North Korea The Real Oceania By Mr. Arizmendez

Background Things began to fall apart in the 1990’s after the fall of the USSR. Korean economy begins to fall apart as a result. Famine takes hold of the country from 1990 to Korea falls into darkness, literally. With no fuel aid from the USSR, the energy infrastructure breaks down. The massive power outages that darken the country become a part of regular life.

North Korea is dark

The Kims-Supreme Rulers for Life Kim Il Sung Kim Jong IL Kim Jong Un (12/2011-) (Named “Sexiest Man Alive” by the Onion Newspaper)

Just like Orwell’s 1984 Propaganda poster are found everywhere. Public executions are announced for several days over loudspeaker and people in the area are told to attend. Kim Posters are in color most everything else is black and white. Each person is required to carry a “citizen’s certificate” everywhere they go. “We will do as the party tells us.” Quote from an actual propaganda billboard in North Korea. Sexuality is stigmatized. Kissing is forbidden in movies and television. Couples date for years before even holding hands, some wait up to five before kissing. Teens are encouraged to join “The Socialist Youth League.” They help to report non party activities and ensure that all North Korean are not violating the national dress code. Workers must spend two hours of Ideological Training after work in their factories auditorium.

Bizarre World Say something against the government, earn a three day interrogation complete with beatings. Many workers go to work and do not get paid! Doctors must find and pick their own herbal medicines to prescribe to their patients. By 1996, dogs and frogs were nearly extinct in N. Korea. Reports of cannibalism surfaced in the late 1990’s. During the famine of the 1990’s, people began to eat many unusual “foods” including the corn cobs, corn husks, grass and weeds, and pine tree bark! Private car ownership is illegal. You must have a “Travel Permit” to spend the night at a friends house. This policy discourages pre-marital sex. Between 1995 and 2008, the United States provided North Korea with over $1.3 billion in assistance: just over 50% for food aid and about 40% for energy assistance. Aid ended because of new plans for rocket programs and nuclear development. Many teens in N. Korea have heads that are too large for their bodies. This is a common side effect of malnutrition and starvation.

In The News 12/13/12 SEOUL/TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea successfully launched a rocket on Wednesday, boosting the credentials of its new leader and stepping up the threat the isolated and impoverished state poses to opponents. The rocket, which North Korea says put a weather satellite into orbit, has been labeled by the United States, South Korea and Japan as a test of technology that could one day deliver a nuclear warhead capable of hitting targets as far away as the continental United States. "The satellite has entered the planned orbit," a North Korean television news reader clad in traditional Korean garb announced, after which the station played patriotic songs with the lyrics "Chosun (Korea) does what it says". The rocket was launched just before 10 a.m. (0100 GMT), according to defense officials in South Korea and Japan, and was more successful than a rocket launched in April that flew for less than two minutes.

After this slide show, I can expect that every person in this class will no longer confuse N. Korea with South Korea.

North Korea-Scary Depressing and Oppressive

South Korea- hip and happenin’

A reporter sneaks into North Korea by bribing Chinese border officialsA reporter sneaks into North Korea by bribing Chinese border officials. Renegade reporter Shane Smith did the impossible and snuck into North Korea in “Getting into North Korea was one of the weirdest processes VBS has ever dealt with.” Shane Smith

Article Reading and Writing Assignment 1.Answer the questions on the article entitled “Nothing to Envy.” 2.On the same paper, Write a short three paragraph essay with a thesis on the topic: What do you think should be done about North Korea?