
Up to 1.190 million people are “under arms” in the DPRK.
8. The number of people ready to join the ranks of the North Korean army is approximately equal to the population of the state of Senegal
6.515 million men and 6.418 million women are eligible to serve in the DPRK armed forces.
9. Total length There are 25,554 kilometers of roads in the country, of which only 724 kilometers are asphalted.
That is, only 2.83% of all roads in the DPRK are covered with asphalt. This happens because few residents in the country have personal vehicles.
10. Nearly 6 million people in the DPRK suffer from food shortages, and 33% of children are chronically undernourished.
According to some reports, 23.4% of North Korea's GDP comes from Agriculture. This includes the cultivation of rice, corn, potatoes, legumes, pigs, large cattle. However, according to the World Food Programme, due to natural conditions and lack of arable land, the DPRK is experiencing chronic food shortages.
11. North Korea is called the most corrupt country in the world - along with Afghanistan and Somalia
According to the results of the Corruption Perceptions Index, in 2013, North Korea, Somalia and Afghanistan were countries where corruption reached critical levels. A score ranging from 0 (maximum level of corruption) to 100 (no corruption) is given to 177 countries. North Korea received a score of 8.
12. There is a “punishment of three generations.” This means that when a person is sent to prison, his entire family goes with him, and the next two generations of the family are born in prisons and live their lives there.
This fact is absolutely, terrifyingly true, and you can read about what it means to be second generation in the book Escape from Camp 14. We're not saying it will make you cry non-stop, but if you can read it without a single "Damn it, I can't take this anymore..." then you must be a robot. If you're wondering what a North Korean must do to be sent to one of these prison labor camps, the answer is simple: a political crime. And a political crime means criticizing the government or attempting to flee the country.
13. Six days work week and one more day of forced “volunteer” work ensure that the average citizen has virtually no free time.
This fact periodically appears on the Internet, but its original source is unknown. However, you can easily learn a little about how workplaces are organized in North Korea. It seems that everyone after high school the government automatically gives you a job and assigns you to this job for life. However, the system is breaking down, and North Koreans are now forced to earn money themselves - by bribing their factory bosses. There are other jobs in state-run “companies” where you can earn foreign currency, but it is impossible to get into them without a bribe.
14. In North Korea, the production, possession and use of marijuana is completely legal and is recommended by the Ministry of Health as a healthier alternative to tobacco. “Tourists tell stories of marijuana plants growing freely on the roadside.”
Surprisingly, this is 100% true and in fact even more so. Marijuana is not the only drug that is legal in North Korea. The government encourages people to grow opium on land they do not use. As for marijuana bushes growing freely on the side of the road, it turns out that marijuana is often planted along railroad tracks to support the tracks with its deep roots. Meth, on the other hand, is strictly prohibited - and you could "face a firing squad if you get caught with meth."
15. According to official documents, Kim Jong Il learned to walk at the age of three weeks. While studying at the university, Kim also wrote 1,500 books, including six major operas, according to official documents. According to his official biography, all of his operas are “the best in the history of music.” Further it sports achivments. In 1994, Pyongyang media reported that when Kim first visited the golf club, he brilliantly completed 38 holes, 11 of them in one stroke. All this in front of 17 personal bodyguards. After this, he decided to leave the sport forever.
These facts were widely reported even by Western media immediately after the death of Kim Jong Il. While it's impossible to verify how many holes Dear Leader completed in one go, we're guessing the actual number is a little lower than official documents claim. But Kim didn't just take the sport seriously, the North Korean soccer team was allegedly publicly ridiculed for losing the 2010 World Cup for six hours. It's better not to play football in this country.
16. If North Korea launched its largest nuclear warhead so that it exploded in Time Square, it would simply not reach him.
This fact is difficult to confirm or deny without an actual test launch, but it is worth remembering that in 2012 the reclusive country successfully launched its own satellite. On the other hand, as everyone knows, Korea simply does not have a launch vehicle powerful enough to lift something heavy enough off the ground. So this is mostly true, but the United States still should not be complacent.
17. The success rate of this country’s space company is 20%
This is a very strange statistic because it is unclear what kind of success is meant. We think this applies to satellite launches, because of the five launches made by North Korea, only one successfully reached orbit. However, the North Korean government claims that there is another satellite that went into orbit in 1998 and is currently sending patriotic songs into space. For science, probably!
18. At the Hoeryong concentration camp in North Korea, 50,000 men, women and children are held as slaves, tortured and experimented on, similar to the Holocaust.
The number quoted here appears to be taken from an Amnesty International report in the 1990s. One ex-guard who defected from North Korea suggested that approximately 2,000 people die from malnutrition each year at Hoeryong concentration camp, but the number of inmates remains constant at 50,000 thanks to equal amount newly “chosen” prisoners. The same guard estimated that 30% of prisoners have physical deformities, such as missing limbs.
19. “Researchers” from North Korea have concluded that North Korea is the second happiest country after China.
This study was widely reported around the world in 2011, so you've probably heard of it before. What you may not have heard was the US happiness ranking. North Korean researchers place US at bottom a brief description of was: “Long dead.” Hmm...we've always suspected that all Americans are secretly depressed. I think we will agree with Korean scientists... 😉
20. All teachers in the 1990s were required to be able to play the accordion—and they had to pass an accordion exam before receiving a teaching certificate.
This fact appears to come from the 2009 book Nothing to Envy, which chronicled the lives of six North Koreans over 15 years. Among them was one school teacher. Apparently her accordion exam was postponed due to the death of Kim Jong Il, although she was able to find work as a teacher in kindergarten until she was unable to pass the exam.
21. Kijong-Dong is a propaganda town that was built by Kim Jong Il's father in the 1950s on the country's border. It was supposed to show the superiority of the North over the South and inspire people to desert from the South to the North.
But in fact there were no inhabitants in it. The government spent heavily and every effort was made to create the appearance of a functioning city, including lights on the streets. It was enough to look through good optics to expose a city whose glass buildings were essentially just boxes with a complete absence of any interior. The city is also home to the world's largest flagpole.
In addition to the empty buildings, North Korea also had loudspeakers that blasted propaganda for its southern neighbors. They, in turn, repaid in the same coin. Fortunately for everyone, both countries agreed to stop their noise in 2004.
22. Every North Korean household and business is equipped with a government-controlled radio that cannot be turned off, but can be turned down.
This is another fact that cannot be fully confirmed. Many websites report this, but the original source is unknown. But the fact that electricity is constantly being cut off in the country, at a minimum, suggests that the fact cannot be 100% true.
23. Idolatry in North Korea is such that a portrait of Kim Jong Il is the second thing that ordinary citizens should save in case of fire after themselves (there are even special bunkers for statues in case of war).
It’s impossible to say for sure about the paintings, but the 100% truth is that all the statues of leaders are protected armed forces like real leaders of the country. Even we didn't go that far with our cat worship!
24. It’s not 2014 in North Korea. It is now 103 years old because North Korea counts years from the birth of Kim Jong Il, not Jesus.
What about those things that happened before Kim Jong Il was born?
25. Tourists in North Korea can only take photographs of what the party allows.
Each tourist is assigned a “KGB officer” who asks to remove photos in which the inhabitants of the country or the landscape do not look as they should, and also points out objects that should be photographed.
26. Execution by mortar shell in North Korea.
It's just terrible, isn't it? Yes, it is a fact that execution by mortar is used in North Korea, but it is not particularly common. It was used on a top government official who did not wait long enough to throw a party after Kim Jong Il's death and was executed for lack of proper mourning.
27. The North Korean Constitution states: “Citizens are guaranteed freedom of speech, press, voice, demonstration and association.”
This is of course true, and you can even read the North Korean constitution if you want. If you think this defies reality, you are completely wrong, but the document also contains some "buts" that will seem not very "democratic" to foreigners. For example: “Citizens must firmly guard the political and ideological unity and solidarity of the people,” and “Work is a noble duty and honor for a citizen.”
28. North Korea's economy was larger than South Korea's until the 1970s. Currently, GDP is only 2.5% of South Korea's.
North Korea's economy is even smaller than its own shadow. In 2011, the estimated GDP per person was approximately $1,800 per year, which is slightly less than, say, South Korea, where the GDP per person is approximately $30,800. On the other hand, we guess there's not much you can buy in North Korea...
29. North Korea holds elections every 5 years in which only one candidate is listed on the ballot.
This fact hardly seems surprising, although we should note that, while there is effectively only one candidate for any seat in government, voters can, technically, veto a candidate. This means that they can vote against someone by crossing out his name - but to do this, the voter must enter a special box, where everyone can see that he is making a choice and, rest assured, his name is already on the “black” lists.
30. In North Korea, the number of Internet users is only 605.
We haven't been able to find up-to-date numbers for this fact, but we suspect it might be a little out of date. The use of computers and the Internet seems to be growing every day, although it is mainly limited to upper-class officials and students. For example, North Korea recently debuted its own operating system called "Red Star", based on Linux. Plus, some are even saying that North Korea is going through a digital revolution—though on such a small scale that we think “deviation” would be a better word than “revolution.” However, it was alleged that the North Koreans have a hand in the developing software for everyone from Middle Eastern banks to...Nintendo and Sony? Mmm...let's just say we're a little...unsure about this.
Based on materials from mixstuff.ru and muz4in.net
Carried out a training launch of two short-range missiles. According to the South Korean Ministry of Defense, Scud-type ballistic missiles created on the basis of Soviet P-17s, having flown about 500 km, fell into the waters of the Sea of Japan near the port of Wonsan near east coast North Korea.
This is the second time in the last 10 days that Pyongyang has violated the 2006 and 2009 UN Security Council resolutions requiring it “not to carry out any new launches using ballistic missile technology.” As suggested in Seoul, Pyongyang responded with a double test to the largest US-South Korean maneuvers in history, Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, which started on March 7.
As the Yonhap agency reported from Seoul, citing its own sources in military circles, during these maneuvers operations are being practiced to destroy the leadership of the DPRK, as well as its nuclear and missile arsenals in the event of a war on the Korean Peninsula. A total of 300,000 South Korean and 17,000 American troops are taking part in the exercises—a scale that has not been seen in the last 40 years. During the maneuvers, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier John C. Stennis, a nuclear-powered submarine and a B-2 stealth bomber will be deployed to South Korea.
North Korea has canceled all economic cooperation projects with South Korea. “From now on, we will consider all agreements that the two Koreas have entered into on economic cooperation and exchange as invalid,” said a spokesman for the North Korean Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Homeland. In addition, Pyongyang announced the liquidation of all assets belonging to South Korean companies in North Korea. As the reason for these steps, Pyongyang cited Seoul's decision to stop the operation of the joint Kaesong industrial zone, as well as to suspend a project to organize tourist tours to Mount Kumgangsan in the territory.
Does North Korea really have economic ties with South Korea?
Yes. In the “Kaesong industrial zone” created in 2004, located 12 km from the border between North and South (this is the territory of the DPRK, if that), there are 124 enterprises employing 57 thousand people. It's actually free economic zone- and last year it brought northerners income of $511 million.
Following the February 7 launch of a North Korean long-range ballistic missile artificial satellite Lands on board Seoul announced the suspension of the Kaesong project. (In response, Pyongyang expelled all South Korean personnel - 280 people - from the industrial zone and transferred several army units there.)
In addition to these measures, South Korea introduced additional sanctions against the Juche Country, in particular, it prohibited foreign ships from entering its ports for 180 days after being in the ports of the DPRK. Seoul has also stepped up inspections of North Korean-made goods entering the country. In addition, South Korean citizens were advised to refrain from visiting restaurants and other establishments maintained by North Korean citizens in third countries.
“Pyongyang can declare as much as it wants about the complete curtailment of trade and economic cooperation with Seoul, because South Korea has already almost completely broken it off,” a researcher at the Institute’s Center for Korean Studies noted in an interview Far East RAS Konstantin Asmolov. “The sanctions adopted by South Korea in addition to the UN package actually put an end to all inter-Korean and trilateral projects, including the Khasan-Rajin project with the participation of the Russian Russian Railways, which provides for the supply of Russian coal through the North Korean port of Rajin to South Korea and China.”
What does China have to do with it?
China is Pyongyang's main trading partner and, until recently, a staunch defender of Pyongyang in the international arena. However, on March 10, a ban on North Korean ships entering their sea ports he entered too. According to the BBC, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced this at the annual plenum of the CPC Central Committee. Previously, China, to put it mildly, did not strictly comply with anti-Pyongyang resolutions of the UN Security Council. However, now, having blocked access to North Korean ships to its ports, Beijing is fully implementing the sanctions, notes The People's Daily newspaper. There are already 31 ships on the Chinese blacklist. A few days ago, one of them was prohibited from anchoring in a port in the North. east of the country, and two other North Korean ships are also reported to be leaving Chinese ports.
“Relations between the PRC and the DPRK have been steadily deteriorating over the past two or three years due to the fact that the Chinese are annoyed by the way the young leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, conducts affairs and his disregard for Beijing’s advice,” Georgy Toloraya, director of Korean programs at the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, professor at MGIMO, told RT. - IN last weeks China has moved from a policy of restrained response to the provocative actions of the DPRK to quite sharp counteraction. This became especially clear during the preparation of the UN Security Council resolution, when China agreed to unprecedentedly tough measures that caused significant damage to the North Korean economy. Today, relations between Beijing and Pyongyang are at their lowest point in many decades.”
Economically, the DPRK is very dependent on China, through whose territory, with the closure of the South Korean canal, almost all of its exports are now carried out. international trade. At the same time, Beijing also provides Pyongyang with significant free assistance, including oil and other types of fuel. Toloraya believes that for the foreseeable future, China will regulate this assistance, combining it with selective compliance with UN sanctions. “The economic collapse of North Korea is completely disadvantageous for Beijing, since it could lead to the spontaneous reunification of the country on South Korean terms and the emergence of China at the borders of American troops. The most interesting thing is that even under pressure from the PRC, Pyongyang is not going to change its behavior, confirming the popular point of view that virtually no one has effective leverage over it,” the professor noted.
Will there be a war?
Announcing the breakup economic relations with Seoul, Pyongyang also threatened to “put an end to the rule” of the President of the Republic of Korea Park Geun-hye, announcing the existence of a plan military operation for the “liberation” of our southern neighbor. And the day before, on March 9, Kim Jong-un said that his country had achieved a reduction in the mass of nuclear charges and was now able to equip ballistic missiles with them. “Nuclear warheads have been standardized by miniaturizing them to be compatible with ballistic missiles,” the North Korean leader noted. Previously, it was believed that the DPRK did not have the technology to reduce the size of its atomic warheads, which are bulky products weighing several tons and are transported by truck.
However, most experts suspect Pyongyang of a nuclear bluff in order to intimidate potential opponents. According to Russian experts, in their own technical specifications atomic bomb, available to Pyongyang, in best case scenario corresponds to the models in service with the USA and USSR until 1952–1953.
Andrey Loschilin
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Interest in North Korea and its way of life in the world is constantly growing. However, we know little about this country - even from those who have visited it, you can hear absolutely contradictory opinions about life there.
website collected interesting and practically unknown facts about North Korea, which may help us understand a little better how the country and North Koreans live.
1. Residents of the DPRK are confident that Korea is united
If you take political map world, published in any country, then it will contain North Korea and South Korea. However, North Korea is confident that the country is united - so, on the map that can be seen in any school or other institution, there will be only one Korea with its capital in Pyongyang. However, despite the fact that both sides seem to dream of unification, each of them has reasons for the state of affairs to remain unchanged.
2. They call Americans "big noses"
An American soldier from the Korean War on a propaganda poster at the Pyongyang War Museum.
North Koreans believe that all Americans have a big nose, huge eyes, and hairy chests to boot. As former residents of the DPRK say, in schools during physical education classes they train to kill American soldiers, using cardboard dummies depicting people in military uniforms, with giant noses and wide blue eyes.
3. North Korea is not a communist country
Juche Idea Monument, Pyongyang
It is generally accepted that North Korea follows the tenets of Marxism-Leninism. However, in fact, the DPRK abandoned communist ideology back in the 50s of the last century, when the cult of personality was officially debunked in the USSR. It was then that the idea of Juche, formed, according to historians of the DPRK, back in 1926, began to develop, which at first was regarded as a development of the theories of Marx and Lenin.
However, over time, all references to communism began to be erased from the DPRK constitution, and in its latest edition, adopted in 2009, they completely disappeared.
4. There are no taxes in North Korea
North Korea is one of the few countries in the world whose residents do not pay taxes. Tax fees(as part of the "old world") were abolished in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula back in 1974. Only organizations and individuals who are outside the country for the purpose of earning money are not exempt from paying them. However, everything may change soon - there are rumors that the government plans to return income taxes in the near future.
5. North Koreans watch American films, but don’t know they’re American.
Yes, yes, North Korea simply loves Hollywood films - for example, they really love “Titanic” and “ Toughie" However, Koreans often don't know where exactly the film was shot - after all, Americans aren't the only ones with big noses. By the way, watching South Korean television is much more dangerous than American films, because in this case you cannot plead ignorance of where this or that program or film “came” from.
By the way, interesting fact: Kim Il Sung was born on April 15, 1912 - the day the Titanic sank.
6. Kimirseniya and Kimcheniriya
No, this is not a humorous name for North Korea, but a variety of flowers: Kimirsenia is a hybrid variety of orchid, and Kimjeoniriya is a hybrid variety of begonia. However, none of the flowers is a symbol of the DPRK - this role is assigned to magnolia. This, however, does not prevent annual exhibitions of kimcheniriyas and kimirseniyas from being held, for which each “advanced” family tries to grow the best flower.
7. North Korea is one of the world leaders in seafood exports
North Korean fishing boats in the port of Nason
North Korea's main trading partner is, of course, neighboring China, which accounts for about 60% of North Korean goods exports. One of the main export items is fish and other seafood, accounting for 1/4 of all goods sold abroad. In addition, North Korea is among the top 20 countries exporting fishing products.
By the way, another export item of the DPRK is monuments, which they produce, as they say, to order. In addition, in the Mansudae studio, where they create “monumental” art, paint paintings, weave tapestries, etc., you can order something for yourself.
8. The head of North Korea is a dead man
Kim Jong-un - Supreme Leader of the DPRK
The DPRK is the only state in the world that has a unique form of government - necrocracy. The fact is that Kim Il Sung was posthumously awarded the title of Eternal President of the DPRK. In fact, this means that the current head of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, who bears the very official title of Supreme Leader of the DPRK, leader of the party, army and people, does not have the status of president. Yes, he doesn’t have to.
9. The show “Arirang” involves 0.4% of the DPRK population
Arirang Festival in 2012, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung
The Arirang Festival is the largest circus show on our planet, listed in the Guinness Book of Records. About 100 thousand people take part in it, and the entire population of the DPRK is about 25 million people. In addition, the show is held at the Nynnado Stadium named after the First of May - the largest such structure in the world, accommodating 150 thousand spectators.
10. There is a “propaganda” village on the border of North Korea and South Korea.
Kijeong-dong - ghost village
On the border with South Korea is the village of Kijeongdong, built to show its southern neighbors the attractiveness of life in the northern part of the Land of Morning Freshness. It was built in the 1950s - at a time when electricity in rural areas was a luxury on both sides of the border.
At the same time, the lights came on strictly according to schedule and in the same rooms, soldiers roamed the streets, and the same women washed the same windows for 15 years. Later, when technology allowed the southerners to get a better look at the village, it became clear that the houses in Kijeong-dong were just empty boxes with no floors, ceilings, or partitions.
11. Who is louder?
View of Kijeong-dong and the 160 m high flagpole, claiming to be the tallest in the world
Another interesting story is connected with Kijongdon. For several years, a radio played on its territory at high volume, where they talked about how good it would be to live in North Korea for those who came here from the southern border.
However, in 2004, realizing the futility of trying to win over their neighbors, the North Koreans began broadcasting military marches at full volume for 20 hours a day, in response to which the southerners turned on their famous K-Rock. When the noise became completely unbearable, the radio was turned off by tacit agreement. At both sides.
Buy yourself a couple of North Korean propaganda posters - by the way, they are drawn by hand.
About a year ago we met Perm traveler Elnar Mansurov, who has been traveling to various parts of the world for several years. Now his notes have grown into a full-fledged travel project, mishka.travel. Today FURFUR publishes a report on a trip to North Korea, in which Elnar told how he went to the mausoleum of Kim Il Sung, met Korean girls and was almost mistaken for a spy.
We flew on the plane with Dennis Rodman, who, after staying with Kim Jong-un, decided to lead the DPRK basketball team. It’s kind of surreal: I’m flying on a new AN-124 to Pyongyang, the flight attendant brings a burger for lunch, and sitting not far from me is a big dark-skinned guy whom I remember from playing NBA on the Sega console.
Much that is written in the media about North Korea is not true. Even the information that comes to television and the leading media in Russia is greatly distorted. For example, according to some of them, on Independence Day, September 9, a military parade was held in Pyongyang, which was personally led by Kim Jong-un. In fact, there was no military equipment in the city that day, there are many holidays in this small country, and any military parade is an expensive event, so on September 9 we had a labor army of militia (this is something like an army in reserve) or workers Peasant Red Guard of the DPRK. I felt like I was in the chronicles of a war film, as if I was seeing off North Korean soldiers to war. Hundreds of ZILs with people in uniform, girls with Kalashnikovs, nurses, a military band and one long black limousine with a portrait of the great leaders on the roof. Koreans cry, launch into the sky Balloons and throw artificial flowers to the militia. There are no real flowers in this country; at the airport we also saw how loved ones were greeted with artificial flowers.
In reports on visits to the DPRK you can read about the cult of personality, the ban on photography from bus windows and the complete absence of cars on the roads. Times change, most of the facts become myths, but the truth is that in Pyongyang we even stood in a small traffic jam. On the roads there are mainly Chinese-made cars, sometimes our UAZs and Prioras. In the villages you can find legendary trucks with a gas generator, they are heated with wood or coal. We met them several times on the way to Wonsan, but Koreans react quite jealously when you start photographing them.
Phones are no longer confiscated upon entry - on the contrary, you can buy a SIM card from a local operator and call home, although it is cheaper to call from a hotel.
It is still forbidden to photograph military personnel, military installations, working people, as well as those places that the guide will tell you about (for example, inside a mausoleum or some museum). Ordinary people You can take photographs, but the guides ask not to scare the North Koreans, but to ask permission to photograph them. I travel all over the world with a bear head, but I was forbidden to take photographs with it against the backdrop of the monument to two leaders. It is also prohibited to remove sculptures that imitate leaders or cut off parts of the bodies in the photograph. They may be asked to be removed. We still managed to secretly take photographs of the bear's head.
In the DPRK there is extreme collectivism and snitching, the system of denunciations works smoothly. Therefore, even if you run away from the hotel from the supervision of your guide, ordinary townspeople will immediately turn you in. Near the restaurant after lunch, I went to the tram stop, tried to get to know the locals, chat; the first thing they did was run away. And the next day the guide asked: “Elnar, why did you try to communicate with the Koreans? Realize that they rarely see tourists.” That is, information about this was already reported to her, and they had a friendly explanatory conversation with me.
It is still forbidden to photograph military personnel, military installations, working people,
as well as those places that the guide will tell you about (for example,
inside the mausoleum or
some museum).
Our bus driver was proud that in 25 years he had not been involved in a single accident. Probably because in the last 25 years there have been practically no cars on the roads, and the roads themselves are six- or eight-lane “concrete”. Nowadays you can see taxis on the streets of Pyongyang, and private riders on motorcycles are also starting to appear. It is quite possible that in ten years Pyongyang will not be a half-empty city, but will become an ordinary Asian noisy metropolis with all the exhaust fumes and motorcycle taxi drivers shouting and arguing with each other over the next client.
For me, the whole trip was a solid spy movie. And I must say, I was not disappointed. I sometimes record with the voice recorder on my phone. travel notes, but once the guide, after our conversation with her, saw the microphone icon on the phone and suspected me of recording all our conversations. I expected that the special services would be of particular interest to me when leaving the country, so I hid the memory cards with photographs. But it worked out.
But Igor, a representative of the then unknown Ukrainian party “Udar,” was less fortunate. He loved to joke about signs and slogans, jokingly translating them in his own way; the Koreans did not appreciate the humor and suspected him of knowing Korean language. During a visit to the mausoleum, security officers caught Igor and interrogated him about “the real purpose of his visit to the DPRK.”
We were fascinated by one Korean girl, her name was Un Ha, she was a trainee guide in another tourist group. We asked our guide to organize a date with my single friend, jokes aside, but we managed to pull off the meeting. True, there were four of us on a date: in addition to the two of them, there were me and our guide. On another it is impossible. A friend took French wine (I think you can imagine how much it costs in closed country), I took a beer to enjoy watching what was happening. The Korean women drank only water, embarrassment grew, we discussed common topics about whether they are on the Internet, whether they are going to visit Russia again, whether they come across harmful tourists from our country. It looked like everything was like a pioneer camp and getting to know another detachment. After 20 minutes of boring monotonous conversation, our guide felt ill and went to her room, followed immediately by Un Ha.
That evening we invited our guide Dzo, who in his age most resembled a representative of the special services, to celebrate our departure, since our guide, Comrade Pak, was, by all accounts, really a guide, which was confirmed by her appearance in other reports. Our third guide, trainee Kim, was very young, his knowledge of the language was noticeably worse, so Dzo (we called him Jo or Tsoi) in our eyes was from the authorities. That evening our “spy games” continued. After we decided that we were all brothers and went to our room for whiskey, the fun began. It is believed that every hotel room is bugged, Zou turned up the volume on the TV to communicate with us frankly. He asked who was “good” and who was “bad” in our group, and said that Igor was clearly there for a reason. They talked about banned books, about the real state of affairs in Russia, and not about what their propaganda says. We exchanged banknotes with him as souvenirs, which, as it later turned out, had gone out of circulation.
We were fascinated by one Korean girl, her name was Un Ha, she was a trainee guide in another tourist group. We asked our guide to arrange a date with my single friend.
Back in 2015, the world community was shocked by the sincerity of the French journalist Marcel Cartier, who decided to independently go to the DPRK, which is now increasingly called simply North Korea. His goal was to find out if everything there is as bad as Western (and not only) means describe mass media. As it turns out, not every existing myth corresponds to reality. This article may somewhat change your myths about a closed state, and its advantages, disadvantages and all that.
Cartier admits that many things struck him to the core and left no stone unturned from the stereotypes that had previously existed in his mind. Here are just a few, but the brightest, of them.
Americans are not hated at all, but are joyfully welcomed as guests
The Koreans have the highest level there is class consciousness. They never hide their contempt for imperialism, which in the United States is part of the regime system, but if you tell a citizen of the DPRK that you come from America, then your conversation will not be about hating each other, but about sports, differences in politics , culture and much, much more. That is, secular. For example, in the People's Palace of Study in Pyongyang (where, for a second, there are more than 30 million books), the most common work of musical art is not a local performer at all, but a collection of hits by the immortal Beatles. But don’t despair, because with approximately the same frequency, North Koreans ask for CDs with Linkin Park records for themselves. This especially applies to progressive youth, for whom there is a place here. Doesn't look much like the Iron Curtain, does it? And if you add that they are actively interested in the American basketball league, then it becomes completely strange. And this interest is not limited to the most famous names of this sport.
Cartier passed customs and border control twice as fast as in the European Union
Many of the Westerners who were brave enough to finally travel from Beijing to Pyongyang were concerned that the immigration process would be painstaking, lengthy and, as they say, “biased.” Imagine their surprise when the treasured stamps appeared in their passports within a few minutes. Only a few passengers' luggage was selectively inspected, but without fanaticism. The travel company strongly recommended that the journalist not take with him images of the American flag or posters, books, films and other things that could tell about the events of the Korean War. Cartier didn’t take it, but he was very surprised and later noted that even if he had all this in abundance, he would not have experienced any problems, because the customs officers were not very interested in such trifles.
Pyongyang is an extremely beautiful, cultural and clean city
Cartier speaks of the capital of North Korea as one of the best cities he has ever seen. Pyongyang amazed him with its grooming and comfort, even for a tourist who did not know a word of Korean. Considering the fact that during the Korean War (here, by the way, it is called the Patriotic Liberation War), US troops subjected the city to massive carpet bombing, by 1953 only two buildings remained intact. What happened to the city during this time is worthy of the deepest respect. A lot of statues and majestic official buildings, large park areas for people to relax, residential buildings that never stop growing up like mushrooms. It was previously said that Pyongyang is pitch black at night, but this is not true. Yes, there is no mass of advertising glowing at night, which is inherent in Western cities, but the lighting important aspects The capital of the DPRK works constantly and this is even more pleasing, because falling asleep at night is much easier than, for example, in Paris, which is always noisy and full of lights, where the author of the article is from.
A hairstyle “like Kim Jong-un’s” is not required and there are practically no people who wear it
During his entire stay in North Korea, the French journalist managed to notice only one man who tried to imitate the leader of the DPRK. The hairstyle, Cartier notes, did not suit him at all and at first the reporter thought that the rumors were indeed true, but later he became convinced that this was another fabrication on the part of the BBC, Time and other publications, which, with light hand South Korean media disseminated this information. Cartier was also convinced that it was also a lie that North Koreans were limited in their choice of hairstyles. Yes, local hair salons do have portraits of models hanging on the walls, but this is not done as the only choice, but rather intended to make life easier for a client who cannot decide. Also in some beauty salon in New York. Only the price is five times lower.
Residents of the DPRK constantly joke and smile
Here you can ask a reasonable question: is this happening, most likely, for show? The journalist claims that he would be sincerely surprised if he learned that all the laughter that the Koreans shared with him turned out to be fake. If we reason in this way, we can assume that in some incomprehensible way in North Korea they can guess which cars residents of other countries are sitting in, in order to laugh at this very moment. Koreans have a lot of very witty jokes on a variety of topics, including Americans on the demarcation line. The French journalist is confident that the most successful is the following: “An American soldier passes a cigarette to a soldier from the DPRK across the demarcation line. The Korean soldier takes it, and then the American asks if he hates Americans, then why does he smoke American cigarettes, to which the Korean soldier replies: “So I don’t smoke it, I burn it.”
The monolithic nature of ideology is not the monolithic nature of the people of the DPRK
You should immediately understand what is individualism and what is individuality and what is the big gap between these two concepts. In fact, Cartier notes, his observations made it possible to understand that people in Pyongyang can communicate on a variety of topics and support ideas that, it would seem, could only occur to a native of the “open West.” People here have a lot of interests, and everything is used: sports, culture, music, cinema and much, much more. They are free to choose what they like and what they don't.
People are dressed like brand new, all over the country
Even in the rural areas where the French journalist managed to visit, the Koreans are dressed very decently. There was not a single place he visited where people looked unkempt or wore clothes that resembled cast-offs. Another myth is the fact that all men and women dress the same. Everything is not as typical Europeans and Americans have been taught to think. Men often wear brighter clothes than today's teenagers, but there is still room for business attire. The tie is an international symbol. He also found a place in North Korea. Women do not deny themselves dresses of bright colors; some choose traditional Korean clothes, while others even choose sports-cut clothes. At the same time, no one violates the norms of decency, but people look completely different.
English is a compulsory school subject from 1st grade
Knowledge among young people in English impressive. Even shocking. Cartier says that 90% of those whom he approached on the street communicated with him fluently in English, without experiencing any visible discomfort. As it turns out, it's all about the quality of education. Previously, foreign languages were taught here from the first grade, but due to the fact that completely foreign English was not so easy for children, the discipline was transferred to the 3rd grade. In addition, the study of Chinese and German languages, but here it’s up to the parents of a junior school student to choose.
Korean residents love tourists very much and want to develop this area
One of the aspects of the economy, as it seemed to Cartier, that the DPRK government will develop, first of all, will most likely be tourism. The new airport building located in Pyongyang is under construction and will soon expand impressively. Koreans would really like to open their country to the outside world, but they are sure that this should be done somewhat differently than the Chinese did in their time. People's Republic. They don't want North Korea to become another pillar of Western culture and way of life, so their fears are largely understandable.
Cartier also mentioned Air Koryo in a separate text. All reference books give it only one star, but he said that he is ready to bet with anyone that the rating is artificially low, because in terms of the level of service and comfort, this is one of the best agencies whose services he has ever used. First, they have a new fleet of Russian aircraft flying between Beijing and Pyongyang. In addition, there is entertainment during the flight, you can even buy a hamburger, and with it, you can choose from coffee, beer, juice or sparkling water. This kind of service deserves at least three stars. But, unfortunately, it is not the passengers themselves who choose.
Beer is officially recognized as a non-alcoholic drink in North Korea.
In almost every area of the country you can now find a local brewery that provides people with their beverage needs locally. There is a huge variety of varieties that are very popular throughout the country. Most meals in local catering establishments are served, by default, with a small amount of beer. For example, if on a tourist visit you look at the Kim Il Sung Stadium, then you can see local residents watching a friendly match between the DPRK football teams. plastic cups drink beer. Most a shining example Any football game in Russia can happen - the stadiums in both the Russian Federation and Korea are full, but the crowd in the latter is not aggressive, which helps you enjoy the game and not fear for your own safety.
Most of the stories I publish in the West about the DPRK are blatant lies and slander.
Approximately 100–120 US citizens were in Pyongyang at the same time with the French journalist. This was largely due to the fact that amateur runners were allowed to participate in the Pyongyang Marathon for the first time. One couple said that this was their second visit to the DPRK. It’s interesting that they were in North Korea literally a year ago, but they liked the country so much that they wanted to return. They noted that last time they were afraid to go. They became especially scared after the story about how Kim Jong-un allegedly gave the order to shoot his friend because she refused to star in a porn film. Other rumors are that Kim Jong-un executed his own uncle with the help of a pack of hungry dogs (the dogs in various interpretations changed to a mortar, a machine gun, hanging and much more). Educational camps and prisons do exist, but this does not negate the fact that Western press quite a lot of effort is being devoted to the campaign to demonize the DPRK, distort objective reality, which, naturally, is not in the best possible way affects the people of North Korea.
Nikolay Ofitserov