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Sojourn Country Report: North Korea by Amy Ferris

North Korea is a place that is very far away-not only physically, but culturally too. Sojourning to this far away land is sure to titillate any traveler yearning for something different, maybe even a little absurd. I say this because North Korea is a place that remains functionally influenced by the old Soviet era, with many parts of the capital city Pyongyang resembling Communist-era cities in Russia. Even more odd, is that this appearance goes along with a traditional Korean culture that unlike South Korea, hasn’t changed much in almost a century. As a matter of fact, there used to be huge portraits of Lenin and Marx hanging on the brutalist style buildings in Pyongyang. Now though, the pictures of those leaders are gone, leaving only the current leader (Kim Jong Un) to stake any claim in leading the country. Unfortunately, North Korea is a country infamous for its lack of human rights and closed borders, being nicknamed “The Hermit Kingdom”. Let’s take a closer look at some of the features of North Korea.

The normal starting point for any tourist or sojourner travelling to North Korea is Pyongyang. This is North Korea’s showcase capital, and it is the largest and most developed city in the country. Pyongyang is a place where the most elite of North Koreans live, who in this country are usually the top scientists and government workers. These elite people usually hail from a long line of family members who have served the “leaders” faithfully or made great contributions to the betterment of the country. While you’re out on your closely-monitored tours around Pyongyang, keep in mind that the city and the people that you see there are not typical North Koreans. Many people in this country are very poor, and outside of Pyongyang the streets are poorly maintained, and most people live in more traditional style Korean flats. While in Pyongyang, you may notice the sporadic blackouts. This happens because the city relies on coal for power, and their economy isn’t strong, so they don’t have enough resources to keep it reliable. When the power goes out, relax and notice that the North Koreans around you just keep working like nothing happened. They’re used to it, and they are probably not allowed to mention it, as this makes the country- well, the “leader” look bad. I don’t advise making a big deal out of issues like this. I actually don’t advise making a big deal out of anything you see there at all. Anyone visiting North Korea should really just keep their opinions to themselves and mind their proverbial “P’s and Q’s”

So, onward now to North Korea’s language and culture. This country, like other Eastern Asian countries is homogeneous. This means that the overwhelming majority of people in North Korea are ethnically Korean. They all speak Hangul, which is what the Korean Language is called. Interestingly, even though the North and South Koreas have been separated for quite some time, the language is relatively the same. Time does change things slowly though, and North Korea has been left behind in time. Their mannerisms and dialects are archaic compared to South Korean Hangul. Imagine if a time-travelling American businessman from the 1940’s appeared and started banging on about how swell things were here. I think that’s how outdated the North Koreans sound to other non-North Korean Hangul speakers. Since Hangul is a language that functions much like Japanese, it is a context-based language.

Basic customs and culture in North Korea are traditional in a lot of ways. Women in North Korea are not typically considered leaders, and they’re not equal to men. The women are closer to women from the American 1940’s or 50’s, as they are encouraged to be teachers or housewives. Women outside the city also do other jobs suitable for females such as farming and cleaning public spaces. There are women in higher positions such as scientists and Professors though, and jobs like this are not banned for them. Men in North Korea are mostly relegated to “manly” jobs like construction and sculpting, farming too of course. Gender doesn’t matter at all in one field though- the military. North Korea has a huge military and most citizens are required to complete long enlistments. In America, the normal enlistment contract for all services is usually four years for people who want to join, but in North Korea that enlistment requirement can be ten years long.

North Koreans aren’t religious, as the “leader” forbids the worshiping of anyone but him or his family. The closest thing to a religion is the concept of “Juche”, or “self -reliance” in North Korea. This is the propaganda that the first president Kim Il Sung came up with to convince the people to accept being trapped in this country, and to believe that the whole world is against them. Anyway, I am sure that there are North Korean people who believe in different things of course, but they are not allowed to show it, and they can only talk about it with people they trust.

Entertainment in North Korea has become its own phenomenon. Hearkening back to the old Soviet State in places like Russia and Ukraine, there is only one state-run news station on TV, featuring “The Pink Lady”. She is a news reporter who can be found loudly proclaiming the soon-to-be defeat of all opposition to North Korea while images of ballistic rockets launch behind her on the green screen. Radio is just the same, often only playing patriotic war songs and the required minute-to-minute praising of the “leader”. Unfortunately, many people around the world are unaware of the artistic abilities of the North Korean people in both performance, art and film. I suggest trying to attend the Arirang festival which is held in the biggest stadium in the world in Pyongyang. Also, there is a home-done film festival tradition now in North Korea as well, as the animation techniques and filmography in North Korea is actually pretty good.

Lastly, but surely not least- a quick word about food. North Korean is a country riddled with poverty and famine. They struggle to grow enough food for themselves, but they are very generous when it comes to foreign visitors. This is due to a generally East Asian cultural obligation to take care of their guests well, and also to show (pretend) that they have more than enough food to go around. Almost everything that happens here has a political charge to it, food being no exception. Regardless, the most typical kinds of food eaten in North Korea is rice, pickled vegetables and hot peppers like what is in kimchi, various soups and kimbap rolls. There is a chance for receiving some mystery meat as well, as animals such as dog and horse is not a taboo food to eat in North Korea. Try your best to be polite and don’t waste food in front of people who may not have eaten much that day.

All photos credited below by order shown:

1: REUBENTEO PHOTOGRAPHY

2. REUBENTEO PHOTOGRAPHY

3. AFP/GETTY IMAGES

4. ERIC LAFFORGUE

5. KOREANCLASS101.COM

6. REUTERS

7. AP PHOTO/WONG MAYE-E

8. JENS PATTKE

9. POSTED BY BANKAILCHIGO12345 ON YOUTUBE

https://youtu.be/dEco-k7ra5g

10. Ph

11. STEPHAN

12. avant-garde.com

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A Little about Music: North and South Korea Compared

Here’s another song by North Korea’s new pop band called Moranbong Band. This band is revolutionary because their influence comes from the ever-popular K-Pop genre in South Korea (but the audience are not supposed to know about that). You can see that the band is set up with multiple singers and performers like the modern day K-Pop band, even though their new music still sounds dated. Another huge point here is that the singers are all wearing very short skirts, showing a lot of leg. This is pretty racey for North Korean culture. Even the title of the song, “Let’s Study” is aimed to focus the song on the idea of Juche, or self-reliance culture. By studying, you can become stronger as a person and support the country by yourself is the message here.

“Let’s Study” by North Korean Moranbong Band. Video published by Rumoahepta7

https://youtu.be/ycdDHP7QfWo  

*Pay attention to how the crowd cheers at the end* :)

Above photo by ChinaFotoPress

Here’s a link to the article about the Moranbong Band. http://fortune.com/2015/12/11/north-korea-girl-band/

Interestingly, they travel in the North Korean Army uniforms.

The thing about this new North Korean Moranbong Band is- it’s not pop at all. North Korea is stuck in the land of “Trot”, an old style music from both North and South Korea. I personally like Trot music, as it’s got cute rhythms and well… it sounds old. In South Korea, Trot is still popular with older folks and with people who like nostalgic music.

Here’s an example of South Korean Trot music. You can see how close it it to the Moranbong Band’s music, and how modern K-Pop in South Korea could have evolved from this.

https://youtu.be/gSv1AY5H_qQ

Compare the image of the traveling Moranbong Band to this one of “Girls Generation”, a South Korean K-Pop band:

Photo taken from CollegeFashion.net

Here’s a video of a Girls Generation music video also for comparison in musical style. This is K-Pop, the newest and most popular style of music in South Korea. This is what the North Korean government media tells people what the Moranbong Band is.

https://youtu.be/fhseD2tRLUY

Hopefully soon the North Korean people can be free and watch and listen to anything they want in the open.

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Travel Risks

(Image from ClasseTouriste.be)

Otto Warmbier: How did North Korea holiday end in jail, and a coma?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40308028

What parasitic worms in defector reveal about conditions in North Korea

https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/22/health/north-korea-defector-parasites-health/index.html

North Korea - 8 Things to Know Before You Go

https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-safety/eastern-asia/north-korea/north-korea-travel-tips

I have always loved travelling my whole life, and I have always been compelled not to buy souvenirs, but to find them. I never steal anything, but I usually only take things like rocks, pinecones, leaves… things of that nature from my destinations (except for seeds that can grow). Being someone who likes to collect items from abroad, an event that involved an American student on vacation in North Korea shook me. One night during his stay in the Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang, Otto took down a propaganda poster in one of the hallways for a souvenir. The thing is, by doing this, he committed a crime against the state. Needless to say, this is one thing I would have to keep in mind and be resolute on not taking any unauthorized souvenirs.

Photo by Danny Gratton (on right) Otto Warmbier (pictured left) 

Violence/assault doesn’t seem like it would be a particular risk while in North Korea. I think that if I were to stay in my group, listen to the tour guides, and be diligent about not breaking rules, I would be safe from attack. In North Korea, foreigners rarely get to interact too much with locals and they are virtually never alone anywhere but their hotel rooms. There is no travelling on foot at night, so being attacked in the cities isn’t very possible.

Next, the issue of parasites and foodborne illness concerns me in North Korea, because of an article about the soldier who escaped being full of worms. This soldier also had Hepatitis B infection, but that is not related to food. Anyway, his parasites concern me because I am known to try all the exotic and potentially “gross” foods that I can. I am also very wary of turning down food from my hosts, as not to offend them. For me, I would have to be very vigilant about choosing what I try wisely, and not let curiosity rule me on this trip. In this article, it is reported that the possibility that half the population of North Korea has transmittable parasites like worms, so any instance of unsanitary food preparation could result in infection.   

What border guard soldiers look like In North Korea

Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI.

Curiosity. When I travel, I become an explorer. In new places, tired or not- I feel compelled to take in everything I possibly can and wander for hours. In North Korea though, this behavior is not welcome. I the last article I found, it says that wandering without your guide can be interpreted as espionage. By going outside your boundaries in North Korea, you are seen to be sneaking around or spying. This sounds like something from a kid’s game, but they take it very seriously. If I got caught wandering into unauthorized tour areas, I would be questioned, maybe detained, maybe just put straight into jail. By violating strange rules like this in North Korea and getting into trouble, I would also ensure that I wasn’t going to get any assistance from my country’s government. There’s not really any support or aid for foreigners who mess up in North Korea.

Here’s a video of a tourist exploring his limits in North Korea. (He doesn’t get far)

https://youtu.be/z5CdUK-NeAo

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Pictures of North Korea

Following images from unsplash.com

The Pyongyang Metro in North Korea is the deepest subway system in the world, and is decorated beautifully in Soviet-style designs.

following image By AP Daily Mail

These North Korean railway workers men enjoy some time off near the sacred Mount Paektu’s caldera. Mt. Paektu is a special place for both North and South Koreans.

below: Still from “North Korea (DPRK) - Arirang Festival Show 2” By Asia Senses Travel.  

Nothing else like this exists, and is the world’s biggest and most elaborate show using people, paper, and costume to make the images seen here.

below: Water Park in North Korea. Credit: Pen News, By Ariel Shalev

This is an activity that everyone seems to enjoy, even North Koreans.

following images from www.koreakonsult.com

Much like the Pyongyang Metro, North Korean architecture in Pyongyang is heavily influenced by Soviet-era design. Heavy apartment blocks and wide city fairways mark this concept. Outside of Pyongyang, houses and businesses are built in a more traditional Korean style. 

below: still from CNN.com’s “The North Korea we rarely see.”

following image by Skyscanner.com

Yanggakdo International Hotel. All foreigners visiting North Korea on tours have to stay here. This hotel is mostly unoccupied, experiences frequent blackouts, is rumored to be “electronically bugged”, and is on an island so that no one may wander. Sounds terrible, but for the dystopian tourist, staying here makes for a perfectly eerie experience. If visitors here wake up early enough, they can hear the song “Where are you, Dear General” being played in Pyongyang.

below: Bathroom in Yanggakdo Hotel, By Gareth Johnson

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North Korea Sojourn Project

Amy Ferris

Ryomyong Street on April 12, 2017, the day of its inauguration. (Photo: CNN.)

           When I was collecting information about North Korea for my sojourn project, I decided to avoid including as much political and military propaganda as possible. I did this because as everyone knows, whenever the country is addressed in any media in the west, it is always regarding these topics. I aim to focus more on the people of North Korea, who probably mostly lead normal lives that can be compared to our own in various of ways. My collection is meant to show that the North Korean people have a culture beyond Kim Jung Un and his predecessors.

           The pictures and videos of the North Korean people are intriguing. Their country is so far away, and so isolated that the origins of their daily routines are completely separated from our own western ones. Unfortunately, most media coverage of any kind is usually in Pyongyang, the capital city where citizens typically have a higher standard of living than those outside the capital. Nonetheless, my interest lies in finding out things like what they do after work, what kind of street food do they have there, what are the hobbies of a Pyongyang resident?

           Media can only prepare me for my sojourn to North Korea by giving me a general idea about the climate and the customs in the country. Sifting through videos, pictures, and travel blogs about this country has lent me a rounded view of it. Unlike the U.S., I now understand that the North Koreans must be very careful each day to abide by strict laws, I also know that there’s people there who just want to have a happy life and a beer after work. By researching this place, I am aware that my own habits must be broken to avoid sticking out, or worse. Here is a link pertaining to this about an American named Travis Jeppesen who studies in North Korea: https://nypost.com/2018/06/02/inside-my-haunting-year-as-the-first-american-to-study-in-north-korea/

Travis Jeppesen, from New York Post

           Missing from my collection is no doubt the intricacies of the lives of people outside of Pyongyang. The farmers, the factory workers, the people who deliver goods to stores, those types. A lot of times, if an interview with one of these kinds of people is documented, they usually don’t speak candidly and have a sort of scripted response ready to go. Since there are many congruities between North Korean and South Korean culture and history, so I tend to try to observe and compare what I see in North Korean documentaries and pictures. Here is a link to a video of a visit to a cooperative farm, complete with ready-made responses from those interviewed: “DPRK18: Go to the cooperative farm in Pyongyang, North Korea, and the ordinary people’s home.” By SAO Documentary https://youtu.be/bjVHHaG9-rw

           To continue building my collection, I plan on researching some travel agencies who host tours into North Korea, and I want to keep up on some of the newest developments in Pyongyang as well. A link here to one of these companies: https://koryogroup.com/tours/dprk-north-korea/group There are also groups of North Korean people who are allowed out of the country to work and make money in other places, so they are of interest to me. Remarkably, North Korean sculptors have also been drafted to make statues in many other countries, and their style is obvious when you see them.

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Sojourn to North Korea

Videos on Youtube:

1. “DPRK: The Land Of Whispers (North Korea Travel Documentary)” (2013) By Etherium Sky Films & Media. https://youtu.be/oULO3i5Xra0 

2. ”Pyongyang Street Food - North Korea” By Jaka Parker  https://youtu.be/ZdhSuJ47Zqw

3. ”Foreigners Community in North Korea” By Jaka Parker  https://youtu.be/2zAZKXrbeqY

4. ”Normal activity in Pyongyang - North Korea” By Jaka Parker  https://youtu.be/dOlEOytYKQ0

5. “Pyongyang Street Food” By Rupa Jame  https://youtu.be/lgqkJ9EWzE8

North Korea Songs

1. “North Korean Pop Song "휘파람（Whistle) 北朝鮮歌謡"口笛" By chojiro22.

 https://youtu.be/yDJwlUNiJBQ

2.”Morning in Pyongyang - song "Where Are You, Dear General" being played” By Provodnik.

https://youtu.be/TVXSgKYBoE8 *Please see picture of Yanggakdo International Hotel for correlating story.*

3. “North Korean Moranbong Band - 보란듯이 - With Pride (English Translation) - Com Orgulho” By Rumoaohepta7

https://youtu.be/rCQ3iJLuw8M

Travel Blog/Vlog

1. Korea Konsult http://www.koreakonsult.com/Attraction_Paektu_eng.html

2. Business Insider https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-a-bar-in-north-korea-2018-3

3. Countries and Their Cultures https://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/North-Korea.html (long)

News Stories

1.BBC News “North Korea may break off US talks and resume missile tests, official says” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47578451?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cywd23g0gz5t/north-korea&link_location=live-reporting-story

2.NBC News “New satellite photos raise concerns about North Korea’s nuclear arsenal” https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/new-satellite-photos-raise-concerns-about-north-korea-s-nuclear-arsenal-1455446595848

3.NBC News “U.N. report: North Korea evading sanctions by buying oil, selling coal” https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/u-n-report-north-korea-evading-sanctions-by-buying-oil-selling-coal-1456057411800