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Daily Life of a North Korean

The Infographics Show・25 minutes read

Life in North Korea is a facade of normalcy hiding grim poverty, with propaganda indoctrinating children and promoting loyalty to the regime. Workers face harsh conditions, citizens live in fear of surveillance and informant rewards, and the ruling elite enjoy extreme wealth while the average person struggles to make ends meet.

Insights

  • Life in North Korea is characterized by a stark contrast between the facade of normalcy and the grim reality of poverty, propaganda, surveillance, and fear, with severe consequences for dissent and access to foreign information.
  • The ruling elite in North Korea, including Kim Jung-il, live in extreme luxury, showcasing a vast wealth disparity that exists within the country, while the majority of the population faces economic hardship, limited access to food, and resort to the black market for basic necessities.

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Recent questions

  • What is the education system like in North Korea?

    The education system in North Korea indoctrinates children with propaganda, emphasizing loyalty to the regime and idolization of the supreme leader.

  • How prevalent is surveillance in North Korea?

    Surveillance is pervasive in North Korea, with the State Security Department monitoring citizens and instilling an atmosphere of intense fear.

  • What are the common punishments for offenses in North Korea?

    Harsh punishments, including public executions, are common for minor offenses such as possessing foreign entertainment or criticizing the government.

  • How do North Koreans access foreign media?

    Despite government control, some North Koreans manage to access foreign media and entertainment, challenging the regime's information control.

  • What is the lifestyle like for North Korea's elites?

    North Korea's elites enjoy a luxurious lifestyle with state-sponsored harems known as "pleasure squads," owning luxury goods like cigars, perfume, and luxury cars.

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Summary

00:00

Life under North Korea's oppressive regime

  • In 2017, 24-year-old Koo Jeong-hwa fled North Korea to China with her son, leading to her arrest and fears of torture and death.
  • Life in North Korea appears normal on the surface, with children attending school and people engaging in leisure activities, but beneath this facade lies a grim reality of poverty and propaganda.
  • North Korea's education system indoctrinates children with propaganda from a young age, emphasizing loyalty to the regime and idolization of the supreme leader.
  • The country operates on a status system called "songbun," where social credit is earned through acts that align with the regime's ideals.
  • Surveillance and fear are pervasive in North Korea, with the State Security Department monitoring citizens and instilling an atmosphere of intense fear.
  • Harsh punishments, including public executions, are common for minor offenses such as possessing foreign entertainment or criticizing the government.
  • Snitching on others for illegal activities is incentivized in North Korea, with rewards offered for reporting dissenters.
  • The regime controls information and education, promoting the Juche ideology and suppressing dissent or critical thinking.
  • North Korean students are taught a distorted version of history and science, with propaganda permeating all aspects of their education.
  • Despite the oppressive regime, some North Koreans manage to access foreign media and entertainment, challenging the government's control over information.

11:32

Life in North Korea: Harsh Realities Revealed

  • In North Korea, knowledge is considered dangerous, with a Ph.D. colleague arrested for sharing information, leading to his family's imprisonment.
  • The average workweek in North Korea is six days, with labor laws stipulating an eight-hour workday, national holidays, and rest time.
  • Daily meals for North Koreans typically consist of rice, soup, side dishes, with seafood for coastal residents and more meat for the wealthy.
  • North Koreans often resort to the black market for better food due to insufficient government rations.
  • Smoking and heavy drinking are prevalent in North Korea, with cheap cigarettes and hard liquor being popular choices.
  • Alcoholism is rampant in North Korea due to stress, with homemade alcohol being common despite being illegal.
  • North Korean entertainment, like a comedy show, is often propaganda-driven and repetitive, lacking genuine humor.
  • Crime in North Korea leads to severe punishments, with labor camps housing prisoners who face malnutrition and harsh conditions.
  • Life in North Korean labor camps is brutal, with reports of cannibalism, starvation, and extreme punishments for minor infractions.
  • Mental health issues are prevalent in North Korea, with limited psychiatric treatment and extreme measures like coma-inducing insulin for severe cases.

22:01

North Korea's Elite Lifestyle and Retirement Struggles

  • North Korea's elites enjoy a luxurious lifestyle with state-sponsored harems known as "pleasure squads" or "Kippumjo," exclusive to top officials who own luxury goods like cigars, perfume, Rolls Royce, and Mercedes-Benzes.
  • Kim Jung-il, worth $5 billion, possesses over 100 luxury cars, a private jet, and a luxury yacht, showcasing the extreme wealth of the ruling class in North Korea.
  • The retirement age in North Korea is 60 for men and 55 for women, with retirees receiving 30% of their last salary and 300 grams of food, leading many to engage in illegal activities to supplement their income.
  • Despite a lack of social security stability, elderly individuals in North Korea often work in various informal jobs like teaching private classes, mending shoes, or providing cheap services like refilling cigarette lighters, with bribery being a common practice among those in power.
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