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Isolated from the rest of the world, North Korea is seldom seen by outside eyes. The snippets shared by media outlets are often political and do not display North Korean culture or society. As a result, not many know what life in North Korea is truly like.
Though it is widely known that there are ongoing humanitarian crises in North Korea, not many are aware of just how stark reality is for North Koreans. Harsh weather is a constant reality and food is often extremely hard to come by, leading to death for some and desperation for others:
“[In the morning] a police officer [came to the] train station, and then they called us. Hey, boys, come over here. You guys have to move these (frozen) dead bodies to a certain point. And then if we move that dead bodies to certain point, we usually got corn bread from police officers.” - Sungju Lee, North Korean defector
Even something as seemingly benign as school is a nightmare for North Koreans:
“One day, the principal gathers students - announcing we were going to a public execution site to watch a public execution… He [a thief] was captured by police officer. He got nine bullets. There were three police officers. Each one shot three bullets.”
School is also a breeding ground for propaganda. Children are taught from a young age that Americans are inherently evil. Stomping on an American doll was reported to be a favorite schoolyard activity.
Trapped in such a harsh and oppressive environment, many North Koreans consider defection. Few actually follow through, however, as the number of defections has fallen since 2000 due to increased border security and higher costs. Additionally, there may be risk for the defectors’ families. In 2015, two 20-year-olds were reportedly subjected to labor in a machinery plant as punishment for their parents’ defection.
Even if they are able to escape, defectors face many challenges outside of North Korea. Over 50% of defectors are afflicted with mental disorders including PTSD, which in turn cause them difficulty adjusting to their new environments. Defectors also report loneliness after having moved away from friends and family. Depending on which country they decide to settle in, defectors even run the risk of deportation back to North Korea, where they would face harsh punishment or even death.
As far-fetched as these problems may sound, this is the daily reality for many North Koreans. Trapped in a poverty-stricken, propaganda-filled country with little hope for escape, many North Koreans live in a nightmare.
Ethan Z
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