An American journalist decided to take a trip to North Korea, the very controversial place you’ve probably seen in the news a lot in recent times. Here’s some things he discovered whilst there…<\/b><\/p>\n
1) The leaders are a really really really really REALLY big deal there.<\/p>\n
To be honest, this isn’t a strong enough statement. They’re absolutely everything over there. The citizens of North Korea basically worship them religiously (whether this is because they want to or because they have to is a controversial topic), and if the leaders, past and present, are shown disrespect, you can be punished very severely.<\/p>\n
2) People tell lies A LOT.<\/p>\n
This is also an understatement. The government don’t allow western movies and internet access because they don’t want the Korean citizens to have a “unfair critical view” towards the western countries, and they want to protect the west’s reputation.<\/p>\n
“We met a soldier at one point we were told was a colonel, and after he left, a retired army major on my tour told me that he had studied North Korean army uniforms and that the soldier was in fact a captain.<\/p>\n
Facts are not a key part of the equation in North Korea.<\/p>\n
And it can really mess with your mind as a visitor. I\u2019d find myself in these perplexing situations trying to figure out if a lie-spouting North Korean was in on it or not. Was she thinking, \u201cI know this is false, you know this is false, but I live here so I gotta play the game\u201d? Or was she fully brainwashed and thought she was telling me the truth? It was impossible to tell. During interactions, I\u2019d find myself thinking, \u201cAre you an actor in The Truman Show and you think I\u2019m Truman? Or are you Truman and I\u2019m one of the actors?\u201d Are those kids on the street just pretending to be playing for my benefit? Is any of this real? Am I real?”<\/p>\n
3) Apparently these tears are real?<\/p>\n