About

Life in North Korea. You were born into an ordinary family, but life is far from sufficient. In North Korea, food is so scarce that people pick up and eat anything they can find. Many dig up grass roots or scavenge anything chewable from the roadside. Medicine is non-existent, and medical equipment is severely lacking. Since pharmaceuticals sold at hospitals are prohibitively expensive, sick residents buy medicine on the black market. Electricity is a precious luxury. Every North Korean man must serve in the military for at least 10 years, during which time they receive almost no leave. People are educated to view the United States and South Korea as their primary enemies. From childhood, residents are taught to idolize the Kim dynasty and to risk their lives for the state; the entire educational curriculum exists for this purpose. Residents must visit monuments of Kim Jong-un several times a month. They must display framed portraits of Kim Jong-un in their homes and wipe them clean every day. In most cases, because they lack the money or social status to attend university after high school, residents are mobilized to collective farms, factories, or construction sites. They are denied the right to choose their profession and are forced to work 12 to 14 hours a day. They receive almost no wages or food rations in exchange for their labor. Defection is extremely dangerous. However, due to endless human rights violations, starvation, forced labor, and threats to the lives of themselves and their families, thousands of North Koreans attempt to defect every year. Defection is considered successful if one crosses through China and reaches South Korea. However, China does not accept defectors; entering without permission leads to forced repatriation. If repatriated, one faces either the death penalty or months to years of hard labor in brutal camps. In the case of execution, relatives are forced to sit in the front row to witness the public execution.