An interview with High School NK kids who have defected.
Kidz in North Korea
by fulltimestudent 22 Replies latest social current
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fulltimestudent
Sorry, stuffed up posting that second video: This is the interview with the NK kids that have defected and are now in secondary school in South Korea.
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fulltimestudent
School pupils from South Hwanghae province visit Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang. I guess, its much like
the school groups that visit the Universities I attend.
Its an interesting video from NK TV, as it seems to indicate that the provincial areas have well-fed elite groups also.
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*lost*
Are these the elitists and elitists children ?
If so, what about the middle classes and the poor ?
Don't know too much about NK
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fulltimestudent
Your not alone in not knowing much about NK. The regime can only be described as secretive. But also there's a damn lot of false information being spread around, as various stakeholders, from South Korea, to Christians, and the regime itself.
But to answer your questions. It would appear that these children would belong to the families of the various levels of the elite and the people who serve them, probably including factory workers, etc.
Many think that NK society is based on percieved loyalty and to some extent (anyway) is based on inherited loyalty. So if your 3rd or 4th generation descent from the loyalists in the long struggle against the Japanese, or have been long term members of the Korean Workers (communist) party, you're like royalty.
At the lowest level are the political prisoners and their children (yes! you can inherit 'disloyalty'). Above them are the peasants.
In some ways, North Korea is still organised like a feudal state. If you're born in the right family, you inherit privilege. If not, you're sh*t.
Does Kim Jong-eun have total control? That's arguable. Like a 'feudal' king, maybe his 'control' is dependent on the continued support of the very top level of the elite.
There is (I think) only a small middle class, consisting of people who 'serve' the elite.
The poor (think peasants) get enough to live - that's all. And, that's the bulk of the people.
But news of the outside world filters through. The border with China is porous. (If NK border crossers are caught in China, they're returned, much the same as border crossers from Mexico are returned to Mexico by the US Immigation. But many people (it seems) do go back and forth, especially if they have some contacts in the Chinese-Korean community that live along the Chinese side of the border.
News of Chinese and South Korean prosperity must be spreading - and that may mean that one day, there will be a massive surge of unrest. And perhaps that's the real reason for the policy of Songun (army first) and the reason why the army is so huge. The real enemy may not be the US or SK - but the NK peasants. If that thought is right, it will be a bloody mess if it ever happens.
You can understand why China would be concerned - who'd want a mess like that on its border. I suggest that's why China keeps pressing NK to change (as China has changed). China has atttempted to provide assistance, but recent articles in the Chinese media suggest that the North Koreans keep welching on business deals and that more and more Chinese business people do not want to do business in NK.
If there is a total collapse from mass unrest, who will pick up the pieces? It seems that increasingly South Koreans do not want to 'rescue' the north. They are familiar with what happened in Germany, when the East was suddenly combined with the west. I'm not sure that China would either.
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fulltimestudent
A year ago Kim Jong-eun addresses a young peoples conference, promising "laughter in every home."
Where have I heard something like that before (grin)?
Ah yes! There's an election soon in Australia, and our pollies are out in force saying something similar (an even bigger grin)
(apologies - only 1 video, I cant see why its replicating into more copies)
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fulltimestudent
Young delegates enjoying some "official" time out between sessions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j7m_Qy0SJg&feature=endscreen&NR=1
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fulltimestudent
And then the young delegates go home, thanking Kim Jong-eun for taking such good care of them, and resolving to be good citizens in the future.
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fulltimestudent
I've often considered the question of whether there are street kids in NK? Such kids exist even in affluent western societies. And, in poorer 3rd world countries they break your heart.
I recall, being driven along the main drag in Manilla by the M.D. of a company we were visiting, and the streets were lined with begging children. As soon as the traffic stops, the cars were surrounded by these kids with hands held out. The M.D. forbade us to open a car window to give them any money.
But street kids are not evident in NK.
Anyway, there are street kids in South Korea, and I feel quite sure there will be in North Korea also. So its interesting to find this South Korean video with a street kid story. It's got a propaganda component, of course. They differences between north and south are so great that both sides hurl insults at the other. Its evidence of a deep divide that's been part of the Korean picture for decades before 1945.
Another, interesting aspect of this video is the claim that in winter there is a lot of movement across the frozen river that forms the border. Hope you find this interesting.
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insearchoftruth4
Thank You much Fulltimestudent, lots of interesting videos and knowledge you bring to this forum....insot4