Territory of the DPRK. DPRK
North Korea is a state located in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea Is the unofficial name of the country. In fact, the full name sounds like this: Democratic People's Republic of Korea or abbreviated.
If you love, then be sure to read this article. Surely you will learn a lot, although we do not intend to tell dizzying tales about the incredible life of the DPRK.
In fact, you can find tons of false information about North Korea on the internet. Reading such things is certainly interesting, but if you want to know the facts, and not talented fakes, then you are welcome.
First, some data. North Korea shares borders with China, the Republic of Korea (). It is washed by the Yellow and Japan Seas. The capital of North Korea is Pyongyang.
The DPRK as a state was founded on September 9, 1948, after the Republic of Korea was proclaimed on September 9. All power in North Korea belongs to the Workers' Party of Korea (TPK) and its immediate leader today, Kim Jong-un.
The main state ideology is called Juche. Its key principle is self-reliance in all spheres of human and state life.
Kim Il Sung is the founder of the North Korean state and its de facto leader in 1948-1994. It was he who became the ideologist. He, in fact, is the main cult figure in North Korea, as in the USSR - and in China - Mao Zedong.
An interesting fact is that Kim Il Sung is officially the eternal president of the DPRK. The preamble to the new constitution adopted in 1998 reads as follows:
"The DPRK and the Korean people under the leadership of the WPK, honoring the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung as the eternal President of the Republic, protecting, inheriting and developing His deeds and ideas, will successfully lead our Juche revolutionary cause to a victorious conclusion."
Moreover, since July 8, 1997, the chronology in North Korea takes as a starting point the year of birth of Kim Il Sung (1912). There is no year zero. When writing dates in documents, in order to avoid mistakes, both chronologies are used together in the form (May 1, 106 Juche).
The day is a public holiday in the DPRK. It is celebrated on April 15 in honor of the birthday of Kim Il Sung, who is called the "Sun of the Nation" in North Korea.
In other words, not just the personality cult of the founder of the republic reigns among the North Koreans, but his real deification. Something like this can only be compared with the Egyptian pharaohs, who were officially considered demigods.
After the death of Kim Il Sung, who ruled the country until the end of his life, the DPRK was headed by his son Kim Jong Il. He strengthened the cult of personality, surrounding the glory of the superman and himself, along with his father.
However, in 2011 he died, leaving the reign to his son. There is a dynastic continuity.
North Korea today
Now the supreme leader of the DPRK is Kim Jong-un, the grandson of the founder of the republic. He was born in 1982, and it was during his reign that relations with practically reached a nuclear conflict. In one of his interviews, he said this about Kim Jong-un:
From left to right: Kim Il Sung (founder of the DPRK), his son Kim Jong Il, and his grandson and current leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un.“When he was very young, he gained power and was able to keep it. I am sure that many, including his uncle, tried to take this power away from him. But he held her back. So obviously he's a pretty smart kid. "
The population of North Korea is 24.7 million (51st in the world).
Recently, the DPRK has become increasingly popular among tourists. And this is no coincidence, because the forbidden fruit is always sweet.
An interesting fact is that this country is considered the most isolated in the world. This is largely due to ideology, not just objective factors.
Well, now let's move on to the dark secrets of the DPRK.
North Korea has no internet access at all. Of course, not for everyone, but for the bulk of the population. The elite also have access to the national Internet, which is called Gwangmyeon.
There are about 1000 sites approved by the country's leadership that do not contradict the Juche ideas. Just think, for 25 million North Koreans, there are just over 1,000 IP addresses.
Many facts about North Korea sound ridiculous. For example, the country's government declares that it does not give its citizens free access to the Internet so that they ... are not completely disappointed in the West. How!
Mobile communications were completely banned from 2004 to 2009. At the moment, there is no such prohibition. However, due to prices unthinkable for ordinary North Koreans, the vast majority of residents do not have mobile phones.
Diversity is good, but only within the framework set by the government. Guided by this principle, as many as 10 types of men's hairstyles are allowed in North Korea. Women are more fortunate: they have as many as 18 hairstyles at their disposal.
Any "illegal" hairstyle has very negative consequences. Again, on the Internet you can find information that people are being shot for the "wrong" hairstyle. In fact, this is a myth long exposed, although no one wants to stand out with an original haircut anyway.
An interesting fact is that labor camps are widespread in North Korea. Any bad joke about the current regime or a really serious crime can be a reason for arrest and sending to a labor camp for correctional work.
According to rough estimates, they contain about 200 thousand prisoners.
If we talk about the death penalty, then this is associated with a lot of fictions and rumors. Many of them are deliberately distributed by South Korea - the archenemy of the DPRK. Despite the fact that most of them have been officially denied, often, even highly respected sites publish absolutely fake messages under the headings "For what they can be executed in North Korea", "15 offenses due to which you can be sentenced to death in North Korea " etc.
Therefore, we consider it necessary to provide reliable information on this matter.
Why is the death penalty really provided for in a state isolated from the world? Here are all the criminal articles for which the capital punishment is imposed:
- Terrorism (art. 61)
- Treason to the Motherland (Art. 63)
- Subversion and sabotage (Article 65)
- Betrayal of the nation (art. 68)
- Smuggling and drug dealing (Article 208)
- Intentional murder (Article 266)
All other crimes are punished, as a rule, by exile to the camp. An interesting fact is that according to various sources, executions are often carried out in public. Convicts are killed by firing squad.
Pornography is considered a serious crime in North Korea. Therefore, severe punishment is provided for her.
From 1995 to 1999, there was a severe famine in the DPRK due to unprecedented rains and other natural disasters that destroyed almost the entire crop. It is believed that then from 220 thousand to 3.5 million people died of hunger. Horror stories of cannibalism are associated with this period.
The fact of extreme militarization (belligerence) of North Korea is well known. The DPRK army ranks 4th in number after China, the USA, etc. It employs about 1.2 million people, plus 7.7 million in reserve.
On January 23, 1968, in international waters 15 miles off the coast of North Korea, the US Navy's electronic intelligence ship USS Pueblo was surrounded and captured. The sailors ended up in prisoner-of-war camps, and the ship is still standing at one of the marinas, being an important military symbol.
US ship captured by the DPRK At the time of 2016, the annexation of Crimea to Russia was recognized by North Korea, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Syria.
Curiously, the literacy rate in the DPRK is 100%.
North and South Korea is divided by the so-called neutral, demilitarized zone (DMZ). Its width is 4 km, and its length is 241 km: it runs through the entire Korean Peninsula.
It is on this territory, since its creation in 1953, that negotiations have been held between the two republics of the peninsula. Despite its name, it is the most militarized border in the world.
79th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Korean People's Army In North Korea, marijuana is not banned and is freely available. There is information that it is even recommended as a healthier alternative to tobacco.
Nynnado Stadium named after May Day, which is located in the capital of the DPRK, Pyongyang, is the largest stadium in the world. It accommodates 150,000 people.
In 2011, North Korean researchers found that their country's citizens are the second happiest country after China. They placed the USA at the very bottom of the list with a short note: "Long dead."
There are few cars on the roads of the republic. As a rule, these are either Chinese cars, or Russian UAZs and even Priors.
According to the reviews of many tourists in North Korea, the mechanism of denunciations of "outsiders" is ideally established. That is, if you, being a tourist and contrary to the ban, slip away from the vigilant escort from the state security organs, ordinary citizens will immediately report this to the right place. This is done not at all because of personal hostility, but for reasons of the highest goals of the security of their state.
With all this, almost everyone who was lucky enough to visit North Korea says that this is a real historical reserve that survived both the Berlin Wall. What cannot be taken away from the North Koreans is sincere hospitality and naive, bewitching simplicity.
In the end, I would like to add that there are so many fables about North Korea that any doubtful fact must be carefully checked. In 99% of cases, this will turn out to be a myth.
North Korea Photos
Reunification Arch in Pyongyang 
Ryugyong Hotel (right) on the Pyongyang panorama. For 2016, the hotel is completed, but has not yet been commissioned. 
Cabinet of Ministers Building on Kim Il Sung Square 
Each metro station is decorated with similar paintings 
Kumsusan Memorial Palace of the Sun (Mausoleum). It is here that both embalmed leaders lie. 
Monument to the Labor Party of Korea 
Pyongyang Square 
Korean students look at tourists with curiosity 
Such skyscrapers were built only in Pyongyang 
Morning in Kaesong city. Cars are very rare. And of course, don't forget to subscribe to the site on any social network if you really like interesting facts.
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Fragment of a panel of the facade of the state film studio of the DPRK
Formation period (1945-1953)
With the end of World War II, the period of Japanese colonization of Korea is coming to an end. In 1945-1948, during the presence of the Soviet military contingent in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, North Korean cinema began to develop there, with the support of Soviet colleagues. Already in 1946, the first documentaries "Our Construction" and "Democratic Elections" were released, which directly demonstrate the adherence of the filmmakers of the new state to the traditions of socialist realism. At the beginning of the following year, a state film studio was founded (this status was consolidated in 1948 after the Division of Korea was legally formalized), "whose task was to start creating new images of national cinema after a decade of hegemony of Japanese culture." Despite the influence of the USSR, North Korean directors create an artistic style and political content regardless of Soviet standards. [ ]. This was shown, among other things, in the first full-length sound feature film "My Homeland" (1949), which tells about the anti-Japanese struggle of the patriots under the leadership of Kim Il Sung in Manchuria.
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Post-war rise (1955-1969)
The state film studio, destroyed during the war, was rebuilt in 1956. Seven feature-length films were released this year, including the first color film "The Legend of the Sado Fortress". The next year, the first Soviet-Korean project was prepared and released - the film "Brothers" (the full name in the DPRK is "Don't Forget Pa Chu Bil!" Cor. 잊지 말라 파주 블!). In 1959, a screen version of the national Korean epic "The Tale of the Girl Chun Hyang" (about the love of a young aristocrat and a commoner) was released. Film operator 0 Un Thaku The first (revived) Moscow Film Festival awarded a silver medal. In the same year, the Pyongyang Institute of Theater and Cinema began to train national cadres. In 1961, the Union of Korean Filmmakers was organized. The most famous directors of this period are Kim Ki Young ("The Maid"), Yoo Hyun Mok ("Bullet Without a Target") and Shin Sang Ok ("Three Ninja"), as well as other filmmakers: People's Artist of the DPRK Park Hak, Om Gil Song , Honored Artists of the DPRK Kang Hong Sik, Yun Won Jun, Oh Byung Cho and others.
Juche Cinematography (1970-1993)
By the early 1970s, there were 5 film studios in Korea (fiction, popular science, children's and animated films, the February 8 film studio), at least 50 full-length films were produced annually.
Researchers of North Korean cinema distinguish six main themes of this period: films "ahead of reality", performing propaganda tasks; films about "humble heroes", about daily labor exploits; films that foster a patriotic spirit among young people; films of "class consciousness" supporting the belief in the victory of the ideas of the country's leaders; Documentary film; musical films, with uplifting songs available for mass performance.
In accordance with the Juche ideology proclaimed back in 1955 and confirmed by the 1972 constitution, all issues of internal life should be resolved from the standpoint of independence, relying on one's own strength. Cinematography, as the most important tool for influencing the consciousness of the country's citizens, is completely subordinate to the leaders of North Korea. In his younger years, Kim Jong Il personally directed all North Korean cinema on the spot, "spending days and nights on sets." In 1973, he wrote a voluminous work "On Cinematography", which regulates all the processes of filmmaking in chapters: On high-speed combat in Juche cinematography, On the correct popular image, On the plot, On socialist morality in cinema, On common ideological mistakes in the finals of films, About sound effects, About props and costume designers, About Juche music in national cinema and so on. Thus, "thanks to Comrade Kim Jong Il, an advanced film industry was created, a school of North Korean fiction and documentary films, taken as a model by many schools." For example, in the section "On the Falsity of 'Tricks' in Movies" he states: "A film actor has no right to rely on chance, relying on 'tricks' of combined shooting and editing during editing. It is necessary to perfectly master, for example, driving a car, horse riding, in order to truthfully and fully play an appropriate role, even if one has to resort to all sorts of fakes, "or the section" On decorations "prescribes:" and houses of capitalists or landlords. In addition, it is impossible to portray the apartments of all working people the same, without adjusting for the time of action and social order. "
In conditions of complete regulation of the creative process, the quantity and quality of films begins to decline. North Korean official sources estimate the volume of films released at 60-70 per year, which is in line with the estimates of the British BBC Corporation. Other sources report 1-2 films specially prepared for international festivals and 15-20 films released annually for the domestic market. The primitiveness of the technical base would not allow the production of a larger quantity. Journalist Andrei Lankov comments on the ideological content of North Korean films: “The life of prisons and camps is one of the most closed pages in any totalitarian state. This is especially true of such a super-totalitarian state, which is modern North Korea. During my stay in this country, I drew attention to the fact that Korean propaganda and official art (and other art simply does not exist there) almost never talk about either court or prisons. Films about spies and "factionalists" end up with the exposed villains being taken away somewhere. The court scene, which was so popular in Soviet cinema of Stalin's times, is a rarity, and nothing is said about prisons at all.
During this period, the films "Fourteenth Winter", "Simple Man", "New Family", "My Son", "Blooming Land", "We Met on Mount Myohyang", "Two Fisherman-Captains", "Thaw" were created. Filmmakers Kim Sang Ren, Kim Yong Ho, Cho Kyung-sung and others, People's Artists of the DPRK Yoo Won Jung, Kim Sung-Yong, Yoo Kyung E, Honored Artist of the DPRK Kwak Myung Seo and others are famous. In 1985, cinematographers of the USSR and the DPRK released a film of joint production "A second to feat" about the feat of Soviet Army Lieutenant Yakov Novichenko, who saved Kim Il Sung from a grenade thrown at him at a Pyongyang rally on March 1, 1946. Films with traditional martial arts "Hong Gil Dong" (1986, about the hero of the national medieval epic), "Order No. 027" (1986, about the Korean War of 1950-1953), released in the USSR, are extremely popular.
The kidnapping of director Shin Sang-ok
The kidnapping of director Shin Sang Oka tells a lot about the methods of working in politicized cinema in North Korea. Kim Jong Il sought to create a film industry that would allow him to shake the negative attitude of the world audience towards the DPRK Labor Party. To implement these plans, South Korean director Shin Sang Ok was chosen, who was assigned the role of a talented propagandist. In 1978 he was kidnapped in Hong Kong. The fact of an independent transition to North Korea is unlikely, since Pyongyang later recognized the facts of the capture of, for example, Japanese citizens as cultural advisers. According to The Guardian, Xing Sang Ok, immediately after being transported to Pyongyang, was jailed for 4 years "where he lived on a diet of grass, salt, rice and party indoctrination." In 1983, he was released and taken to see Kim Jong-il. The party leader explained the reason for the abduction: “The available DPRK filmmakers are doing superficial work. They don't have any new ideas. " According to the newspaper, the director agreed to work and made seven films, among which the most famous is Pulgasari (불가사리, Pulgasari) about a mythological monster who took the side of the farm laborers, a kind of “communist version of Godzilla”. This film was hailed by Kim Jong Il as a creative win. The director's family was allowed to travel to Vienna to negotiate a film distribution in Europe. In the Austrian capital, he managed to take refuge in the US embassy and receive political asylum.
Modern cinema (after 1994)
In 1994, the leader of the country, Kim Il Sung, passed away. The state was headed by his son Kim Jong Il. We cannot talk about systemic changes in the cinema, but the approach and structure of this industry have undergone a revision. According to A. Astafiev, four main factors of change can be distinguished:
The international cooperation
In 2000, at a meeting of the heads of the two Korean states, an agreement was reached on cultural exchange. The North Korean film Bulgasari, based on an ancient folk legend, was officially shown in South Korea. Pyongyang replied to Seoul after 3 years. In 2003, in the capital of the DPRK, a South Korean film, the drama Arirang, was shown for the first time, another film adaptation of the history of the Korean people during the years of Japanese colonial rule. The topic is quite ideologically correct, so the northerners received the delegation from the South with due hospitality. The theme of the unity of one people gave impetus to filming in the Republic of Korea not only political action movies from a common history, but also romantic comedies, for example, "A girl from the North, a guy from the South." The two countries not only share the classic Arirang, Chunghyang, or martial arts variations. Filmmakers in North Korea studied in the USSR before, South Korea are studying in Russia now. There are other common positions as well. North Korean politicians have always supported the resistance of their South Korean colleagues to an increase in the market for foreign films, since "this leads to a further suppression of Korean culture, depriving the Korean nation of its national identity, which is being replaced by Americanization, Japaneseization, and Westernization."
Selected filmography of the DPRK
Films mentioned in Russian-language sources (release year, Russian title, original title, directors).
| Year | Russian name | original name | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| f | My motherland | ? | ? | |
| f | Blast furnace | ? | Min Jong Sik | |
| f | Border guards | ? | ? | |
| f | Motherland | ? | ? | |
| f | Young partisans | 소년빨찌산 | Yoon Yong Kyu | |
| f | Wolves | ? | Lee Sek Ting | |
| f | Newlyweds | ? | Yoon Young Kyu | |
| f | Lovely song | ? | ? | |
| f | Road to happiness | ? | Chen Sun Yves | |
| f | At the behest of the heart | ? | Kim Nak Seb, Liang Chhen Pyeong | |
| f | The Legend of Sado Fortress | Ten Duke Che | ||
| f | The fight is not over yet | ? | Min Jong Sik | |
| f | Brothers | 잊지말라 파주블! | I. Lukinsky, Chen San Ying | |
| f | Unnamed height | ? | Yoon Ren Kyu, Choi Woo Bong | |
| f | The Legend of the Girl Sim Chen | ? | Kim Young Hee | |
| f | Is it possible to live apart | ? | ? | |
| f | Mount Paktusan is visible | ? | ? | |
| f | Her life path | ? | Chen Sang In, Lee Den Suk | |
| f | The Legend of Chun Hyang's Girl | ? | Yoon Ren Kyu | |
| 195? | f | Under the bright sun | ? | ? |
| f | Red flare | ? | Kang Hong Sik | |
| f | Invisible front | 보이지 않는 전선 | Min Den Sik | |
| f | On the railway | 철길우에서 | Kim Sung Kyo | |
| f | Sea of blood | 피바다 | Choi Ik Ki | |
| f | Flower girl | 꽃파는 처녀 | Park Hak, Choi Ik Ki | |
| f | The fate of Kim Hee and Eun Hee | 금희와 은희의 운명 | Park Hak, Om Gil Son | |
| f | Center forward | 중앙공격수 | Park Jung Sung, Kim Kil In | |
| f | A day in the park of culture and rest | 유원지의 하루 | Kim Dok Kyu | |
| f | The Legend of Chung Hyang | 춘향전 | Yoo Won Joon, Yoon Ryong Kyu | |
| f | Pulgasari | 불가사리 | Shin Sang Ok, Jung Kin Cho | |
| f | Hong Gil Dong | 홍길동 | Kim Gil In | |
| f | Order number 027 | 명령 -027 호 | Jung Gi Mo, Kim Eun Suk | |
| f | A second to feat | 영원한 전우 | Eldor Urazbayev, Om Gil Sen | |
| f | Bell flower | 도라지꽃 | Cho Kyung Soon | |
| f | Weary sun | Original title unknown | Nikita Orlov, Sun Bock Pak | |
| f | Traces of life | 생의 흔적 | Cho Kyung Soon | |
| f | Coast of salvation | 구원의 기슭 | Arya Dashiev, Ryu Ho Son | |
| f | City girl getting married | 도시처녀 시집와요 | Jung Yoon | |
| f | Part without number | 소속없는 부대 | Kang Chun Mo | |
| f | Running all the way to heaven | 달려서 하늘까지 | Lee Zhuo | |
| f | Living ghosts | 살아있는 령혼들 | Kim Choon Song | |
| f | Bloody tablet | 피묻은 략패 | Pyo kwang | |
| f | Schoolgirl diary | 한 녀학생의 일기 | Chang In Hak | |
| f | Pyongyang fighter | 평양 날파람 | Pyo Kwang and Myung Chol Min | |
| f | Enchanted mountain | ? | ? | |
| f | Military diary | 녀병사의 수기 | Jang Keel Hyun | |
| f | Song of the East Sea | 동해의 노래 | Jang Yong Bok | |
| f | Wheels of Happiness | 행복의 수레바퀴 | Jung kong cho | |
| f | Meeting in Pyongyang | 평양에서의 약속 | Kim Hyun Chul | |
| f | Comrade Kim takes flight | 김동무는 하늘을 난다 | Kim Kwang Hoon, Nicholas Bonner, Anya Delemans | |
DPRK (abbreviation for: Democratic People's Republic of Korea) is a state located in the north of the Korean Peninsula. Also known as North Korea. The capital of the country is located in the city of Pyongyang. The current president of North Korea is Kim Jong-un. But the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is known for having another presidential position - Eternal President. This title was awarded to Kim Il Sung, the first person to lead the DPRK.
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Below is the location of North Korea on a world map.
The image of the world map shows that in the north of the DPRK it borders on Russia and China. The southern neighbor of the state is the Republic of Korea (South Korea). In the West and East (seen on the map), the country is washed by the seas: Yellow and Japanese.
The population of the DPRK (Wikipedia) is 24,720,407 people. The majority of the population of North Korea are Koreans. But you can also meet Japanese and Chinese here.
The history of the state
DPRK is a young country, which appeared in the middle of the XX century. After the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japanese invaders at the end of World War II, the territory of the peninsula was divided into two parts: the zone of influence of the USSR (in the north) and the zone of influence of the United States (in the south). But the Koreans wanted independence.
On August 15, 1948, a new state was created in the US zone of influence. In response, the inhabitants of the northern part of the peninsula also proclaimed themselves an independent country, and Kim Il Sung became its head. The ruling positions in North Korea were taken by the Workers' Party of Korea.
But the head of the DPRK wanted the Korean Peninsula to become a single state, so in 1949, Kim Il Sung turned to the Chinese and Soviet governments for help. He hoped that neighboring states would help him organize a military campaign against South Korea (by that time, American troops had almost completely left the country). For a long time, the Soviet authorities did not dare to take this step, but in May 1950, Stalin nevertheless agreed to help the DPRK. It is important to note that the USSR only helped Kim Il Sung in developing military strategy and training Korean soldiers. The Soviet Union refused to participate in hostilities.
June 25, 1950 North Korea attacked South Korea and the Korean War began. Initially, the North Korean army was successful: they quickly captured Seoul and advanced inland. But this triumph did not last long. Soon, UN forces intervened in the conflict, so in October of the same year, the southerners not only regained Seoul, but also captured Pyongyang.
In this difficult situation, the Chinese military came to the aid of Kim Il Sung. In January 1951, they helped the DPRK return Pyongyang and seized Seoul again. But the Americans did not leave the southerners in trouble, and again came to their aid. Already in March 1951, Seoul was conquered. The DPRK troops were thrown back to where the demilitarized zone is now. In 1953, the border of the two states of the Korean Peninsula was located along the front line.
Relations of the DPRK with other countries
It's no secret that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is one of the most closed states in the world... But to say that this country lives in complete isolation is wrong. The DPRK is a member of the UN, maintains diplomatic ties with other world powers (there are 161 such countries in total).
But the DPRK has not developed warm relations with all states. Tensions remain between the northern and southern parts of the Korean Peninsula as both countries seek to dominate the area. From time to time, diplomatic conflicts arise between these countries. The DPRK has rather complicated relations with countries such as Japan and the United States.
Friendly can be called relations between the DPRK and Russia... The powers have concluded a number of agreements on cooperation in the cultural, economic and technical fields. Since 2014, payments between countries have been carried out in rubles. But it should be noted that recently the trade turnover between the Russian Federation and the DPRK has noticeably decreased.
Police and health care
North Korea can rightfully be called one of the safest countries. The crime rate is extremely low here. Perhaps this is due to the fact that for any violation of the law, punishment will befall not only the criminal himself, but also three more generations of his family. Law enforcement officials are everywhere and keep order in the country. The DPRK also has the Korean People's Army.
With regard to health care, then, according to Wikipedia, the situation is worse than with the protection of order. For example, the country's hospitals are sorely lacking in personnel. As for the doctors who work there, their qualifications are low. The condition of the medical equipment is also poor. Hospitals are experiencing interruptions in water and electricity supplies.
Communication and media
The telephone communication system in the DPRK is extremely poorly developed. As a rule, telephones are available only in government offices and post offices. Mobile communication in the country is widespread only among civil servants, businessmen and foreigners. For the rest of the population, mobile phones are still a luxury item.
Internet access in North Korea also limited. Currently, only employees of government agencies and foreign enterprises can connect to the World Wide Web. It should be noted that the DPRK has its own national domain. .kp.
The Gwangmyeong internal network flourishes throughout the country. You can get scientific and technical information in it. Also on the Gwangmyon network, propaganda for Juche (the political ideology of the DPRK) is carried out. This network is also available to the ordinary population of the country, but all activity in it is controlled by representatives of the authorities.
Broadcasting in North Korea the Korean Central Broadcasting Station is in charge. However, the population of the country is only allowed to listen to radio from the DPRK. Listening to foreign radio broadcasts is punishable by imprisonment.
As for television, there are three television programs in the country. One of them is dedicated to cultural topics. Residents of the DPRK can only use registered receivers. Frequency settings are also controlled by the authorities.
Tourism
Tourism in North Korea developed rather poorly, but this does not mean that there are no tourists in the DPRK at all. As a rule, people come here to enjoy nature and the so-called “neo-Stalinist” atmosphere. It is worth noting that since 2009, the number of foreign tourists has dramatically increased in the country.
Beach resorts were built on the coast of the Sea of Japan especially for guests from other countries. Mountain resorts are located in the Kumgangsan and Myohyangsan mountains. There are many tourist routes on the territory of the state. Walking along them, you can enjoy the North Korean nature in all its glory.
It is worth noting that all the most interesting events take place in the capital of the DPRK. The cultural life of the country is also concentrated there. Pyongyang is home to many theaters, museums, concert halls and recreation parks. As for the nightclubs, they are extremely rare here.
However, tourists who decide to travel to North Korea, must remember a number of rules:
Moreover, foreign nationals who are in North Korea, it is worth watching your speech... It is best not to start talking about a political topic. It is not recommended to speak in a negative way about the DPRK, its authorities or residents. Tourists should also not try to make friends with the locals.
These and many other restrictions scare off most tourists. However, the North Korean government is actively working to make the conditions of stay for foreign guests more comfortable.
As a rule, a visa to North Korea is issued only to officially organized groups. The best way to get it is to seek help from a tour operator officially recognized by the Korean Foreign Ministry. To apply for a visa, you will need provide the following documents:
Pay attention to the validity period of the passport. It must be at least 6 months old.
A visa can be issued not only through a tour operator, but also through the DPRK consular department. However, this method will take you much more time, and the visa procedure itself will be more complicated. You can find the DPRK embassy at the address: Moscow, st. Mosfilmovskaya, 72.
North Korea is heaven on Earth, according to its leaders, and sheer hell, according to the citizens of this country, who miraculously managed to leave it. The interest of the world community in this country was fueled by the scandalous film "Interview", the plot of which was based on a fictional story about an attempt on the life of the DPRK leader Kim Jong-un. We have collected facts in our review, on the basis of which it becomes clear what is happening behind the "North Korean Iron Curtain."
Labor concentration camps
In North Korea, there are currently about 16 huge labor camps, which can be compared with the gulags. They are usually located in mountainous areas. It is estimated that around 200,000 prisoners are being held behind the barbed wire of these camps, through which, moreover, electric current is passed. Defectors, traitors and ex-politicians who did not come to the court of the DPRK government end up in the North Korean gulags.
Punishment by inheritance
North Korean laws provide for punishment for "three generations": if someone commits a crime, then not only he will pay off, but also his children and grandchildren. All of them will be punished accordingly. This usually results in people spending their entire lives in camps.
One of the worst crimes that a North Korean citizen can commit is trying to leave the country. Disagreement with the government is considered treason. And a person who decided to ask how people live in other countries signs a death warrant for himself.
Insurance fraud
The North Korean economy is in decline. The country practically does not interact with foreign markets, so there is no export as such. Currently, the population of North Korea is about 25 million people, and the average GDP per capita is about $ 500 (for comparison, in the Russian Federation in 2013 it was about $ 15,000). The country is struggling to feed its citizens and in this endeavor even goes to economic crimes.
So, in 2009, the DPRK government was accused of global insurance fraud. The North Korean government obtained huge insurance policies for property and equipment, and then claimed that this property was destroyed. In 2005, several of the world's largest insurance companies, including Lloyd's in London, filed a lawsuit against North Korea over an alleged helicopter crash and paid $ 58 million under the insurance policy.
Arms trade
In addition to insurance fraud, the United Nations has also accused North Korea of illegally selling weapons and nuclear technology to countries in Africa and the Middle East. So, in 2012, the UN detained a North Korean cargo bound for Syria - 450 cylinders of graphite intended for use in ballistic missiles. In 2009, supplies to Iran and the Republic of the Congo were intercepted: one contained 35 tons of missile components, and the other contained Soviet-era tanks.
The UN imposed sanctions, banning North Korea from supplying or selling missile technology, but the DPRK government said the sanctions were illegal and the country could do whatever it wanted. It is known that the bulk of the money goes to Kim Jong-un's wallet, but not for food for his people.
Electricity shortage
The capital of North Korea, Pyongyang, is a kind of utopia for the elite. The city's borders are patrolled by armed guards to keep the lower classes of the population out of the city. Most Pyongyang residents live in luxury (at least in the country's terms). However, even for three million upper class citizens, electricity is only switched on for an hour or two a day. Sometimes, especially in winter, electricity is completely cut off as millions of people struggle with the cold. Most of the houses outside Pyongyang are not even connected to the electricity grid. This is clearly visible in night photographs from space: China and South Korea are flooded with lights, while North Korea is a solid dark spot.
Three-caste system
In 1957, as Kim Il Sung struggled to maintain control of North Korea, he launched a global investigation into the country's "trustworthiness". The end result of this investigation was a completely altered social system, dividing the country's citizens into three classes: "enemies", "wavering" and "base."
This division was not based on the person's personality, but on his family history. Families loyal to the government were included in the "mainstay" class and were given better opportunities for life. They are now, as a rule, politicians and people closely associated with the government.
People in the middle class are "hesitant" or neutral. The government does not support them in any way, but it does not oppress them either. With a happy coincidence, they can become the "base".
The class "enemies" included those people, among whose ancestors were noticed in such terrible crimes against the state as Christianity and land ownership. According to Kim Il Sung, it is they who pose the main threat to the country. These people are deprived of the opportunity to receive education, they cannot even live next to Pyongyang and, as a rule, they are beggars.
Fertilizers from human feces
North Korea is a mountainous country with cold winters and short, monsoon summers. About 80% of the country's territory is located on the slopes of the mountains, so most of the land is infertile. North Korea has always relied on foreign aid to obtain fertilizers. Until the early 1990s, the DPRK helped the USSR with fertilizers, and until 2008, 500,000 tons of fertilizers per year came from South Korea. When imported fertilizers were gone, North Korean farmers were forced to turn to a new source - human waste. Even a state program has been adopted, within the framework of which enterprises have been given a quota for the delivery of feces - about 2,000 tons per year. Today there are even shops selling human feces as fertilizer.
South Korean citizenship
Many North Korean citizens flee to neighboring countries. It is China's official policy to deport them back across the border. In their homeland, such refugees are either exterminated or sent to forced labor camps for many decades.
Unlike China, South Korea has a policy of near-absolute pardon: all North Korean defectors (who are not criminals) are immediately granted citizenship, vocational training, and psychological counseling for those in need. Refugees are offered an allowance of $ 800 a month, and employers who hire them can expect a bonus of $ 1,800.
All North Koreans need is to provide documents proving citizenship. But even in their absence, the authorities, as a rule, turn a blind eye to this. After all, refugees from the camps do not have any documents in principle.
More than 24,500 North Korean defectors have been registered in South Korea since 1953. Since 2002, South Korea has hosted an average of 1,000 refugees annually. The Chinese government estimates that up to 200,000 North Koreans are illegally hiding in the mountains and countryside of the Middle Kingdom. Many people who flee North Korea to China die during the long journeys.
Cannibalism
Between 1994 and 1998, North Korea experienced extensive flooding and much of its agricultural land fell into disrepair. The growing debt to the USSR excluded food imports. As a result, entire cities began to die out. During this time, about 3.5 million people died of hunger - more than 10% of the country's population. Any food supplies were confiscated by the military in accordance with the Songun (Army First) policy. North Koreans began to eat their pets, then crickets and tree bark, and finally children.
It was at that time that the saying became popular: "Do not buy meat if you do not know where it comes from." According to the stories of defectors, in those years people were looking for street children at train stations, put them to sleep and butchered them at home. There is at least one official account of a man who practiced cannibalism.
Prisons and torture
Very few people fled the DPRK forced labor camps, survived and were able to talk about what was happening there. Shin Dong-hyek is a man who escaped from the dreaded "Camp 14", which is considered the most brutal labor camp in the country, as it contains the worst political criminals. His story is told in the book "Escape from Camp 14".
Shin was born in the camp because his uncle deserted from the army and fled to South Korea. When he was 14 years old, he tried to escape with his mother and brother. They were caught and taken to an underground prison, where they were brutally tortured. According to Shin Dong-Hyuk, he was hung from the ceiling by his legs to obtain evidence against his mother. When that didn't work, he was hung by his arms and legs down his back and slowly lowered over a vat filled with hot coals until the skin on his back was completely burnt. Between interrogations, he was thrown into a tiny concrete punishment cell. Hundreds of people have been tortured in North Korean prisons.
And further…
In December 2011, after the end of mourning for Kim Jong Il, comradely trials began in the country over people who cried badly. As the government media of the DPRK reported, the courts were conducted by labor collectives, and the guilty ones faced up to six months of labor camps.
To slightly dispel the gloomy picture, let us recall those that the whole world considered to be true.
