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Inside North
Korea
Few
foreigners are allowed into Communist North Korea. On a rare visit by a Westerner, our JS
reporter found a land in which many people are quietly suffering.
At 7am sharp,
the day begins with a crackling noise from the city’s loudspeakers. Patriotic speeches and war songs, with titles
like “Little Tank Rushes Forward,” fill the streets. Such propaganda provides the daily wake-up
call for the citizens of Najin, North Korea.
At 7:15, the city’s electricity is turned on, if there is enough fuel
that day.
Gu, 13, says
she likes the morning music. “It gives
me energy and a sense of purpose, and reminds me of what I need to do to help
make my country great.” Gu is in the
fifth grade at Rasin Primary School, one of the best schools in the city. To attend Rasin, kids must earn top grades;
700 hard-working students are enrolled there.
“Every month
we must take an exam and then are ranked in our class according to the exam
scores,” says Gu. “There is a big board
where the results of the exam are posted, and we have our pictures posted with
our rank for everyone to see. I am in
the highest level.”
School begins
at 8am. Students line up in the front
yard to exercise and parade in unison. After these morning drills, the kids march single
file into class. The building’s halls
are lined with murals depicting the military history of North Korea. Many paintings show Korean soldiers smashing
the heads of their enemies, most of whom are American and Japanese soldiers.
In class, the
students study math, science, languages, history, citizenship, and literature
until noon. From 2 to 6pm, they take
part in mandatory school activities, such as sports and the performing
arts. Soccer and chorus are the most
popular activities among the kids. “When
I grow up, I want to be a professional soccer player,” says 12-year-old Rhee,
echoing the wish of many boys here. “But
in case I do not qualify, I am studying hard to be an engineer, like my
father.”
At Rasin,
students perform well and the image of North Korea they portray is a pleasant
one. However, this is just one picture
of life inside North Korea. In this
Communist country, where the government tightly controls all aspects of life,
conditions are extremely difficult. An
estimated 2 million North Koreans have died of starvation since the early
1990’s. A combination of natural
disasters, including floods and drought, economic sanctions (trade
restrictions) by the United States and other countries, and disastrous
government policies have led to this deprivation.
Most North
Koreans, who consume very little protein or fat, suffer from dietary deficiencies. Fresh vegetables and fruit are scarce, and
meat, fish, and eggs are luxuries.
According to the United Nations World Food Program, the average
7-year-old North Korean boy is 8 inches shorter and about 22 pounds lighter than
a boy of the same age in South Korea.
From 1910
until the end of World War II, the Korean Peninsula was a Japanese colony. After Japan’s defeat in 1945, Korea was
divided. The Soviet Union controlled the
North, and the U.S. occupied the South.
Separate governments were formed in 1948. Since then, North Korea has had only three
leaders, Kim Il Sung, who died in 1994, and his son Kim Jong II who died in
2011, now his son Kim Jong Un.
In 1950,
North Korean troops invaded South Korea.
U.S. and United Nations forces defended South Korea against the North
and its Communist allies – the Soviet Union and China. After three years of fighting, a truce
(cease-fire) was declared. No permanent
peace treaty has ever been signed.
Today, the U.S. is concerned about North Korea’s development of nuclear
weapons. In 2003, the Bush
administration opened a dialogue with North Korea and its neighbors in an
effort to pressure the country to halt its weapons program. Since then, North Korean officials have sent
mixed signals about their willingness to participate in the talks.
On the
streets of Najin, the feeling is one of desolation. When government loud-speakers are not
broadcasting speeches and patriotic music, an eerie silence falls over the
city. Since few people can afford cars,
goods are typically transported on carts pulled by oxen or by people. Electricity is available only from 7:15am
until 6:30pm. The rest of the time,
darkness envelops the city, and almost no one goes outside. Winters are long and very cold, with no fuel
for heating except wood.
Many young
teens, forced to help support their families, cannot attend school. At a factory in Sunbong, an industrial zone
just north of Najin, girls spend long days stitching garments. Most make $2 to $4 (U.S.) a month. The legal working age is 15, but some girls
in the factory appear to be much younger.
It is
difficult to know how most North Korean teens feel about their lives. Foreign visitors to the country must have government
escorts with them at all times, and are allowed to visit only areas that the government
wants them to see. Foreigners are not
permitted to talk with ordinary North Koreans.
Speaking
against the government is strictly forbidden.
According to many human-rights organizations, the North Korean
government is holding about 200,000 political prisoners in camps, where forced
labor practices and torture are common.
At Rasin,
students routinely perform for foreign visitors and government officials. Their voices are sweet as they sing songs about
Kim Jong Il. And their smiles are
enhanced by bright lipstick. Yet a
visitor can’t help but notice how tiny and frail they seem when compared with
kids in the U.S. Despite patriotism,
these young people display, it seems clear that many North Koreans are barely
surviving.
Junior
Scholastic: February 7, 2005
Reading
Questions:
1. List three words or phrases that describe life
in North Korea.
2. How are North Korean schools different than
American schools?
3. Why
might the government play propaganda such as speeches and music over
loudspeakers in the city?
4. Who are North Korea’s allies?
5. Circle one:
North Koreans (ARE/ARE NOT) allowed to speak out against their
government.
6. Why would the government not want foreigners
to talk to ordinary citizens?
7. Describe the health of North Korean citizens.