DOCSLIB.ORG

Great Contribution to World Culture Order

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

KOREA TODAY No. 12, 2014 51 http://www.naenara.com.kp Great Contribution to World Culture Order Chairman Kim Jong Il received Great Contribution to World Culture Order from the Anna Pavlova Charity Foundation, Russia, in June 2006. 52 KOREA TODAY No. 12, 2014 KOREA TODAY Monthly Journal (702) Printed in English, Russian and Chinese C O N T E N T S Three Years of Immortality and Inheritance ··········································································· 3 Catalyst of Construction Boom······························································································ 5 Training Students Into Reliable Pillars ·················································································· 8 Bangladeshis Publish Books in Praise of Korea ······································································· 8 For the People’s Happiness··································································································· 9 Chollima Tiles ···················································································································10 Fortune of Korea················································································································12 Ushering in Anti-Japanese Armed Struggle ···········································································13 Noble Patriotism················································································································15 Socialist Constitution for the People ·····················································································16 KOREA TODAY No. 12, 2014 1 The Sun Shines in Our Hearts and Friendship Lights up the World··································································17 Mother’s Life ···········································································20 Stepping Stone·········································································22 Marvellous Efficacy of the Nano-Gold Injection·····························23 Researchers of Children’s Nutrition ············································24 Education Making Progress ·······················································25 Front Cover: DPRK women footballers won the 17th Winners of the 17th Asian Games ················································26 Asian Games Son of Ryongnamsan·································································28 Photos by courtesy A Glorious Sight Seen From the Chol Pass ···································29 of the KCNA Visit to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum············30 Sister and Brother Ceramists in Succession to Their Father ···········32 Family of Folk Musicians···························································33 Students’ Art Troupe Leaves Deep Impressions ····························34 The Fleet-steed Girl··································································36 An Elderly Woman’s Recollection················································37 Brisk Activities for Protection of the Disabled·······························38 Short Story My Subworkteam Members ·······················································39 Spring Beside Kumgang Cave Makes Vision Acute························41 Korean Folklore Museum ··························································42 Back Cover: Puyong Falls Mt. Chilbo Area Registered as World Biosphere Reserve ···············44 (October 2014) The Four Falls in Mt. Kumgang ·················································46 Photo by Choe Kyong Guk Joint Stamp Show Promotes Friendship ······································47 13502 ㄱ-48231 Serious Things in the Asia-Pacific···············································48 © The Foreign Language Address: Sochon-dong, Sosong District, Magazines 2014 Pyongyang, DPRK ISSN 0454–4072 E-mail: [email protected] 2 KOREA TODAY No. 12, 2014 Three Years of Immortality and Inheritance Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission (January 2011). T IS THREE YEARS SINCE THE KOREAN places. The towers dedicated to the immortality of I people had the greatest national loss of the de- the President and the Chairman and the mosaic mise of Chairman Kim Jong Il. Nevertheless, their murals depicting the beaming images of the respect for the Chairman has not diminished in the President and the Chairman were put up at many least, but rather has grown still intenser. This is places. They designated the Chairman’s birthday evident from the fact that the Korean people have the Day of the Shining Star and held colourful cele- carried the cause of immortalizing the Chairman brations in honour of his birthday every year. This to culmination while steadily inheriting his idea was an expression of the Korean people’s boundless and work. admiration for the Chairman who had performed In the past three years the Korean people have immortal feats for the motherland and the people, completely realized the cause of immortalizing the and a manifestation of their firm will to safeguard Chairman, yearning for him and firmly believing and glorify his revolutionary exploits. that he will always be with them. They laid the The Korean people have dynamically advanced Chairman in state in the Kumsusan Memorial Pal- along the road of independence, Songun and social- ace where President Kim Il Sung lies in state, ism during the three years as wished by the renamed the memorial palace the Kumsusan Palace Chairman, rising up with strength and vigour from of the Sun and arranged the palace as the sacred the sorrow of losing the Chairman. The 4th Confer- shrine of Juche. They erected the bronze statues of ence of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the 5th Ses- the President and the Chairman on Mansu Hill, sion of the 12th Supreme People’s Assembly in April followed by the erection of the bronze statues of the 2012 adopted a decision to designate Kim Jong Il Chairman at Kim Il Sung University and other as the eternal General Secretary of the Workers’ ► KOREA TODAY No. 12, 2014 3 ► Party of Korea and the eternal Chairman of the ries and enterprises such as the Chonji Lubricant National Defence Commission of the Democratic Factory, a complex of scientific research and produc- People’s Republic of Korea. This was an expression of tion, or renovated the existing factories. Moreover, the unshakable will of the Korean people to inherit they have vigorously carried on the national reunifi- the ideas and lines of the Chairman without any cation movement, true to the idea “By our nation deviation in the future. itself” elucidated by the Chairman. Actually, Kim Jong Il’s unique Songun revolu- All the remarkable changes that have taken tionary leadership has been carried forward invaria- place in these three years in Korea are inconceivable bly over the past three years. As a result, national apart from the wise leadership of the national leader defence capability has augmented remarkably, the Kim Jong Un and the Korean people’s high fidelity security of socialist Korea and peace in Northeast to his leadership and also from their devoted efforts. Asia have been guarded firmly, and the soldier- In December 2011 when the Korean people were builders of the People’s Army have grown into the overwhelmed with grief at the loss of the Chairman, main force making breakthrough on the socialist the world public expressed their deep condolence to construction sites. All the modern structures built them, but they little knew such astonishing changes fast and superbly including the Korean People’s would take place in Korea in the future. Despite the Army January 8 Fishing Station, Masikryong Ski unexpected passing of the leader, Korea remained Resort, Munsu Water Park, Songdowon Interna- unperturbed without any political upheaval or tional Children’s Camp, Unha Scientists Street and change. Rather, the respect of the people for their Wisong Scientists Dwelling District are associated late leader grew still higher, and they closely banded with the selfless work of the soldier-builders of the together round Kim Jong Un, the heir to the KPA. Meanwhile, the Korean people have focused ideology and cause of the Chairman. their efforts on the construction of the economy and The Korean people are now firmly convinced that improvement of the people’s living standards to has- the Chairman’s ideology and cause will be faithfully ten the building of a thriving socialist nation which carried forward because Kim Jong Un is at the was the wish of the Chairman. In this course, they helm. successfully launched the man-made satellite Kwangmyongsong 3-2 and newly built modern facto- Kim Il Bong The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun where President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il lie in state. 4 KOREA TODAY No. 12, 2014 Catalyst of Construction Boom KOREAN SAYING GOES actively encouraging their exer- cility newly built by a Korean A that “Ten years are enough tions. Last year the WPK brought People’s Army unit and called on to change mountains and rivers.” about the heyday of construction the KPA to take charge of supply- This, however, is no longer a by pooling the creativity of the ing fish to the orphanages, baby proper saying to epitomize things masses in a campaign to make the homes, orphans’ primary and in the country where modern Masikryong Speed, a mass-based middle schools and the elderly’s structures mushroom. Last year, innovation movement. This year homes throughout the country for example, edifices perfect in the WPK has opened a new golden every day all the year around. formative and artistic
Recommended publications
  • People for Profit: North Korean Forced Labour on a Global Scale Edited by Remco E

    People for Profit: North Korean Forced Labour on a Global Scale Edited by Remco E

    PEOPLE FOR PROFIT People for Profit North Korean Forced Labour on a Global Scale Edited by Remco E. Breuker & Imke B.L.H. van Gardingen Contributors Jan Blinka Britt C.H. Blom Marte C.H. Boonen Klara Boonstra Rosa Brandse Remco E. Breuker Imke B.L.H. van Gardingen Larissa van den Herik Tycho A. van der Hoog Marieke P. Meurs Cedric Ryngaert Shannon R. Stewart Anoma P. van der Veere This is an open source publication by LeidenAsiaCentre. Copyright © 2018 (authors). People for Profit: North Korean Forced Labour on a Global Scale Edited by Remco E. Breuker and Imke B.L.H. van Gardingen ISBN 978-90-826167-1-2 (hardback) ISBN 978-90-826167-3-6 (e-book) LeidenAsiaCentre is an independent research centre affiliated with Leiden University and made possible by a grant from the Vaes Elias Fund. The centre focuses on academic research with direct application to society. All research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide variety of partners from Dutch society. More information can be found on our website: www.leidenasiacentre.nl For contact or orders: [email protected] M. de Vrieshof 3, 2311 BZ Leiden, The Netherlands Book design: A.P. van der Veere Contents Contributors IX Acknowledgements XII Introduction Remco E. Breuker and Imke B.L.H. van Gardingen 1 Chapter I Setting the Background: Labour Conditions in the DPRK Remco E. Breuker 6 Chapter II Accountability for DPRK Workers in the Value Chain: The Case of Partner Shipyard, a Polish Shipbuilder and its Dutch Partners Imke B.L.H.
  • Special Report No

    Special Report No

    SPECIAL REPORT NO. 490 | FEBRUARY 2021 UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE w w w .usip.org North Korea in Africa: Historical Solidarity, China’s Role, and Sanctions Evasion By Benjamin R. Young Contents Introduction ...................................3 Historical Solidarity ......................4 The Role of China in North Korea’s Africa Policy .........7 Mutually Beneficial Relations and Shared Anti-Imperialism..... 10 Policy Recommendations .......... 13 The Unknown Soldier statue, constructed by North Korea, at the Heroes’ Acre memorial near Windhoek, Namibia. (Photo by Oliver Gerhard/Shutterstock) Summary • North Korea’s Africa policy is based African arms trade, construction of owing to African governments’ lax on historical linkages and mutually munitions factories, and illicit traf- sanctions enforcement and the beneficial relationships with African ficking of rhino horns and ivory. Kim family regime’s need for hard countries. Historical solidarity re- • China has been complicit in North currency. volving around anticolonialism and Korea’s illicit activities in Africa, es- • To curtail North Korea’s illicit activ- national self-reliance is an under- pecially in the construction and de- ity in Africa, Western governments emphasized facet of North Korea– velopment of Uganda’s largest arms should take into account the histor- Africa partnerships. manufacturer and in allowing the il- ical solidarity between North Korea • As a result, many African countries legal trade of ivory and rhino horns and Africa, work closely with the Af- continue to have close ties with to pass through Chinese networks. rican Union, seek cooperation with Pyongyang despite United Nations • For its part, North Korea looks to China, and undercut North Korean sanctions on North Korea.
  • Digital Trenches

    Digital Trenches

    Martyn Williams H R N K Attack Mirae Wi-Fi Family Medicine Healthy Food Korean Basics Handbook Medicinal Recipes Picture Memory I Can Be My Travel Weather 2.0 Matching Competition Gifted Too Companion ! Agricultural Stone Magnolia Escpe from Mount Baekdu Weather Remover ERRORTelevision the Labyrinth Series 1.25 Foreign apps not permitted. Report to your nearest inminban leader. Business Number Practical App Store E-Bookstore Apps Tower Beauty Skills 2.0 Chosun Great Chosun Global News KCNA Battle of Cuisine Dictionary of Wisdom Terms DIGITAL TRENCHES North Korea’s Information Counter-Offensive DIGITAL TRENCHES North Korea’s Information Counter-Offensive Copyright © 2019 Committee for Human Rights in North Korea Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior permission of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 435 Washington, DC 20036 P: (202) 499-7970 www.hrnk.org Print ISBN: 978-0-9995358-7-5 Digital ISBN: 978-0-9995358-8-2 Library of Congress Control Number: 2019919723 Cover translations by Julie Kim, HRNK Research Intern. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gordon Flake, Co-Chair Katrina Lantos Swett, Co-Chair John Despres,
  • Understanding Korea 8 Tourism & Investment

    Understanding Korea 8 Tourism & Investment

    UNDERSTANDING KOREA 8 TOURISM & INVESTMENT PYONGYANG, KOREA Juche 106 (2017) UNDERSTANDING KOREA 8 TOURISM & INVESTMENT Foreign Languages Publishing House Pyongyang, Korea Juche 106 (2017) CONTENTS 1. Tourism Resources.................................................1 2. Major Tourist Attractions .......................................1 3. Pyongyang, a Tourist Destination...........................2 4. Monumental Structures in Pyongyang....................2 5. Grand Monument on Mansu Hill............................2 6. Tower of the Juche Idea..........................................3 7. Monument to Party Founding .................................4 8. Chollima Statue.......................................................5 9. Arch of Triumph .....................................................6 10. Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum and Monument to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War ....................7 11. Monument to the Three Charters for National Reunification......................................8 12. Parks and Pleasure Grounds in Pyongyang.............9 13. Moran Hill ............................................................10 14. Kaeson Youth Park ...............................................10 15. Rungna People’s Pleasure Ground........................11 16. Pyongyang, a Time-Honoured City ......................12 17. Royal Tombs in Pyongyang..................................13 18. Mausoleum of King Tangun................................. 13 19. Mausoleum of King Tongmyong.......................... 14 20.
  • PK2014-06-OCR.Pdf

    PK2014-06-OCR.Pdf

    CONTENTS Δ Re-election of Kim Jong Un as First Chairman of the DPRK NDC ...............1 Δ First Session of the 13th SPA of the DPRK Held ....................................2 Δ Mega Event of the Nation, Unshakeable Will .................................4 Δ Hall of Wax Replica Open to Public .....5 Δ Brilliant History, Immortal Exploits • Achieving Invincible Single-hearted Unity ...................................................6 • Giving Priority to Improving People’s Living Standards ..................8 Δ History of Friendship ............................10 Δ The 29th April Spring Friendship Art Festival ..................................................16 Δ I Am Sure of Bright Future of Korea ....19 Δ It Was Impressive Days ........................19 Δ Voice of the World Aspiring to Independence .......................................20 Δ Aerospace Exploration in the DPRK ....21 Δ Putting Great Efforts into Technical Innovation ............................................22 Δ For Clean Environment ........................24 Δ Pencil Drawings Mirror Juvenile Mind .....................................................26 Δ Happy Children.....................................28 Δ Tours of Korea Get Brisk ......................30 Δ Special Foods of Pyongyang ................33 Δ International Marathon Race Held in Pyongyang............................................34 Δ Calling for Implementation of North-South Joint Declaration .............36 Δ History Tells Who Started Korean War .......................................................38
  • North Korea Children's Day and Dragon Boat Festival Budget Tour

    North Korea Children's Day and Dragon Boat Festival Budget Tour

    North Korea Children's Day and Dragon Boat Festival Budget Tour May 31st – June 4th 2022 4 nights in North Korea + Beijing-Pyongyang travel time OVERVIEW There is a famous saying in North Korea that 'Children are the Kings of the Country' and significant attention is devoted to children's upbringing and education. International Children's Day on the 1st of June is particularly important and celebrations are held in recognition of children throughout North Korea. This is a day that is usually marked by student-oriented activities, events, and celebrations. We'll spend the holiday in the capital Pyongyang out and about in the city visiting locations popular with schoolchildren and their families, letting out our inner child and joining in the fun! This tour is ideal for those who are looking for an active week in North Korea and willing to take three extar days off for the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival long weekend. Looking for a quick escape out of China? Put that zongzi down and look no further. This action-packed week getaway is an introduction to North Korea through outdoor and indoor activities. Early risers can have a morning run on Pyongyang's Sports Street and be overtaken by North Korean athletes during their morning training. Get the rare chance to tour the highlights of Pyongyang by bike before finishing off at Munsu Water Park to relax with the locals. This will also get you to the DMZ, the most heavily fortified border on earth, and a viewpoint of the Concrete Wall, an anti-tank barrier built in the 1970s by the south across the entire DMZ.
  • The Koreas and the Policy/Culture Nexus

    The Koreas and the Policy/Culture Nexus

    Two States, One Nation: The Koreas and the Policy/Culture Nexus Jacqueline Willis Institute for Culture and Society University of Western Sydney A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. © 2013 Acknowledgements I would like to especially thank my principal supervisor Professor James Arvanitakis for the unfailing guidance, encouragement and support he has given me throughout my candidature. His academic expertise, enthusiasm and assuring presence have provided the motivation, confidence and direction needed to complete this intellectually stimulating, though sometimes daunting task. I gratefully acknowledge and extend immeasurable thanks for his mentorship, editorship and invaluable feedback, without which this thesis could not have been written. I would also like to acknowledge the input of my co-supervisor Professor Brett Neilson, whose expert knowledge and recommendations have proven invaluable to the development and completion of this thesis. Special thanks and acknowledgement must also be given to Shin Yoon Ju for providing Korean-English translations, as well as to Brian J. McMorrow, Grete Howard, Eric Testroete, Chris Wood, Raymond Cunningham and fellow Korea researcher, Christopher Richardson, for generously allowing me to use and reproduce their personal photographs. Thanks too to those affiliated with the Institute for Culture and Society at the University of Western Sydney, for their committed nurturing of my academic development and ambitions over the course of my doctoral enrolment. Finally, I would like to extend gratitude to my family, friends and colleagues for always encouraging me in my academic endeavours. Their patience, unwavering support and steadfast faith in my ability have been powerful incentives, driving and sustaining me in my scholarly pursuits.
  • The Political Bureau of the Central Committee Of

    The Political Bureau of the Central Committee Of

    Political Bureau of WPK Central Committee Met CONTENTS he Political Bureau of the Central Committee of Δ Political Bureau of WPK Central Tthe Workers’ Party of Korea met on April 11 at the Committee Met‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 1 headquarters building of the WPK Central Committee. Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers’ Party Δ Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the armed Inspects Army Units‥ ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 2 forces of the DPRK, attended the meeting. Δ Third Session of the 14th SPA Present there were also members and alternate members of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central of the DPRK Held‥ ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 4 Committee. Upon authorization of the Political Bureau of the Δ Pyongyang Yesterday and Today‥‥‥ 6 Party Central Committee, Chairman Kim Jong Un Δ Kangwon Province Prospers presided over the meeting. The meeting decided its agenda items. by Dint of Self-reliance‥‥‥‥‥‥ 14 Discussing its first agenda item, the meeting Δ Spring of Namri Village emphasized the need to consistently take strict national countermeasures to cope with the steady spread of the in Mangyongdae‥ ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 20 pandemic and thoroughly check the inroads of the virus. Δ Training into Masters of Sky‥‥‥‥ 22 It studied and discussed issues of adjusting and Δ Centenarian Woman‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 24 changing some policy tasks in the implementation of the decisions made at the Fifth Plenary Meeting of the Δ For the Football Development Seventh Central Committee of the WPK in view of the of the Country‥ ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 25 prevailing internal and external climates. A joint resolution of the Central Committee of the Δ Blessed Triplets‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 26 WPK, the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and the DPRK Cabinet “On more thoroughly taking state Δ Chollima General Building-Materials measures to protect our people’s lives and safety from Factory‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 28 the worldwide epidemic” was adopted at the meeting.
  • May Day Short Tour May Day Is One of the Best Times to Visit North Korea

    May Day Short Tour May Day Is One of the Best Times to Visit North Korea

    May Day Short Tour May Day is one of the best times to visit North Korea during the calendar year for the fine weather and festivities. Also known as International Workers’ Day, or Labour Day, the May Day celebration is a day off and locals take to the outdoors for picnics, dancing, and sports - and you can join in too! In Pyongyang, there is an annual festival held at Mt. Taesong with musical performances and traditional folk games. Spring is in the air and May Day offers a good chance to meet the locals and learn about everyday leisure in North Korea. In addition to the highlights of the North Korean capital Pyongyang and taking a day trip out to visit historic Kaesong and the DMZ, we’ll have time for walks in the city, dining at Pyongyang’s most famous restaurant, shopping at the local Kwangbok supermarket, a picnic lunch. Plus, a volleyball game against a Korean company team. Volleyball is one of the most popular sports in North Korea and almost every company, school, office, section, or unit has a team! See if you can beat them! The Experts in Travel to Rather Unusual Destinations. [email protected] | +86 10 6416 7544 | www.koryotours.com 27 Bei Sanlitun Nan, Chaoyang District, 100027, Beijing, China The Experts in Travel to Rather Unusual Destinations. [email protected] | +86 10 6416 7544 | www.koryotours.com 27 Bei Sanlitun Nan, Chaoyang District, 100027, Beijing, China Download our new (and free!) Koryo Tours North Korea Guide Book for full descriptions of locations on the itinerary below.
  • PK2019-12-OCR.Pdf

    PK2019-12-OCR.Pdf

    CONTENTS Δ Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Climbs up Mt Paektu ....1 Δ Pyongyang Ostrich Farm ..................................................24 Δ Supreme Leader Gives Guidance to Various Units ..........2 Δ To Increase Aquatic Resources .........................................28 Δ Journey to Peace and Prosperity in 2019 .........................8 Δ Pyongyang Subway ..........................................................30 Δ Mountain Villages Transformed Δ Family of Teachers in Sohung .........................................34 beyond Recognition .........................................................20 Δ Children’s Paduk Contest Held ........................................36 Δ Hyesan-Samjiyon Railroad Opened ................................20 Δ Girl’s Dream Comes True ................................................38 Δ We Are Yearning for Your Benevolent Image .................22 Δ Reliving the Time-honoured History ................................40 FRONT COVER: Mt Paektu, the sacred mountain of the revolution Pictorial KOREA is published in Korean, Chinese, Russian and English. Photo: Kong Yu Il Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Climbs up Mt Paektu 1 Supreme Leader Gives Guidance to Various Units Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un visits Samjiyon County to provide fi eld guidance at the construction sites The Supreme Leader gives field guidance at the construction site of the Yangdok County hot spring resort that nears completion Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un continued his energetic guidance for the sake of the prosperity of the country and the
  • North Korea Security Briefing

    North Korea Security Briefing

    Companion report HP Security Briefing Episode 16, August 2014 Profiling an enigma: The mystery of North Korea’s cyber threat landscape HP Security Research Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 3 Research roadblocks ...................................................................................................................................... 4 Ideological and political context .................................................................................................................... 5 Juche and Songun ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Tension and change on the Korean Peninsula .......................................................................................... 8 North Korean cyber capabilities and limitations ......................................................................................... 10 North Korean infrastructure.................................................................................................................... 10 An analysis of developments in North Korean cyberspace since 2010 .................................................. 14 North Korean cyber war and intelligence structure ................................................................................ 21 North Korean cyber and intelligence organizational chart ....................................................................
  • North Korean Realism, Conservatism and Ultranationalist Propaganda

    North Korean Realism, Conservatism and Ultranationalist Propaganda

    ESSAY, 14 December 2016 North Korean Realism, conservatism and ultranationalist propaganda Culture and the aesthetic theory of Juche: a journey around North Korea through cinema, propaganda, human rights, graphic novels and contemporary art. AUTHOR: Dario Giovanni Alì In 2013, the United Nations Human Rights Council set up a committee of inquiry with the aim of shedding light on the current humanitarian emergency in North Korea, accused of committing numerous human and civil rights violations against its population. The accounts of refugees and the documents that have been gathered have led to a report of 372 pages in which the committee provides a detailed list of examples of discrimination and acts of violence. Besides the usual and, sadly, well-known forms of repression used by totalitarian regimes (social exclusion policies, kidnapping, torture, summary executions, etc.), the report does offer insights into an aspect that was unknown to the rest of the world until only a few years ago: the structure and organisation of North Korean society. Songbun Although the principles of equality and non-discrimination are enshrined in its constitution, North Korean society is organised into a system of 5 social castes (subdivided, in their turn, into 51 sub-categories), each of which enjoys specific privileges or restrictions on the basis of political, social and economic criteria. This system, which has a decisive effect on citizens’ lives, is called Songbun and serves to create a small ruling class that ensures the stability of the Kim dynasty, which has been in power since the foundation of the state (1948). People born into a family with a high degree of songbun will be assured a better quality of life from birth: they will almost certainly live in Pyongyang (where the country’s elite live), attend the best schools and universities, have the right to better healthcare and will probably obtain a prestigious position in society.