50 Interesting Facts About North Korea.
What do we know about North Korea? North Korea is not a country for tourism. Travelers are not welcome in the DPRK, the borders are closed. This state is under severe sanctions from the United States and its allies. On the news, almost nothing can be heard about the situation in this country, except for nuclear weapons tests.
There is tough censorship in North Korea, people live without Internet and access to foreign films and broadcasts. The country's leadership is doing everything possible to suppress any dissent.
But at the same time, the nature here is amazingly beautiful. The population of the country is very sensitive to wildlife, flora and fauna of the country. The government even asserted and instilled in citizens the idea that after the death of the leader of the nation, Kim Jong-il, not only people, but also forest animals and birds cried.
But despite the closed borders, travelers, foreign journalists and scientists have visited North Korea. Therefore, we have some idea of this Asian state and will share the most interesting facts about North Korea in this informative article.
1. North and South Korea are geographical neighbors, located on the same peninsula and have a common land border. But they differ in political order and economic development so much. And if South Korea is building democracy, the latest technologies are developing in it, there are liberal freedoms, there is a pluralism of opinions, their northern neighbors have exactly the opposite. North Korea is in many ways reminiscent of the Soviet regime of the 1930s, with persecution of dissidents, censorship, concentration camps, planned economy, and lack of economic ties with the Western world.
2. All popular world religions are banned in this country. You can't practice Islam and Buddhism, but Christians are especially affected. Despite the presence of an Orthodox Church in Pyongyang, the Christian faith is severely persecuted. People are not allowed to pray and have scriptures in their homes.
3. In North Korea, an atheistic state, the head of state is proclaimed as a deity. There is the so-called cult of the leader, according to which the current ruler and two deceased leaders are deified. In order to honor them, monuments are being built, near which you need to stand respectfully, without a smile on your face. This even applies to foreigners.
4. North Koreans' work week lasts six days a week. They work hard. Manual labor is often used, as there is a shortage of electricity and fuel in the country. For example, lawns on the cities streets are mowed with the usual hand scythe and sickle, as in the Middle Ages.
5. After work, every citizen of this country is obliged to attend a lecture, where they will be taught different propaganda ideas about the greatness of the country and the leader, about hatred of the United States and Western values.
6. North Korea has built an Iron Curtain with the entire Western world. This term has existed since the days of the Soviet Union, when they also had very cool relations with the Western world. But today's North Korea is even tougher. Nobody here wears American jeans or drinks Coca-Cola, there are no McDonald's anywhere. People wear roughly the same clothes, very simple, uniform-like. Almost no imports are brought into the country.
7. There are very few cats in North Korea, as their maintenance requires money, which the population has very little.
8. There are only four TV channels on North Korean television, all of them state-owned. You cannot see a screening of a Hollywood film or a Brazilian television series. All programs and films are only of domestic production. And the theme of these TV products has pronounced propaganda character, aimed at hatred of everything foreign.
9. Sunday is a day off even for workaholics like North Koreans. But on this day they still work, but not for the sake of a salary, but for free. They volunteer, attend demonstrations, and participate in government events and holidays. They devote a lot of time to rehearsals for the upcoming state holidays.
10. The Internet is disconnected almost everywhere in the country. There are no mobile operators that would provide access to Internet services. Therefore, the inhabitants of this Asian country cannot visit social networks or watch movies on YouTube. The authorities explain the abandonment of the Internet by the fact that citizens may hate the West and their values even more.
11. But officials still have access to the Internet, but limited to a small number of sites that are allowed. These are mainly local sites and resources with the legislation of this state, with ideological theses.
12. Juche is the ideology of socialism that North Korea is building. It was invented by Kim Il Sung and is quite different from the ideology of Marxism-Leninism. The ideas are revolutionary and anti-Western in nature, with a clear presence of hatred for everything capitalist. Different socialism was needed in order to be independent from the USSR and Stalin.
13. The ruling party in the country is called Labor. All other parties are prohibited, therefore there is no opposition in the country; it is forbidden to think differently from the way it is written in the commandments of the leaders.
14. The formation of the state of North Korea is closely related to the history of World War II. During these bloody years, the entire Korean Peninsula was annexed by Japanese militarists - allies of Hitler's Germany. The Soviet Union freed the territory from the Japanese yoke. But immediately the "cold war" began between the USSR and the USA. As a result, the territory of the peninsula was divided between these superpowers. The Americans subjugated the southern part of the region under their influence and the state of South Korea appeared there, which followed the western path of development. And thanks to the efforts of the Soviet Union, North Korea was formed and began to build socialism. An undemocratic regime was established there. The Soviet Union no longer exists, and North Korea is still developing in the same way as it was more than half a century ago.
15. Since the late forties of the last century, North Korea and its southern neighbor have considered each other as occupiers. According to each side, the entire peninsula is their territory.
16. There are very few cars in this country. You can see a passing car on the roads only occasionally. Residents live in poverty and therefore they cannot afford such luxury. And cars are very expensive and they are in short supply due to the lack of trade relations with most of the countries of the world. And the authorities instill in their citizens that the car is not an important need.
17. To gas up a car, you need gasoline, but there is an acute shortage of fuel in the country. Therefore, people do not even ride mopeds and do not have their own petrol mower.
18. The people of North and South Korea have very different languages, differing by ninety percent. Therefore, they simply do not understand each other, although there are still very few opportunities to see each other and communicate.
19. Some North Koreans are trying to cross the state border with China illegally in order to escape from the totalitarian country. But in China, a left-wing party is also in power, and therefore illegal migrants will face the fate of being punished in the harsh conditions of a North Korean concentration camp.
20. "Heads and Tails" is the most popular travel show in the post-Soviet space. The film crew traveled to different parts of the world to show the sights and traditions of the peoples of the world, to acquaint viewers with the wonders of nature. But the entrance to North Korea is closed for them, these Ukrainian travelers are not allowed into the country.
21. In 2021, 25.9 million people live in North Korea, of which 2.8 million are in the capital Pyongyang.
22. Dog meat is a popular food in the Korean Peninsula.
23. There are constant power outages in the country, even in the capital.
24. It is not 2021, but the year of 110 in this country, since the country has been reckoning since the birth of Kim Il-sung.
25. If a citizen of this Asian country receives a car from a foreign friend as a gift, then he is obliged to donate exactly the same vehicle to the authorities.
26. The only country in the world (currently) with a hijacked United States Navy vessel is North Korea.
27. The American government has repeatedly stated that the DPRK authorities secretly create computer viruses and send them to their opponents in the geopolitical arena.
28. The United Nations, through its representatives, has repeatedly stated that approximately twenty percent of children in North Korea are malnourished or starving.
29. 15 years ago, under the pressure of US sanctions, the DPRK began testing nuclear weapons (missiles, warheads). The UN calls not to do this, since the country is not a member of the nuclear club, but tests are still ongoing.
30. DPRK is not officially an absolute monarchy. But since the formation of the state, Kim Il Sung first ruled, proclaiming himself the supreme leader. After his death in 1994, for seventeen and a half years, the head of the state was the son of the first leader named Kim Cher In. He dies and in turn hands over power to his son and grandson Kim Il Sung. The current head of state, Kim Jong-un, is the leader of the Labor Party and has ruled the country from 2011 to the present day.
31. In North Korea, it is popular to address people with the word "comrade" as in the years of the USSR.
32. The country is ruled by the Kim dynasty.
33. This state has the death penalty. For example, once an officer was shot just because he gave the soldiers additional dry rations.
34. The DPRK has very good relations with Russia. We are not close friends and partners, but we are not enemies either. State TV channels in North Korea do not scold this country and do not say anything bad about it. At the same time, Russia has capitalism, and there they are building socialism, so they do not intend to look up to Russia.
35. Up to 80% of the country's territory is mountainous.
36. DPRK is washed by the waters of two seas - the Yellow and the Japanese.
37. Russian tourists can come to North Korea, but they will not be allowed in many places. During excursions, they may be accompanied by the military; many objects in the country are simply prohibited from taking pictures. They may demand to show the contents of the memory card and force to erase the video, if they see fit.
38. The largest mountain peak in this state is the Pektusan volcano.
39. The inhabitants of the DPRK consider the Taedongan to be their main river, although the Amnokkan River is more full-flowing.
40. The DPRK has a very capricious and changeable climate, which is primarily influenced by our Siberian taiga. Winds blowing from Siberia constantly bring bad weather to the north of the Korean Peninsula.
41. In July, plums ripen and in the same month the heaviest rainfall, which the North Koreans have poured with "plum showers", is pouring.
42. Thanks to the law on compulsory education, nine out of ten people in the DPRK can write. The school curriculum includes many subjects and topics related to the construction of socialism and the biographies of North Korean leaders. Although the education is free, it is often demanded from the parents of the students to pay for the repair of school furniture and new books.
43. In the DPRK, a school teacher can go to jail if he does not teach his subject in accordance with the dogmas of building socialism.
44. Many popular holidays in the country are in one way or another connected with the lunar cycle: Taborum is the holiday of the first full moon of the year, Seollal is the New Year's lunar holiday. The harvest festival is very popular.
45. Pickled beef is referred to as "Bulldogs" and is considered one of the most popular foods in the country.
46. North Korean cuisine is very spicy, contains many herbs, spices and sauces, and is quite salty.
47. Ttok is a favorite pastry in the DPRK. The filling for such a pie is usually rice or dried fruit.
48. The first American president to meet with the leader of the DPRK Labor Party is Donald Trump. The handshake took place in the demilitarized zone on the split line of the two Koreas.
49. The favorite vegetable for the citizens of the DPRK is Far Eastern collard greens. Unlike our white cabbage, this plant does not form a head of cabbage.
50. Japan and the DPRK are on very bad terms. Japan imposed economic sanctions, in response North Korea simply kidnapped Japanese citizens, as the Japanese authorities state.
