Comments on: Perceptions of North Korea

By: Anil

Anil — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:33:44 +0000

North Korea seems to be surviving as a Chinese oupost. Otherwise, China is still incapable of challenging the USA on the Korean land. Funnily, the North Koreans seem to survivors, in spite of their mannequin-like existence. The South Koreans do not touch them, as they are their brothers. The Chinese do not touch them, as that would disturb the power balance with the USA. The foreign agents do not trouble them, as they are all KFA members already. So, finally, it seems, Kim Jong-Il is a clever wimp, who will go (or rather survive) the Libyan way — compromise with the West, in spite of all the rhetoric.

A friend told me about how a group of spies have managed to infiltrate Juche and North Korean Friendship Associations. North Koreans seem to have resigned to their fate of being spied upon by their so-called friends.

By: timothy

timothy — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:39:10 +0000

On the street it is hard to see anyone smiling or talking to each other.

By: Jay Shim

Jay Shim — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 18:32:36 +0000

Every time I read a article about journalist’s impression of visit to North Korea, 1984 comes to my mind also. I watched a TV program called The Daily Show with Jon Stewart where head of the NY Philharmonic came on and taunted at North Korea. I watched of performance of dancing in NK on youtube, but as I watched their performance, all I felt was amazement and chills though my spine.

By: Juri Zakupski

Juri Zakupski — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:16:48 +0000

I’m a student majoring in cross-cultural psychology. I was born in Eastern Europe, studied in England, Japan, US and China. It occurs to me that the author of this article does not know much about worlds’ cultures. For instance, all Eastern Europe is full of those gray block houses like in North Korea built by Russians. Moreover, all people usually dress in dark colors like North Koreans, but does that imply that these people are sad? Moreover, in collectivistic cultures such as Chinese or Japanese, it’s not appropriate for students to speak up in audience without being asked so I understand why North Korean children didn’t show a lot of emotions at the performance. I had to act very differently then I studied in Japan or China in comparison to US or UK. What I’m trying to say, you have to consider cultural aspects of North Korea and not blindly follow the fact that everything is sad and depressing just because of communist system. By the way, it’s an early spring that’s why it’s rainy and foggy but that doesn’t make the rest of the world depressing, so why North Korea should look ‘bleak and gray’?

By: Diana Ngila

Diana Ngila — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 10:42:48 +0000

The Philharmonic Orchestra’s great. Saw and heard their live performance courtesy of CNN
“But to hear such gorgeous music in such a bleak environment did seem somewhat out of place.”
After reading this post, I think I have a sense of what you mean.
I have a question perhaps out of context: how do their journalists work? seems like they have a lot of censorship both self and government sensorship. So the government can get away with a lot, corruption, human rights violations and whatever else who knows.
Sad state of affairs