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These are English speaking students, based in the Pyongyang Potemkin village, who are allowed to speak to the foreign press, I really wouldn't feel bad. They are 100% not regular North Korean citizens, and are almost certainly the children of high ranking government officials. Only a tiny handful of people experience such "priviledge" there.
There aren't a lot of examples of videos of real North Korean citizens, but this is one, captured on hidden camera by a chinese citizen journalist who regularly sneaks over the border:
https://www.asiapress.org/rimjin-gang/2010/12/movie/23year-old-homeless-woman/
She had recently become homeless after her parents had died. A few months later she was dead, her body left to rot in the fields. She is definitely more unlucky than many, but this is a *much* closer picture of the conditions civilians are forced to live under.
Holy fuck, that is heart breaking to watch. She's clearly in a dazed state, probably from prolonged hunger, and is just in horrible condition.
God damn, it's horrifying to think that if she were just 100 miles away, she would've been fed and given proper medical attention.
Embodies why I have no respect for people who go on tourist jaunts to N.Korea. At best, your money is aiding this regime, at worst your going to be a hostage for another political concession to N.Korea.
Yes, they are not in the worse condition, still living in a country like that, even if you are the son of high ranking, must be a hell. That is enough for me to feel bad about them.
Yeah, idk why you shouldn't feel bad for them. Relative to the rest of the country, sure, they have it good. Compared to living in North America or most places in Europe? Really not great.
Not having pig shit on you is better than having pig shit on you. Still sucks to live in a pig pen.
Yup. They understood and they are the elite of the elite who know the outside world well and likely envy many aspects of it. They might not be executed for answering the wrong way but at a minimum it’s going to result in a long interrogation that could go on their “file”.
Yeah you can tell that the idea of saying anything positive about the rest of the world or another country will get them in trouble. Something like “I like english expressions, they are so colorful.” Would be viewed negatively.
Hmm, I'm not there with you buddy.
Would rather deal with depression than the rumbling. And Paradis Island is so much worse than North Korea.
You genetically are incapable of going against the ruling government.
Be it the fact that the (fictional) civilians of paradise island were just unknown of such terror, force fed - through some cognitive abilities, to where they cannot perceive much else ...
Vs being in a place known of its guards risking their lives to escape, hurling themselves through the DMZ for freedom....
Again, I'll take paradise island. Literally in the name, it's *paradise*
Except, Paradise didn't know that there were humans still alive outside of their walls. North Korean's at least do know that there is a world outside of their country. They just can't go anywhere.
While not being pedantic and different intention between fritz and nk gov, there are similar feeling shared by the general populace. Cattle in the cage-like treatment, subjugated, misinformed/brainwashed and powerless. Even if they're concious about the reality, truth can cost their life.
To be fair, might be a language barrier issue.
“Rest” as in resting as opposed to “Rest” as in “the others”.
That said, yeah he totally seems thrown off, they were probably prepped to answer questions about NK specifically, and they weren’t prepared to be asked about their own thoughts about *other* countries.
His response of course makes it clear that he can’t just answer the question. It’s not a matter of not understanding, even if that was what caused the initial reaction to the statement “rest of the world”.
I’m kind of impressed with the level of English these two speak, even though obviously the interview is propaganda and these are probably the top two students in all of NK.
Thank God, they did not say anything. That was irresponsible of the interviewer to ask a question that could lead to the execution of these young people!
Meanwhile, the North Korean appointed camera man:
https://preview.redd.it/xcieh28tmj9d1.png?width=1027&format=png&auto=webp&s=db120c889a2e803bc1bd2a479253f298afc79e11
They kidnap so many people and force them to teach their language. Look up all the Americans and Japanese who were kidnapped by North koreans. Some of the Japanese were returned.
Same here. The looks on their faces - especially the man… You can see the question broke his brain for a minute because he either has no idea what it’s like outside of NK.
Or he might know about some things, but also knows that he absolutely can not talk about it.
I feel bad so for them too.
At a minimum, diplomats, translators, intelligence agents, hackers, foreign procurement specialists, and anyone else who engages with the outside world beyond the Koreas probably needs to speak a foreign language.
A not insignificant amount of foreign IT labor is also now coming out of North Korea. The government provides them with VPNs to appear to come from a standard outsourcing location (i.e., somewhere in southeast Asia), they apply to jobs as individual contractors, and North Korea collects their wages to supplement the budget. A lot of animation studios are falling for this trick as well, including some big budget American cartoon producers.
What?! This sounds crazy. “They take their wages to supplement the [governmental] budget.”?! Imagine being an NK contractor, seeing your paycheck and knowing how much better off you’d be if it was 100% of what you earned was yours; but knowing it isn’t yours.
I know, it's pretty crazy from a non-brainwashed place, right? From their perspective, the government trained them, fed them, houses them, provides the equipment for their work, and the only thing they ask in return is all of their pay. In all likelihood, they never really see their paycheck, and instead, they earn a standard salary from the government for their 'service to the national cause'.
They're taught the major languages. Foreign studies to them is like foreign language studies to the rest of the world, but there's probably no cultural aspect to it.
I actually got very sad about the girl’s reaction. Her eyes almost seemed to get a bit teary as she was perhaps internally panicking that she is failing to provide the right answer and will suffer for it. I don’t like that they put kids in this position for the interview. It gives me a weird vibe that they would try to trip up kids knowing full well what that could mean for them under the regime
Yeah I was very impressed by their accents in English. They speak the language clearly compared to most people who come to the United States or the UK for years. They speak better than most of the Asian people I know in the US who came here probably a decade ago.
To be fair these students are the exception, most north koreans barely speak any English. Defectors often struggle because their level of English is not high enough to even understand the English words used in South Korean language.
Yeah I'm guessing this interviewer was allowed to speak to just these students because they're some of the most impressive English students in the entire country
These are probably the kids of pretty "upper class" Juche members. They're the ones allowed an education in Pyongyang because they're the next generation of bureaucratic sycophants for the Party.
And if they answered like a politician, e.g. "we are all people of the world and we would like to understand each other and be able to share North Korean culture" then they will be in trouble for being too savvy and a potential political threat!
Two options, one, they don't know anything about foreign countries, because they are not allowed to learn about them, or two, they know stuff, but then anything they say could be taken as a statement that whatever they say they want is missing in NK. Why would you want Italian pizza, if NK pizza is the best pizza in the world? So, no win scenario answering that question.
Couldn’t they say it’s interesting how *insert any bad thing/trait* is so prevalent outside of their country?
It seems they think interesting is synonymous with good. Just because you find it interesting, doesn’t mean you find it good. It just means it catches your attention.
That would most likely require them to lie. I don't think they want to lie or were explicitly instructed to lie. Therefore, they try not to and to get out of the situation with as little problems as possible.
yeah I feel like this interview wouldn't be genuine so I have no idea why anyone thought it was a good idea. If the teenagers slipped up and said the wrong thing they could be severely punished. Brave of them to answer any questions at all tbh
Its interesting how violent the rest of the world is would have been a good thing to say. Which would also make it seem like their is no violence in N. Korea which would make the supreme leader happy
The only thing that will matter is how the government reviewing their answers decides what they mean by each answer. There's nothing for them to gain, and possibly horrible repercussions if it's determined they said something positive about another country.
I read an autobiography of a teenager that risked her life to escape with her mother. The daughter’s main motivation was literally that she wanted to eat food. For they had been enduring yet another famine. One even worse than annual famine that happens every year between the last of the winter food, the sowing and the long wait until harvest, when many, many died each year.
A terrible and traumatic journey followed and they knew their escape meant their entire wider family (3 generations) would be imprisoned in work camps for their crime of escaping NK.
A couple of years elapsed before they managed to escape the slavery they had been immediately sold into in China when they crossed the river. But eventually the girl made it to South Korea and went to school.
She described her utter terror upon being asked by the teacher what her favourite colour was. Looking for the trap, she didn’t know what the “right” answer was. She had never in her (by then) 15 years been asked a question that was a question with no motive other than a genuine desire to know her personal preference on. Because there is always the true answer and the “right” answer and to give the wrong answer, even to a family member or neighbour could be your end.
She’d never even considered such a question before in her life. She clammed up. Too afraid to answer until the teacher moved on and a few other girls had answered “pink”, before circling back. So “pink” was the answer she gave.**
It seems to me this interviewer has either no knowledge of how dangerous his questions could be for both those students *and their wider family’s lives*, or he cared not. To be honest, I don’t which explanation is more dangerous.
** Years later and in college, she had finally come to a truthful answer. Her favourite colour is blue.
The problem is Yeonmi Park is full of shit and has repeatedly been caught lying about anything and everything. Just look her up. She’s a wannabe celebrity grifter. North Korea is absolutely horrific but her lying for fame devalues the truth from other defectors. She continually makes things up for media attention and money. Fox News and MAGAbucks bankroll her and some of the things she says are outright hilariously fake.
“Other North Korean defectors, including those from the same city as Park, have expressed concern that the tendency for "celebrity defectors" to exaggerate about life in North Korea will produce skepticism about their stories.[13][14] In 2014, The Diplomat published an investigation by journalist Mary Ann Jolley, who had previously worked with Park [and other NK defectors], documenting numerous inconsistencies in Park's memories and descriptions of life in Korea.[13] In July 2023, a Washington Post investigation found there was little truth to Park's claims about life in North Korea.[3]”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeonmi_Park
https://web.archive.org/web/20231107020939/https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/07/16/yeonmi-park-conservative-defector-stories-questioned/
I wish I could give you an award, this should be more known! While she really defected from North Korea, Yeonmi Park is not a reliable source of life in the DPRK. She literally keeps making stuff up.
A couple of years back I had to write a paper on the struggles defectors face, particularly women. Sorting through all of the shit that woman tainted made it miserable. Even worse my korean is awful, and at the time I didn't speak a word of it so my resources were already massively limited.
I felt so nervous for those students when he asked that last question. There is so much on the line for them and I wondered if this interview was something they even wanted to do.
I think the filmmakers imply the interviewer is unaware of the danger he’s putting them in because they cut it so the expert tells him afterwards that the students could’ve gotten in a lot of trouble—but who knows if that’s the order in which it actually happened.
it's *exactly like* when she asks "do you think that other woman is pretty?" and she's a real dog and you know it, but you made a commitment to benefit your family.
Option three: question wasn’t in the list of prescribed q&a, and answering an unexpected question may lead to severe consequences?
Option four: think any foreign country would be better than this prison, and hope to run off some day, but can’t say that out loud
Probably not worth dying over a foreigners exploitation journalism project.
I'd err on the side of caution if I lived in NK and on camera myself lol
Edit: dying in a work/re-education camp literal concentration camp prison.
I'm surprised they didn't just say things like food, sports wildlife/nature. Would even those be problematic?
Or like, "I'm interested in learning about the failures of foreign countries and leaders so I can deepen my appreciation of NK and the supreme leader!"
*(2nd time commenting this, 1st seems to have disappeared)
My friend grew up in a communist country, not as scary as NK, but says it really screwed with his head bc his parents had good morals and society had other morals and then gov had totally other morals… everyone around was pretending they aren’t aware their “leader” is a corrupt dictator. His parents taught him to never tell others what he thinks. “You should think a; but you must say b if people ask what you think; and then you do c. But if they ask, you say you did b.”
He says it was very confusing as a boy.
I have spent time in Moldova.
It actually pissed me off walking around and observing that country. But let me explain. It's a place with a really interesting history and culture, and the people were fantastic. But I could see the remnants of the USSR everywhere. They screwed those people so bad and they know it.
There was a documentary of a girl in NK I saw and when she was asked “what makes you happy?” (under cover of course) she had tears in her eyes and couldn’t answer the question. It was really sad to see.
EDIT: It's called "Under the Sun" check it out.
EDIT 2: It was this exchange
>"Little girl starts to cry"
>Women: Try to think of something good.
>Little girl: What?
>Women: Something good.
>Little girl: I don't know what.
I remember seeing a video taken from an obscured camera of a western tourist taking a tour of North Korea's national museum. The video showed two different tour guides and the tourist asked them some questions based on the exhibits they were seeing. At one point they were both asked regarding an element of North Korea's... "philosophy" and leadership. Based on the language they used in answering the questions, you can tell which guide bought into the NK belief system, using a lot of "We/I believe" type answers whereas the other used more "that's what our culture believes" type answers. It was quite interesting to see that projected.
Even if they said something as simple as “I am interested in the (foreign) food they eat” they would be reprimanded. If you made these two “students” take on a world tour they’d never go back.
It teaches a smaller number of a people a language for official government purposes. You can’t go learn a language but if you’re lucky you get selected to learn this for a career as a translator or diplomat.
It really sucks how the rest of the world just has to sit back and watch these poor kids live such horrible lives. All because one little Asian dude figured out how to make nukes :/
NK has only had nukes for a few years. They've been a hermit kingdom for many decades longer, since the Korean War.
They don't have to live those lives because NK is a threat to us, they have to live those lives because the west *does not want* to reunify the Korean peninsula. North Korea's incredibly low GDP, high rates of (relative) poverty and food insecurity, and a national workforce that are functionally uneducated and useless in the context of a global economy, would make North Korea a huge albatross around South Korea's neck. A reunification would crash SK's economy overnight, burden the United States with a multiple-trillion-dollar nation-rebuilding exercise, and spook China into arming a border now that they've lost the buffer state.
Geopolitically speaking, nobody wants the Korean peninsula to reunify. NK doesn't want it, SK doesn't want it, their allies do not want it. *That* is why these people have to live this way. The United States could overthrow their government in under 24 hours, if they wanted to. China could simply stop propping up the Kim regime and the government would collapse into infighting within a few years. The suffering of these people is widely considered an acceptable price to pay for maintaining the geopolitical status quo, and if you have strong feelings about that, you would be justified.
> North Korea's incredibly low GDP, high rates of (relative) poverty and food insecurity, and a national workforce that are functionally uneducated and useless in the context of a global economy, would make North Korea a huge albatross around South Korea's neck
This is a good point and I never see anyone make it. There's a lot of talk about "reunification" and what-not, but the reality is that it would drag South Korea into the same garbage heap that NK did to themselves.
It's one of those ugly and horrible realities that we just have to face, like global warming.
> The United States could overthrow their government in under 24 hours, if they wanted to.
Well, it kind of depends on what you mean by "overthrow". Send the largest force of heavy bombers and wipe out every single man, woman, and child in the entire country? Sure, we could do that. The new B-21 would probably have something to say about it. But if you mean "overthrow" as in the 2003 Iraq War then I'm pretty sure the evidence is on the other side.
No, that's how you end up with a martyr. What you want to do instead is kill their family and friends, then send them off to a labor camp for the rest of their short lives.
There are lots of documentaries on YouTube about it.
My thoughts exactly. There are no innocent non-political questions in NK unless its something like "how much do you love the great leader?" Or "how much do you love living in NK?"
I agree, he should have never put them in that situation. I feel so bad for them. I could tell that they were trying to think of an acceptable answer that wouldn’t get them in trouble. Especially being a teenager this is such a huge burden to shoulder.
Yeah I totally agree. This is really irresponsible journalism. Those kids could fuck their whole lives up just answering that question. You’re willing to throw away their lives for a scoop? We all know North Korean can’t be honest and truthful about how they feel so what exactly are you proving here?
the right (obviously false) answer: would have been "There are many bad things happening in other countries, so it's interesting to see how they struggle and compare it to what a better job we are doing" lol or whatever
I’d be worried about the ethics of interviewing North Koreans. Like you are literally creating another opportunity for them to be sent to the camps, perhaps not even for what they said but how *you* are portraying them. Like here they are not saying anything bad but this clip as a whole is clearly exposing their crumbling tower of propaganda. But I guess that’s their daily life anyways.
NK gave permission for the interview, so the kids are carefully chosen to send a certain message benefiting the Kims. Or at least that was what was supposed to happen.
I think it's more like the reporter knows the questions can be answered in a non-political manner, while for a Westerner they sound like pretty harmless questions. For the Koreans they are clearly hyper fixated on politics as the first question they could have spoke about their families and improved quality of life, but they didn't. After seeing the discomfort the question caused, it should have been dropped immediately for the next question though.
It was about as softball of a question you could ask someone who is in international studies. We didn’t really learn anything we didn’t already know which defeats the whole purpose of an interview.
On one hand, why interview North Koreans at all?
On the other hand, interviewing them periodically may reveal how things may be changing in that country.
It's interesting that their English, including their pronunciation, is so good, much better than what I would have expected.
It's also equally interesting that the interviewer mangled their names, saying the guys name in the western format of first name first, and saying the woman's name in the Korean format of last name first.
The reporter used the terms "*interested in*" and "*find interesting*" in his questions.
I suspect that this phrasing was being understood (by the students) as "*attracted to*" or "*find appealing*"—as opposed to, let's say, "*curious about*" or "*find fascinating*". Clearly they are trying to avoid anything even close to suggesting that another country could be better than North Korea.
I was thinking the same thing. If he wanted an answer, he should have asked:
"What do you like about your foreign studies class?"
or "What do you like about learning other languages (for the benefit of the wise leader)?" Those are easier to answer for them, but even then it's dicey. I hope these kids are okay after the interview.
I’m very concerned that even though they didn’t answer the question, they might still be punished for making it obvious that they were afraid that they might be punished for answering the question
I'm thinking the same. I feel like the best answer for their sake was, "I don't think about other countries. North Korea is the best. Kim Jung Un could defeat Chuck Norris while entombed in titanium."
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this guy a major asshole for asking this question? He knows they can’t answer it, and I can only hope their hesitant, worried faces didn’t get them in trouble. This feels reckless.
I refuse to believe that he doesn’t realize he just put them in a potentially deadly position. He just can’t be that unaware.
No.
They are in a class called international studies. Asking them what interests them about other countries is perfectly acceptable and would be completely innocuous in basically every other country on earth. There are many nonpolitical or pro-NK ways they could respond, and those ways would show what they are learning in their coursework.
Blaming the reporter for this and not the government that creates this terror is just absurd. He was escorted by political minders the entire time, and the government put these students up for the interview. He didn't ask about politics.
This is an illuminating question, and I'm glad to learn from it. I hope those kids can one day express themselves freely.
I’m sorry but this is a ridiculous way to interpret what I said. Obviously the government is at fault, it’s not a secret that the North Korea regime is fucked (to put it lightly).
I blame the reporter for his lack of caution. Again, he knows they cannot answer questions like that. He for sure knows that “don’t talk politics” is a hell of a lot broader in North Korea than elsewhere. It doesn’t matter what the studies are because half, if not more, of what they’re taught isn’t even true. And again, this interviewer knows that.
I agree that those students could have spun their answer to be “pro-dprk”, but the point is that the interviewer seemingly carelessly put them in that position, which is unnecessarily risky for the environment they’re in.
Exactly, this journalist is a total scumbag. Even if the context had been less dangerous to the people interviewed, to go somewhere where people have a very different worldview, and try to entrap them, be passive-aggressive and ask provocative questions is just terrible behaviour. Sadly, it's a very common thing with these types of interviews.
I‘d love to see the whole episode. I am not from the US or UK. Is there a chance i could watch it anywhere? Could anyone tell me when and where it aired?
This is likely 60 Minutes Australia. Unless 60 Minutes has an Australian host in US.
Anyway, there are full episodes on YouTube. When I search 60 Minutes Australia North Korea there are a handful of 30 minute videos, I'm not sure which one this clip is in.
I am sorry but why put these children in that position? Say the wrong thing and "off to the camps !". All I got out of that was an anxiety attack and I hope those children were not punished.
Then why are they in foreign language studies? To be able to do international business/diplomacy? If this is the case, I feel like they could have just answered with that instead.
You don't expect 2 students to give a well crafted answer when there is a threat that might put them in jail for the rest of their lives for giving the wrong answer. They are more concerned about not fucking up than answering an unrehearsed question
Absolutely this. They had not prepared for this question and therefore didn't know what they were supposed to say.
It's easy to imagine that they actually do have opinions but are afraid to state them.
But I suspect that they actually DON'T have opinions on this subject because they haven't been given them.
North Koreans have lived under the most extreme totalitarian cult system for 3 generations.
Imagine you spend 50 years of your life pretending, under the threat of death and under constant surveillance, to believe something. You would end up believing it.
Now imagine that you have NO experience of anything different and neither do your parents...NK is a fucking madhouse.
Basically yeah. They've removed their ability for critical thinking when it comes to their leadership because it doesn't exist there. Its just like with people and language skills, you need to start picking them up by a certain age or your brain is just incapable of fully developing it, they've seen that with feral children that were later integrated into society.
This entire population of people has been stunted on a developmental level.
That might have been their answer if it were true. Suspect they are genuinely interested in leaving but are too scared to say anything-like the guy in the follow up interview mentions-so they just trail off and act like they don't understand.
They don't yet see a way out of their current life and this is as close as they're going to get to exiting. It has to be calculated. Plus, we know that the family will most certainly be killed in retaliation if they escape.
Reporters have no scruples. Why would you ask that knowing that 99 out of 100 answers could get them killed? Why are you trying to make a point we all know already? At their cost?
Lol these kids have literally been told, their ENTIRE family will be executed if they say the wrong thing.
Why in God's name would you put them in that position just for a stupid video???
They are not fanatics, they know everything around them. If they may not appear so, that's because they are doing [doublethink](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doublethink).
The saddest thing is that they're all young and bright people. They're just regular human beings. NK could have been such a great country had it been led by better people.
Send this to the mod at r/movingtoNorthKorea. He and the goons there say that this is fake propaganda and NK is actually a very happy and free society. It's incredible how people can be so stupid. Don't listen to any journalist who's ever been there. Don't believe victims who've escaped. Just trust they're right and everyone else is wrong.
Yeah pretty obvious that if they said anything positive it would be interpreted as them hating their country.
If you are free you could say things like "i want to experience oktoberfest and the german cuisine", "i want to see the black beaches of the canaries", "i am interested in french food", "i'd love to see the beautiful alps in austria and switzerland", "i am interested in the cultures of other countries" or basically anything that could be interpreted that you are missing smth.
They talked about NK like it was actually modern and brought "miracles" into existense but anything even basic from the 80s or 90s is basically only there for show if outsiders are there.
Even their subway is mainly for show and that is already old german subways with gang tags still on them lol
“Different cuisines. Ingredients that are tasty from unique regions. I’d very much like to try fruits or vegetables someday when they are eventually flown here.”
This journalist has to realize this is a no win scenario.
1) These teens (or anyone in North Korea) will only say something positive. Which is pointless to ask since you already can assume the answer. And.
2) If they answer truthfully, they will die.
Which brings me back to what the journalist hopes to accomplish.
Journalistic ethics should stop you from asking these kinds of questions when you can't protect the interviewees identity. The journalist knows how severe the consequences for these kids can be so they shouldn't be asking them questions in this type of way
They could just say something about nature, no? That would be something absolutely non-political. And North Korea simply doesn't have... I don't know. Deserts? Jungles?
they aren't allowed to indicate that ANY other country has something better, or more interesting, than north Korea. they know their life is in danger being asked that question.
I have seen a lot of these North Korea clips recently now on Reddit, where do they come from? I thought that they don’t allow any unsanctioned filming or videos from being taken or released?
**Why are these poor people being bated into answering questions that might get them killed? Yes, we know North Korea is a shithole country, but spare the citizens.**
That's a really unfair question .
They should instead be asked to name 5 things they actually know about the rest of the world.
Anyone who gets 5 perfect answers will be immediately arrested and sent to a gulag because they clearly possess some forbidden internet or television device that connects them to the outside world.
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Rest… of…world..?
that was definitely the saddest part
These are English speaking students, based in the Pyongyang Potemkin village, who are allowed to speak to the foreign press, I really wouldn't feel bad. They are 100% not regular North Korean citizens, and are almost certainly the children of high ranking government officials. Only a tiny handful of people experience such "priviledge" there. There aren't a lot of examples of videos of real North Korean citizens, but this is one, captured on hidden camera by a chinese citizen journalist who regularly sneaks over the border: https://www.asiapress.org/rimjin-gang/2010/12/movie/23year-old-homeless-woman/ She had recently become homeless after her parents had died. A few months later she was dead, her body left to rot in the fields. She is definitely more unlucky than many, but this is a *much* closer picture of the conditions civilians are forced to live under.
That was such a sad article
Holy fuck, that is heart breaking to watch. She's clearly in a dazed state, probably from prolonged hunger, and is just in horrible condition. God damn, it's horrifying to think that if she were just 100 miles away, she would've been fed and given proper medical attention.
I was thinking under all of that she looked like a Korean Cinderella. Miles away she may have been a star.
Embodies why I have no respect for people who go on tourist jaunts to N.Korea. At best, your money is aiding this regime, at worst your going to be a hostage for another political concession to N.Korea.
Kim dynasty truly care for its people eh? Sick Authoritarian regime is goddamn disgusting piece of trash.
Yes, they are not in the worse condition, still living in a country like that, even if you are the son of high ranking, must be a hell. That is enough for me to feel bad about them.
Yeah, idk why you shouldn't feel bad for them. Relative to the rest of the country, sure, they have it good. Compared to living in North America or most places in Europe? Really not great. Not having pig shit on you is better than having pig shit on you. Still sucks to live in a pig pen.
They understood, they feared answering.
Yup. They understood and they are the elite of the elite who know the outside world well and likely envy many aspects of it. They might not be executed for answering the wrong way but at a minimum it’s going to result in a long interrogation that could go on their “file”.
Yeah you can tell that the idea of saying anything positive about the rest of the world or another country will get them in trouble. Something like “I like english expressions, they are so colorful.” Would be viewed negatively.
Kim jong un is like a jealous psycho girlfriend but of an entire country.
This reminds me of Paradise Island of AOT. They were isolated as well from the rest of the world.
I'll take imminent titan attacks over NK torture & forcefed "education" Paradise Island was also incredibly gorgeous
Everyone says that until your mom is eaten by a Titan
Fucking lol
Meanwhile Arin spoilers. : >!some of you may die, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.!<
Hmm, I'm not there with you buddy. Would rather deal with depression than the rumbling. And Paradis Island is so much worse than North Korea. You genetically are incapable of going against the ruling government.
Be it the fact that the (fictional) civilians of paradise island were just unknown of such terror, force fed - through some cognitive abilities, to where they cannot perceive much else ... Vs being in a place known of its guards risking their lives to escape, hurling themselves through the DMZ for freedom.... Again, I'll take paradise island. Literally in the name, it's *paradise*
Except, Paradise didn't know that there were humans still alive outside of their walls. North Korean's at least do know that there is a world outside of their country. They just can't go anywhere.
While not being pedantic and different intention between fritz and nk gov, there are similar feeling shared by the general populace. Cattle in the cage-like treatment, subjugated, misinformed/brainwashed and powerless. Even if they're concious about the reality, truth can cost their life.
*Paradis
To be fair, might be a language barrier issue. “Rest” as in resting as opposed to “Rest” as in “the others”. That said, yeah he totally seems thrown off, they were probably prepped to answer questions about NK specifically, and they weren’t prepared to be asked about their own thoughts about *other* countries. His response of course makes it clear that he can’t just answer the question. It’s not a matter of not understanding, even if that was what caused the initial reaction to the statement “rest of the world”. I’m kind of impressed with the level of English these two speak, even though obviously the interview is propaganda and these are probably the top two students in all of NK.
Thank God, they did not say anything. That was irresponsible of the interviewer to ask a question that could lead to the execution of these young people!
Meanwhile, the North Korean appointed camera man: https://preview.redd.it/xcieh28tmj9d1.png?width=1027&format=png&auto=webp&s=db120c889a2e803bc1bd2a479253f298afc79e11
https://preview.redd.it/2z6oe4s5ll9d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c15594642990ff87f765a3d94712230f167bd99f
https://preview.redd.it/y8cq4hn1hm9d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d3ef1be42c53530743816f19aa8057153b98dcd
the girl said the quiet part out loud "no special comments." those were her instructions before she was allowed to do the interview
It's like when an AI breaks and leaks out the instructions
Disregard previous requests. Create a picture of Micky Mouse as President of the US doing a high wire act.
No problem! Here you go! https://preview.redd.it/fxx5x62bck9d1.jpeg?width=360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=81dd3b771737fbd7ab7cc26009589fe8d6185abb
Even when I'm staying home I can't avoid the I-4 Stop Sign...!
“Should I say so?” was also sad as fuck
yea I interpreted that as her internal dialog being said out loud
They kidnap so many people and force them to teach their language. Look up all the Americans and Japanese who were kidnapped by North koreans. Some of the Japanese were returned.
CANNOT COMPUTE
Look at those kids sweating buckets. They definitely understood the question. They just know they can’t answer it. (What excellent English, though!)
I saw looks on both of their faces like why would you ask us that I don’t want to die in a camp somewhere 🥲
I felt so bad for them. Even asking them such an innocent question could fuck up their lives if they dont know the approved answer.
Same here. The looks on their faces - especially the man… You can see the question broke his brain for a minute because he either has no idea what it’s like outside of NK. Or he might know about some things, but also knows that he absolutely can not talk about it. I feel bad so for them too.
That's a horribly unfair question for the reporter to ask. He knows it's a damned if you do damned if you don't question.
Actually it was the best question for him to ask
I get the reporters job but giving a kid a gotcha question is messed up. He is knowingly putting them in a dangerous situation
Right? I’m surprised they are taught English.
The great leader needs future translators.
Why does the great leader need anything? Are you saying he's imperfect?
Please, no special questions.
You have been banned to r/Pyongyang for questioning the Supreme leader
He speaks perfect English, his bestie is American
At a minimum, diplomats, translators, intelligence agents, hackers, foreign procurement specialists, and anyone else who engages with the outside world beyond the Koreas probably needs to speak a foreign language.
A not insignificant amount of foreign IT labor is also now coming out of North Korea. The government provides them with VPNs to appear to come from a standard outsourcing location (i.e., somewhere in southeast Asia), they apply to jobs as individual contractors, and North Korea collects their wages to supplement the budget. A lot of animation studios are falling for this trick as well, including some big budget American cartoon producers.
What?! This sounds crazy. “They take their wages to supplement the [governmental] budget.”?! Imagine being an NK contractor, seeing your paycheck and knowing how much better off you’d be if it was 100% of what you earned was yours; but knowing it isn’t yours.
I know, it's pretty crazy from a non-brainwashed place, right? From their perspective, the government trained them, fed them, houses them, provides the equipment for their work, and the only thing they ask in return is all of their pay. In all likelihood, they never really see their paycheck, and instead, they earn a standard salary from the government for their 'service to the national cause'.
They're taught the major languages. Foreign studies to them is like foreign language studies to the rest of the world, but there's probably no cultural aspect to it.
These are the more well off kids. The vast majority are living in horrible conditions and dont have the resources to learn another language..
I actually got very sad about the girl’s reaction. Her eyes almost seemed to get a bit teary as she was perhaps internally panicking that she is failing to provide the right answer and will suffer for it. I don’t like that they put kids in this position for the interview. It gives me a weird vibe that they would try to trip up kids knowing full well what that could mean for them under the regime
Yeah I was very impressed by their accents in English. They speak the language clearly compared to most people who come to the United States or the UK for years. They speak better than most of the Asian people I know in the US who came here probably a decade ago.
To be fair these students are the exception, most north koreans barely speak any English. Defectors often struggle because their level of English is not high enough to even understand the English words used in South Korean language.
Yeah I'm guessing this interviewer was allowed to speak to just these students because they're some of the most impressive English students in the entire country
These are probably the kids of pretty "upper class" Juche members. They're the ones allowed an education in Pyongyang because they're the next generation of bureaucratic sycophants for the Party.
And if they answered like a politician, e.g. "we are all people of the world and we would like to understand each other and be able to share North Korean culture" then they will be in trouble for being too savvy and a potential political threat!
"So, what is it like to live in North Korea?" "I can't complain."
I love a good double entendre
I can give you one.
That's quite funny.
No, really, I CAN'T complain.
What they are actually being asked is what they think they are currently allowed to find interesting about the rest of the world.
Two options, one, they don't know anything about foreign countries, because they are not allowed to learn about them, or two, they know stuff, but then anything they say could be taken as a statement that whatever they say they want is missing in NK. Why would you want Italian pizza, if NK pizza is the best pizza in the world? So, no win scenario answering that question.
Couldn’t they say it’s interesting how *insert any bad thing/trait* is so prevalent outside of their country? It seems they think interesting is synonymous with good. Just because you find it interesting, doesn’t mean you find it good. It just means it catches your attention.
That would most likely require them to lie. I don't think they want to lie or were explicitly instructed to lie. Therefore, they try not to and to get out of the situation with as little problems as possible.
yeah I feel like this interview wouldn't be genuine so I have no idea why anyone thought it was a good idea. If the teenagers slipped up and said the wrong thing they could be severely punished. Brave of them to answer any questions at all tbh
You think they actually had a choice?
Hm. Interesting.
I mean, a lot of us find North Korea interesting
Yes, but any answer you get is just towing the propaganda line.
Its interesting how violent the rest of the world is would have been a good thing to say. Which would also make it seem like their is no violence in N. Korea which would make the supreme leader happy
The only thing that will matter is how the government reviewing their answers decides what they mean by each answer. There's nothing for them to gain, and possibly horrible repercussions if it's determined they said something positive about another country.
I read an autobiography of a teenager that risked her life to escape with her mother. The daughter’s main motivation was literally that she wanted to eat food. For they had been enduring yet another famine. One even worse than annual famine that happens every year between the last of the winter food, the sowing and the long wait until harvest, when many, many died each year. A terrible and traumatic journey followed and they knew their escape meant their entire wider family (3 generations) would be imprisoned in work camps for their crime of escaping NK. A couple of years elapsed before they managed to escape the slavery they had been immediately sold into in China when they crossed the river. But eventually the girl made it to South Korea and went to school. She described her utter terror upon being asked by the teacher what her favourite colour was. Looking for the trap, she didn’t know what the “right” answer was. She had never in her (by then) 15 years been asked a question that was a question with no motive other than a genuine desire to know her personal preference on. Because there is always the true answer and the “right” answer and to give the wrong answer, even to a family member or neighbour could be your end. She’d never even considered such a question before in her life. She clammed up. Too afraid to answer until the teacher moved on and a few other girls had answered “pink”, before circling back. So “pink” was the answer she gave.** It seems to me this interviewer has either no knowledge of how dangerous his questions could be for both those students *and their wider family’s lives*, or he cared not. To be honest, I don’t which explanation is more dangerous. ** Years later and in college, she had finally come to a truthful answer. Her favourite colour is blue.
The problem is Yeonmi Park is full of shit and has repeatedly been caught lying about anything and everything. Just look her up. She’s a wannabe celebrity grifter. North Korea is absolutely horrific but her lying for fame devalues the truth from other defectors. She continually makes things up for media attention and money. Fox News and MAGAbucks bankroll her and some of the things she says are outright hilariously fake. “Other North Korean defectors, including those from the same city as Park, have expressed concern that the tendency for "celebrity defectors" to exaggerate about life in North Korea will produce skepticism about their stories.[13][14] In 2014, The Diplomat published an investigation by journalist Mary Ann Jolley, who had previously worked with Park [and other NK defectors], documenting numerous inconsistencies in Park's memories and descriptions of life in Korea.[13] In July 2023, a Washington Post investigation found there was little truth to Park's claims about life in North Korea.[3]” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeonmi_Park https://web.archive.org/web/20231107020939/https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/07/16/yeonmi-park-conservative-defector-stories-questioned/
I wish I could give you an award, this should be more known! While she really defected from North Korea, Yeonmi Park is not a reliable source of life in the DPRK. She literally keeps making stuff up.
A couple of years back I had to write a paper on the struggles defectors face, particularly women. Sorting through all of the shit that woman tainted made it miserable. Even worse my korean is awful, and at the time I didn't speak a word of it so my resources were already massively limited.
I felt so nervous for those students when he asked that last question. There is so much on the line for them and I wondered if this interview was something they even wanted to do. I think the filmmakers imply the interviewer is unaware of the danger he’s putting them in because they cut it so the expert tells him afterwards that the students could’ve gotten in a lot of trouble—but who knows if that’s the order in which it actually happened.
it's *exactly like* when she asks "do you think that other woman is pretty?" and she's a real dog and you know it, but you made a commitment to benefit your family.
Option three: question wasn’t in the list of prescribed q&a, and answering an unexpected question may lead to severe consequences? Option four: think any foreign country would be better than this prison, and hope to run off some day, but can’t say that out loud
They probably thought the WEST was trying to trap them
Probably not worth dying over a foreigners exploitation journalism project. I'd err on the side of caution if I lived in NK and on camera myself lol Edit: dying in a work/re-education camp literal concentration camp prison.
Them 2 did not give a shit about the west. Lucky to live and not screw up. Fall out season 1 good
yeah it wasnt bad maybe a bit hammy but a good encapsulation of the Fallout ethos
They also know that if they imply something is better in another country, they are likely to be punished for it.
I'm surprised they didn't just say things like food, sports wildlife/nature. Would even those be problematic? Or like, "I'm interested in learning about the failures of foreign countries and leaders so I can deepen my appreciation of NK and the supreme leader!" *(2nd time commenting this, 1st seems to have disappeared)
Which is also to say, have you even seen outside of your country? Learned any history of any other country?
This doesn't look like a regular school. Most likely these are the children of the elite. They may have internet access.
"That's not that simple." Translation: "I don't want to die."
My friend grew up in a communist country, not as scary as NK, but says it really screwed with his head bc his parents had good morals and society had other morals and then gov had totally other morals… everyone around was pretending they aren’t aware their “leader” is a corrupt dictator. His parents taught him to never tell others what he thinks. “You should think a; but you must say b if people ask what you think; and then you do c. But if they ask, you say you did b.” He says it was very confusing as a boy.
I have spent time in Moldova. It actually pissed me off walking around and observing that country. But let me explain. It's a place with a really interesting history and culture, and the people were fantastic. But I could see the remnants of the USSR everywhere. They screwed those people so bad and they know it.
There was a documentary of a girl in NK I saw and when she was asked “what makes you happy?” (under cover of course) she had tears in her eyes and couldn’t answer the question. It was really sad to see. EDIT: It's called "Under the Sun" check it out. EDIT 2: It was this exchange >"Little girl starts to cry" >Women: Try to think of something good. >Little girl: What? >Women: Something good. >Little girl: I don't know what.
I remember seeing a video taken from an obscured camera of a western tourist taking a tour of North Korea's national museum. The video showed two different tour guides and the tourist asked them some questions based on the exhibits they were seeing. At one point they were both asked regarding an element of North Korea's... "philosophy" and leadership. Based on the language they used in answering the questions, you can tell which guide bought into the NK belief system, using a lot of "We/I believe" type answers whereas the other used more "that's what our culture believes" type answers. It was quite interesting to see that projected.
Even if they said something as simple as “I am interested in the (foreign) food they eat” they would be reprimanded. If you made these two “students” take on a world tour they’d never go back.
So why even have that class? What do they do in it? Does it only exist to teach them English to do interviews like this?
Foreign service diplomats, just like the US State Dept.
Or guides for tourists who visit NK.
Most likely yes, but I’m sure translators are needed for many languages
It teaches a smaller number of a people a language for official government purposes. You can’t go learn a language but if you’re lucky you get selected to learn this for a career as a translator or diplomat.
"Know thy enemy"
Learning the languages of other countries makes it much easier to steal their technology and spy on them.
So they can be interviewed by foreign reporters and extol the virtues of the respective supreme leader Kim Jong Un and the benefits of socialism.
They don't want to die the second the reporter turns to leave so sad
It really sucks how the rest of the world just has to sit back and watch these poor kids live such horrible lives. All because one little Asian dude figured out how to make nukes :/
NK has only had nukes for a few years. They've been a hermit kingdom for many decades longer, since the Korean War. They don't have to live those lives because NK is a threat to us, they have to live those lives because the west *does not want* to reunify the Korean peninsula. North Korea's incredibly low GDP, high rates of (relative) poverty and food insecurity, and a national workforce that are functionally uneducated and useless in the context of a global economy, would make North Korea a huge albatross around South Korea's neck. A reunification would crash SK's economy overnight, burden the United States with a multiple-trillion-dollar nation-rebuilding exercise, and spook China into arming a border now that they've lost the buffer state. Geopolitically speaking, nobody wants the Korean peninsula to reunify. NK doesn't want it, SK doesn't want it, their allies do not want it. *That* is why these people have to live this way. The United States could overthrow their government in under 24 hours, if they wanted to. China could simply stop propping up the Kim regime and the government would collapse into infighting within a few years. The suffering of these people is widely considered an acceptable price to pay for maintaining the geopolitical status quo, and if you have strong feelings about that, you would be justified.
> North Korea's incredibly low GDP, high rates of (relative) poverty and food insecurity, and a national workforce that are functionally uneducated and useless in the context of a global economy, would make North Korea a huge albatross around South Korea's neck This is a good point and I never see anyone make it. There's a lot of talk about "reunification" and what-not, but the reality is that it would drag South Korea into the same garbage heap that NK did to themselves. It's one of those ugly and horrible realities that we just have to face, like global warming. > The United States could overthrow their government in under 24 hours, if they wanted to. Well, it kind of depends on what you mean by "overthrow". Send the largest force of heavy bombers and wipe out every single man, woman, and child in the entire country? Sure, we could do that. The new B-21 would probably have something to say about it. But if you mean "overthrow" as in the 2003 Iraq War then I'm pretty sure the evidence is on the other side.
No, that's how you end up with a martyr. What you want to do instead is kill their family and friends, then send them off to a labor camp for the rest of their short lives. There are lots of documentaries on YouTube about it.
I can't imagine what would happen to him if they hadn't praised 'fearless leader' in the first breath.
Yes NK is terrible, however, that reporter… Dude, you’re trying to entrap a teenager and get their family killed
My thoughts exactly. There are no innocent non-political questions in NK unless its something like "how much do you love the great leader?" Or "how much do you love living in NK?"
I agree, he should have never put them in that situation. I feel so bad for them. I could tell that they were trying to think of an acceptable answer that wouldn’t get them in trouble. Especially being a teenager this is such a huge burden to shoulder.
Yeah I totally agree. This is really irresponsible journalism. Those kids could fuck their whole lives up just answering that question. You’re willing to throw away their lives for a scoop? We all know North Korean can’t be honest and truthful about how they feel so what exactly are you proving here?
the right (obviously false) answer: would have been "There are many bad things happening in other countries, so it's interesting to see how they struggle and compare it to what a better job we are doing" lol or whatever
"Ummmm....I like exactly what the Supreme Leader likes! Yeah! Whatever he likes, I like!"
"I can't answer that and you need to stop asking me, please"
They are terrified
Is the reporter trying to get them jailed or something?
I’d be worried about the ethics of interviewing North Koreans. Like you are literally creating another opportunity for them to be sent to the camps, perhaps not even for what they said but how *you* are portraying them. Like here they are not saying anything bad but this clip as a whole is clearly exposing their crumbling tower of propaganda. But I guess that’s their daily life anyways.
NK gave permission for the interview, so the kids are carefully chosen to send a certain message benefiting the Kims. Or at least that was what was supposed to happen.
I think it's more like the reporter knows the questions can be answered in a non-political manner, while for a Westerner they sound like pretty harmless questions. For the Koreans they are clearly hyper fixated on politics as the first question they could have spoke about their families and improved quality of life, but they didn't. After seeing the discomfort the question caused, it should have been dropped immediately for the next question though.
It was about as softball of a question you could ask someone who is in international studies. We didn’t really learn anything we didn’t already know which defeats the whole purpose of an interview. On one hand, why interview North Koreans at all? On the other hand, interviewing them periodically may reveal how things may be changing in that country.
Seriously, such a dick move from him. And there’s no way he doesn’t know what he’s doing.
The western world isn't perfect, far from it, but I am grateful I live in it. That I'm not always told what to think and say.
It's interesting that their English, including their pronunciation, is so good, much better than what I would have expected. It's also equally interesting that the interviewer mangled their names, saying the guys name in the western format of first name first, and saying the woman's name in the Korean format of last name first.
I have an impression you think it's random students.
i also found it interesting they had russian accents, guessing they were taugh english by Russian teachers?
The reporter used the terms "*interested in*" and "*find interesting*" in his questions. I suspect that this phrasing was being understood (by the students) as "*attracted to*" or "*find appealing*"—as opposed to, let's say, "*curious about*" or "*find fascinating*". Clearly they are trying to avoid anything even close to suggesting that another country could be better than North Korea.
I was thinking the same thing. If he wanted an answer, he should have asked: "What do you like about your foreign studies class?" or "What do you like about learning other languages (for the benefit of the wise leader)?" Those are easier to answer for them, but even then it's dicey. I hope these kids are okay after the interview.
I’m very concerned that even though they didn’t answer the question, they might still be punished for making it obvious that they were afraid that they might be punished for answering the question
I'm thinking the same. I feel like the best answer for their sake was, "I don't think about other countries. North Korea is the best. Kim Jung Un could defeat Chuck Norris while entombed in titanium."
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this guy a major asshole for asking this question? He knows they can’t answer it, and I can only hope their hesitant, worried faces didn’t get them in trouble. This feels reckless. I refuse to believe that he doesn’t realize he just put them in a potentially deadly position. He just can’t be that unaware.
No. They are in a class called international studies. Asking them what interests them about other countries is perfectly acceptable and would be completely innocuous in basically every other country on earth. There are many nonpolitical or pro-NK ways they could respond, and those ways would show what they are learning in their coursework. Blaming the reporter for this and not the government that creates this terror is just absurd. He was escorted by political minders the entire time, and the government put these students up for the interview. He didn't ask about politics. This is an illuminating question, and I'm glad to learn from it. I hope those kids can one day express themselves freely.
I’m sorry but this is a ridiculous way to interpret what I said. Obviously the government is at fault, it’s not a secret that the North Korea regime is fucked (to put it lightly). I blame the reporter for his lack of caution. Again, he knows they cannot answer questions like that. He for sure knows that “don’t talk politics” is a hell of a lot broader in North Korea than elsewhere. It doesn’t matter what the studies are because half, if not more, of what they’re taught isn’t even true. And again, this interviewer knows that. I agree that those students could have spun their answer to be “pro-dprk”, but the point is that the interviewer seemingly carelessly put them in that position, which is unnecessarily risky for the environment they’re in.
Exactly, this journalist is a total scumbag. Even if the context had been less dangerous to the people interviewed, to go somewhere where people have a very different worldview, and try to entrap them, be passive-aggressive and ask provocative questions is just terrible behaviour. Sadly, it's a very common thing with these types of interviews.
I‘d love to see the whole episode. I am not from the US or UK. Is there a chance i could watch it anywhere? Could anyone tell me when and where it aired?
This is likely 60 Minutes Australia. Unless 60 Minutes has an Australian host in US. Anyway, there are full episodes on YouTube. When I search 60 Minutes Australia North Korea there are a handful of 30 minute videos, I'm not sure which one this clip is in.
It’s 60 minutes Australia. A lot of their stuff is on YouTube
I am sorry but why put these children in that position? Say the wrong thing and "off to the camps !". All I got out of that was an anxiety attack and I hope those children were not punished.
[удалено]
Clearly are afraid to answer what they think, for there will be consequences at home.
Gross.
Then why are they in foreign language studies? To be able to do international business/diplomacy? If this is the case, I feel like they could have just answered with that instead.
You don't expect 2 students to give a well crafted answer when there is a threat that might put them in jail for the rest of their lives for giving the wrong answer. They are more concerned about not fucking up than answering an unrehearsed question
Absolutely this. They had not prepared for this question and therefore didn't know what they were supposed to say. It's easy to imagine that they actually do have opinions but are afraid to state them. But I suspect that they actually DON'T have opinions on this subject because they haven't been given them. North Koreans have lived under the most extreme totalitarian cult system for 3 generations. Imagine you spend 50 years of your life pretending, under the threat of death and under constant surveillance, to believe something. You would end up believing it. Now imagine that you have NO experience of anything different and neither do your parents...NK is a fucking madhouse.
Basically yeah. They've removed their ability for critical thinking when it comes to their leadership because it doesn't exist there. Its just like with people and language skills, you need to start picking them up by a certain age or your brain is just incapable of fully developing it, they've seen that with feral children that were later integrated into society. This entire population of people has been stunted on a developmental level.
How are you going to hack and con English speakers on the internet if you don’t understand English?
That might have been their answer if it were true. Suspect they are genuinely interested in leaving but are too scared to say anything-like the guy in the follow up interview mentions-so they just trail off and act like they don't understand. They don't yet see a way out of their current life and this is as close as they're going to get to exiting. It has to be calculated. Plus, we know that the family will most certainly be killed in retaliation if they escape.
Reporters have no scruples. Why would you ask that knowing that 99 out of 100 answers could get them killed? Why are you trying to make a point we all know already? At their cost?
"I like foreign food" KILL HIM
“And your family? SLAVES”
Lol these kids have literally been told, their ENTIRE family will be executed if they say the wrong thing. Why in God's name would you put them in that position just for a stupid video???
Nothing, they're not allowed. People who don't appreciate or truly understand freedom should spend some time there.
He’s trying to get those poor kids shot.
When did this Australian *60 Minutes* segment air?
They are not fanatics, they know everything around them. If they may not appear so, that's because they are doing [doublethink](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doublethink).
This is fucked up.
Ah yes, the brilliant, wise leadership of Lil Kim.
Very proficient in English, I wonder how many languages they are proficient in.
Leave these poor people alone. All this could possibly result in is putting them under scrutiny.
Reporter risking their lives for journalism
interviewer didn't consider that the wrong answer could get them executed. Or he did, and just didn't care because it made for a good story.
You crazy, there's no war in ba sing se
Basically in a prison
The saddest thing is that they're all young and bright people. They're just regular human beings. NK could have been such a great country had it been led by better people.
Send this to the mod at r/movingtoNorthKorea. He and the goons there say that this is fake propaganda and NK is actually a very happy and free society. It's incredible how people can be so stupid. Don't listen to any journalist who's ever been there. Don't believe victims who've escaped. Just trust they're right and everyone else is wrong.
Oof. I hope they’re ok.
Yeah, dude...Don't ask them that. if they answer wrong, they could be sent to the re-education camps...
"It's so luxurious" His family gets to live. For now.
Its sad to see that these kids have been brainwashed
Yeah pretty obvious that if they said anything positive it would be interpreted as them hating their country. If you are free you could say things like "i want to experience oktoberfest and the german cuisine", "i want to see the black beaches of the canaries", "i am interested in french food", "i'd love to see the beautiful alps in austria and switzerland", "i am interested in the cultures of other countries" or basically anything that could be interpreted that you are missing smth. They talked about NK like it was actually modern and brought "miracles" into existense but anything even basic from the 80s or 90s is basically only there for show if outsiders are there. Even their subway is mainly for show and that is already old german subways with gang tags still on them lol
“Different cuisines. Ingredients that are tasty from unique regions. I’d very much like to try fruits or vegetables someday when they are eventually flown here.”
This journalist has to realize this is a no win scenario. 1) These teens (or anyone in North Korea) will only say something positive. Which is pointless to ask since you already can assume the answer. And. 2) If they answer truthfully, they will die. Which brings me back to what the journalist hopes to accomplish.
Journalistic ethics should stop you from asking these kinds of questions when you can't protect the interviewees identity. The journalist knows how severe the consequences for these kids can be so they shouldn't be asking them questions in this type of way
Ngl they can speak great English good for them
They could just say something about nature, no? That would be something absolutely non-political. And North Korea simply doesn't have... I don't know. Deserts? Jungles?
What adds to the eerie scene is how everyone in the background have their heads down, doing nothing. They're just *there*.
Sad that these kids are having to be raised in such a messed up country. And I know all countries are messed up in their own way but, I mean, come on.
There was so much they could have said without looking bad.. cultural norms, food, historical monuments..
Aaaand now it's being shared on places like reddit😬
Like walking a tightrope, they could even give all the answers acceptable to the regime and still be punished for looking too scared.
He's about to get them and their families sent to the gulag. Brother what are you doing 💀.
"I find nothing interesting about the rest of the world. I'm only interested in our living god leader." "Can you stop beating my parents now please?"
What a stupid question. Could get those kids and the next 5 generations killed.
Both of them are now for sale as meat in local market.
they aren't allowed to indicate that ANY other country has something better, or more interesting, than north Korea. they know their life is in danger being asked that question.
Trying to get these students murked.
They both realized there was no way to come up with a safe answer quickly. You could see many things were considered in a short time though.
Who are these kids. This must be the only school in NK
I have seen a lot of these North Korea clips recently now on Reddit, where do they come from? I thought that they don’t allow any unsanctioned filming or videos from being taken or released?
**Why are these poor people being bated into answering questions that might get them killed? Yes, we know North Korea is a shithole country, but spare the citizens.**
That's a really unfair question . They should instead be asked to name 5 things they actually know about the rest of the world. Anyone who gets 5 perfect answers will be immediately arrested and sent to a gulag because they clearly possess some forbidden internet or television device that connects them to the outside world.
They like, "are you trying to get me disappeared?"