Thursday, March 8, 2012

The Secret Life of North Korea: The Hermit Kingdom

Megan Jones
Mrs. Otemuyiwa
Communication Arts
21 February, 2012
The Secret Life of North Korea: The Hermit Kingdom
North Korea has been known for being a secretive, highly communist country. The US and Japan are currently trying to stop this country from succeeding in nuclear domination. But some people have been wondering what’s been happening behind the scenes; what really goes on behind the powers of former leaders, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, and current leader, Kim Jong Un.
Everyday Activities and Former Leaders
North Korean citizens live in fear of their dictators. According to Sue Lloyd Roberts, reporter for article “North Korea: Life in Cultural Isolation” on BBC News, “The people live seldom lives by cutting the roadside grass with scissors, a time consuming act, and wash the city pavements with scrubbing brushes and cloths, items usually reserved for the home.” (Roberts)
How the people of North Korea “worship” the former leaders is kind of strange for some. In honor of the dead leaders, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, Michael Bristow, reporter for article “North Korea: Life in Cultural Isolation” on BBC News, said that “two flowers were named after them. A bright red flower, looking identical to the original Pansy, is called the ‘KimJongIlia.’ A magenta flower, looking like its cousin, Orchid, is called the ‘KimIlSungia.’” (Bristow)
Paul French, author on article “GOOD Guide: to Daily Life in North Korea” for Good News, says that “Nearly every house, building, office, etc., has two pictures of the former leaders in every room. They are also on the universally worn lapel badges.” (French)


Economy and Technology
Also, French reports that “When it comes to devices, they are beyond anyone’s reach. Internet use is for senior citizens only. Plus, even though you are politically trusted to have a cell phone, calls charge 7.5 cents per minute plus an $825 registration fee.” (French)
Also, French states that “having a 23,500,000+ population, only about 800,000 have cars. Many roads have been built, but cars passing by are rarely seen. Now, here is something funky about the traffic light: instead of three colors, like an American traffic light, the North Korean traffic light has four colors. RED means stop, YELLOW means slow down, GREEN means go, and BLUE means turn right.” (French)
Military and Government
According to the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs on article “Background Note: North Korea” for the U.S. Department of State, informs that “North Korea has one of the largest armies in the world. It has an estimated active military force of up to 1.2 million personnel, compared to about 680,000 in South Korea. The age range of soldiers go from 17 to 54, while in South Korea, the age range is from 28 to 30. The North Korean navy is primarily a coastal navy. The air force has twice the number of aircraft as South Korea, but, except for a few advanced fighters, the North Korean air force is obsolete.” (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs)
The BEAPA also states that “North Korea has a centralized government under the rigid control of the communist Korean Worker’s Party (KWP), to which all government officials belong, such as the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA), the National Defense Commission (NDC), and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), formerly known as the State Administration Council (SAC).” (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs)

Family and Health
According to Patricia J. Kummer, author of book “North Korea,” states that “Family plays a huge role in the country. In the past, the household used to be made up of three generations: grandparents, parents, children, and even aunts and uncles. Although some households still include grandparents, North Korean households today is made up of two generations: parents and their children.” (Kummer)
Kummer also says “The North Korean child policy is up to two children, and children go to school from ages 5 to 16.” (Kummer)
Kummer also states “In the 1990s, North Korean villagers plummet into famine, and are still going through  this today. Villagers have to stand in lines just to get food rations.” (Kummer)
Also, author French informs that “every Sunday is ‘walking day,’ where North Koreans walk everywhere they need to go to. The former dictators have placed down this holiday for necessary ‘health reasons.’” (French)
Human rights groups have been on North Korea’s case for so long, but the past leaders and the current leader has been ignoring these complaints for years. Many North Koreans have tried to escape the country through the poorly guarded border along China, and passing through the highly equipped, guarded border between North Korea and South Korea. Many women who escaped to China are so scared to be sent back, they become Chinese sex slaves. North Koreans have lived in fear for so long. They go through being chased by soldiers, wild environments and identity change just to find freedom. People from all over the world may not be the army, or members of huge human rights organizations, but they can make a change by holding meetings, doing charity work, or holding (legal) strikes.
The world can do this, one step at a time.    


Works Cited
Lloyd Roberts, Sue. Bristow, Michael. “North Korea: Life in Cultural Isolation” BBC News Magazine (20 December, 2011) 14 February, 2012
French, Paul. “GOOD Guide: to Daily Life in North KoreaGood News (19 December, 2011) 14 February, 2012
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs “Background Note: North KoreaU.S. Department of State (31 October, 2011) 14 February, 2012
Kummer, Patricia J. “North KoreaUSA and Canada: Scholastic, Inc. (2008)

No comments:

Post a Comment