Life Inside North Korea 1

[별고을]

Life Inside North Korea

Life Inside North Korea

Splash Travels

Story by Allison Robertson

• 22h 2024-11-02

Life Inside North Korea

North Korea is the world’s most secretive state, so it can be tough to get a clear picture of the daily lives of its 26 million citizens. The strict North Korean regime has stripped the people of their power. Nobody gets in, and nobody gets out.

From concentration camps to mass surveillance, every aspect of life in North Korea is monitored and unfavorable behavior is met with brutal punishment. Life in this authoritarian state is no picnic, and those who live there typically would prefer not to.

Here’s everything we know about life in North Korea.

What Is The Landscape Like?©Mieszko9, Shutterstock

North Korea is officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), a country in East Asia.

It’s a beautiful place, actually, with about 80% of its land area covered in snow-capped mountains and lush highlands. There’s stunning waterfalls, rocky terrain, and large serene lakes.

But its unmatched beauty still doesn’t make up for the horror within its borders.

What Kind Of Government Does North Korea Have?©Alexander Khitrov, Shutterstock

North Korea functions as a one-party totalitarian dictatorship—meaning there is only one political party that controls everything. However, there are actually two other minor political parties, but they’re forced to stand down. They exist only to make it look like it’s a fair process.

The ruling party is known as The Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), a communist party led by a member of the Kim family.

Who Are The Kim Family?©Alexander Khitrov, Shutterstock

The Kim family, known in Korea as the Mount Paektu bloodline, is a three-generation lineage of North Korean leaders.

It started with the country’s founder and first leader, Kim II-Sung. He then passed his role on to his son, Kim Jong II, and then to his grandson, Kim Jong Un—who is the current leader.

How Do They Stay In Control?©Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons

Since other political parties are not actually allowed to overtake the WPK, the Kim family is likely to continue ruling for generations to come.

Because of this, the nation is governed under something called Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism.

What Is Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism?©kremlin.ru, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism is a proposed way of life that was made up by the former leaders, Kim II Sung and Kim Jong II.

According to its constitution, North Korea is a self-described revolutionary and socialist state “guided in its building and activities only by great Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism".

The ideas that make up Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism come from the ideology Juche.

What Is Juche?©Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Juche, in North Korea, is a “man-centered ideology” in which “man is the master of everything and decides everything". It’s another thing that Kim II Sung made up.

But for the Kim family, “man” means “leader,” so basically, everything gets decided by the leader—and they uphold this using the Ten Principles.

The Ten Principles©Truba7113, Shutterstock

The Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System (also known as the "Ten Principles of the One-Ideology System") is the system that tells North Korean citizens how to behave.

To be specific, these principles dictate “absolute loyalty and obedience” to their leader—and they’re just as brutal as you might imagine.

The Ten Principles©christiantimeless, Shutterstock

In practice, the principles serve as the supreme law of the country—and they have to be memorized by every citizen. This is so the government can ensure the “absolute loyalty” part.

There is literally no excuse for bad behavior as these principles are memorized and regularly practiced on a daily basis, since birth.

But that’s not all.

Self-Criticism Sessions©Jasmine Leung, Shutterstock

The North Korean people must exercise the Ten Principles through daily self-criticism sessions where they confess the things they did wrong. This is done in a public group setting where others will then criticize them in return.

They start by referencing an instruction from the Ten Principles, and then go on to explain how they had not lived up to it.

This starts at age eight and continues for the rest of their lives.

What Are The Ten Principles?©Chintung Lee, Shutterstock

The principles include things about being “endlessly loyal” to the leaders, adhering to “unconditional obedience”, political awareness, work performance, and military involvement.

Regularly practicing these principles is essential in forming the foundation of the North Korean cult of personality.

The Cult Of Personality©Jasmine Leung, Shutterstock

According to Kyn-Min, a former movie director from North Korea who has since escaped, “In North Korea, one should not try to act based on what they think but instead, one should act how a person is supposed to act. For instance, when talking about America, one should always be mad".

This is a prime example of the cult of personality in North Korea.

What Is The Cult Of Personality?©Oleg Znamenskiy, Shutterstock

A cult of personality uses various techniques (usually propaganda) to create a heroic image of a leader and encourage worshipful behavior. Advertisements in North Korea will always and only paint a pretty picture of the state and a horrific view of the outside world—and no one is allowed to believe otherwise.

What Happens If People Don’t Follow The Regime?©terimma, Shutterstock

North Korean citizens are not allowed to criticize the government, be skeptical of the laws, or protest in any way. If they dare to even speak against the leadership, it is seen as a political crime for which one’s entire family can be punished.

And the punishments for political crimes are severe.

How Are Citizens Punished?©Saeschie Wagner, Shutterstock

While North Korea prefers the term “labor training facilities,” there are many concentration camps located in the country. They had become a regular “form of punishment” in 2004, and more were built in 2007 when additional crimes were added to the list.

These camps act as the North Korean prison system. Anytime a person is deemed as disloyal to the leader, they get forcibly sent to camp—and as we now know, loyalty is a big deal.

Political Prisoners©Pvince73, Shutterstock

About six of these camps are for political prisoners—anyone who goes against the government in any way. This can include something as simple as a child asking, “but why?” in relation to the Ten Principles. It can also include owning a bible.

Anything that goes against the government’s beliefs will land you in a political prison camp—and it’s quite possibly the worst thing that could happen.

Political Prison Camps©Pvince73, Shutterstock

Most people who end up in the political camps are not given any sort of trial. They are immediately deemed as “politically unreliable” and not deserving of an explanation.

Prisoners are beaten, starved, and forced to perform dangerous slave labor. The guards are trained to see the inmates as “subhuman,” and dish out brutal punishments for working too slowly, speaking, or showing weakness.

The worst part though, is that you don’t even have to be the wrongdoer to end up in one of these camps.

Who Else Gets Imprisoned?©Attila JANDI, Shutterstock

In North Korea, many people are imprisoned simply for associating with someone who has done wrong in the eyes of the leaders. In fact, there is a specific camp, known as “No. 18,” for those who are “guilty by association".

This is where the family and close friends of the wrongdoers go—and they take more people than you’d think.

How Many Family Members Get Taken Away?©Attila JANDI, Shutterstock

When someone speaks ill of the leader, their entire family pays the price. Three-generations, to be exact. Not only will brothers and sisters be taken, so will mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

They wipe out the whole family—and no one is exempt.

What About Children?©Attila JANDI, Shutterstock

When we say the whole family pays the price, we mean it. This includes pregnant women and children. Tragically, some children are born and raised in these prison camps because their parents are imprisoned for crimes that their grandparents committed.

Believe it or not, No. 18 is not even the worst camp.