Ask A North Korean: Defectors Talk About Their Lives Inside the World's Most Secretive Nation

At times when there are electricity shortages in North Korea—when it becomes difficult to watch South Korean TV shows or DVDs—soldiers would disassemble tank batteries to provide the electricity needed to continue watching. I’ve also heard that even some guards on the North Korea-China border find solace in watching South…

If you’ve read a little bit about North Korea, you’ll know that the United States military is considered the main enemy by the government. The North Korean government is supposed to distribute equal amounts of the pie to everyone, but since it fails to do so, it strives to develop nuclear weapons. The North Korean…

In fact, there is an interesting slang phrase known by all North Koreans: “Yeah, I’m an American.” It means you admit you’re culpable for every fault and problem. In North Korea, the United States is considered the cause of every problem on earth today. What is ironic, though, is that American pop culture is very popular…

How about lesbians? I’m not sure if it’s because I’m a woman, but I’ve met and hung out with many of them! Most of my lesbian friends loved to dress like men. They wore men’s clothes, kept their hair very short and acted like men, too. They all liked to date women, not men. Adults used to say that they’re so sweet to…

While I’ve heard monkeys were popular in Pyongyang, they became less popular later on and there is a story that explains why. First, you need to remember that North Korea is a so-called socialist state. Therefore, when you pay the bills for utilities, everyone pays an equal amount regardless of how much electricity they…