Everyday Life The North Korean people live under a strict communist regime. They have no say in how their country is managed. The central government controls nearly every aspect of life in the country. Most jobs don’t have salaries. Food and clothing are mostly provided by the government. People who do have a job with a paycheck earn around $1,500 per year. The majority of North Korean people are very poor. They don’t have things like washing machines, fridges, or even bicycles. Practicing a religion is not allowed as the state sees it as a threat. Instead, children are raised to worship Kim Il Sung, “the President for life”. There are over 34,000 statues of Kim Il Sung in North Korea, and all wedding ceremonies must take place in front of one. Portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il can be found pretty much everywhere. All citizens must hang these portraits, which are provided by the government. Once a month, the police come over and check whether the portraits are still hanging and properly taken care of. Electricity is very unreliable in the country; most homes only have electricity a few hours per day. When buildings on one side of the street are blacked out, the other side gets electricity. When this situation occurs, there is a mad rush of children who run to their friends’ apartments on the other side. Internet is only available to the elite in North Korea. Even cellphones are extremely rare. Only people who are trusted by the government can buy a cell phone, but they must pay a registration fee of $825. There are only 300,000 cars in North Korea. Nevertheless, the regime takes traffic control very seriously. In case there is a power outage, female traffic directors take over. These traffic directors are personally hand- picked by Kim Jong Un; only the most beautiful girls are chosen for this job. North Korea is the most militarized country in the world. The government spends more than 30% of its tax income on the military, and all men must serve at least 10 years in the army. It is not easy to be a soldier; the conditions are tough, discipline is harsh, and food supplies are poor. When people want to buy a TV, they must report this to the authorities. The government wants to ensure that the TVs are tuned to the official channels only. All TV and radio channels are run by the state, and foreign channels are against the law. Because of this, most North Korean people have no idea of world events. They only see the things that the government wants them to see. Foreign books, magazines, and newspapers are not allowed. Company workers have to allow a lot of time to go to their work. Most transportation systems are unreliable, and being late for work is totally unacceptable. It is not that there is so much work to do, but the government says that being late “aids the enemy”. Exercise 8: Are the following statements about life in North Korea true or false? 1) There are no washing machines, fridges, 6) TVs are set up in such a way that only ( ) ( ) government channels can be watched. and bicycles in North Korea. 2) People are not allowed to worship Jesus. ( ) 7) North Korea has the largest army in the world. ( ) 3) The best traffic directors are chosen ( ) 8) Images of the leaders can be found pretty ( ) because there is a lot of traffic. much everywhere. 4) Many people don’t have electricity ( ) 9) Most people have no idea what the world ( ) because the government doesn’t allow it. outside North Korea is like. 5) Internet is not available for ordinary ( ) 10) People can buy a cellphone for $825. ( ) people. Exercise 9: Answer the questions about everyday life in North Korea. 3) Why do you think that the North Korean 1) Things as the internet, TVs, cellphones and cars are very normal in our lives; but in North Korea these government portrays Americans as bad people? things are luxury items, and only a few people can afford them. Which of the previously mentioned _____________________________________________________________ things would you miss the most if you lived in North _____________________________________________________________ Korea? Explain. _____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ ________________________ __________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 2) Why do you think that the North Korean people are ________________________________________________ __________ not allowed to watch foreign TV, use the internet and _____________________________________________________________ travel__________________________________________________________ abroad? _____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Attractions Kim Il Sung Square Juche Tower Kim Il Sung Square is a massive square that is located The Juche Tower is a in the center of Pyongyang. The square covers an area monument in the city of 800,000 square of Pyongyang. The feet and can tower was built to accommodate over commemorate Kim Il 100,000 people. Sung’s 70th birthday. Every year, a The government claims that the monument was massive military designed by Kim Jong Il. Visitors can go to the top of parade is held here. the 490 feet tower and enjoy the view of the city. Demilitarized Zone When the Korean War officially ended in 1953, Korea was separated into two parts. The border between the two parts of Korea is referred to as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and is 1.25 miles wide. The site has been a tourist attraction, due to its historical importance. Many tourists are fascinated by the diversity between the two countries that can clearly be seen at the DMZ. The Joint Security Area, which can be seen in the Kumsusan Memorial Palace picture, is used to hold negotiations between the two The Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang was the nations. residence of Kim Il Sung. The palace is now the largest mausoleum in the world that is dedicated to a Communist leader. The embalmed bodies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lay inside the palace. USS Pueblo The USS Pueblo is an American Navy ship that was captured by North Korea in 1968. The military relocated the ship to the Taeodong River in Pyongyang and it now serves as a museum. Ryugyong Hotel The Ryugyong Hotel is a 105-story hotel in the center of Pyongyang. The construction of the building started in 1987 but was only completed in 2011. The pyramid shaped structure is 1080 feet tall and is by far the tallest building in North Korea. Exercise 10: Choose the best answers for the questions below. 1) Which of the following landmarks was built 4) The Demilitarized Zone is ... as a monument for Kim Sung Il? a. a tourist attraction spanning its entire length. a. Juche Tower b. Kim Jong Il Square b. an area where both North and South Korea can meet. c. DMZ d. USS Pueblo c. the border between North and South Korea without soldiers. d. a monument to the Korean War. 2) North Korea’s annual military parade is held … 5) Which place is a tomb for the North Korean rulers? a. in front of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace. a. The Ryugyong b. The DMZ b. in the Demilitarized Zone. c. Kumsusan Memorial Palace d. none of the above c. around the Juche Tower. d. on Kim Il Sung Square. 6) Which of the following statements is true? a. The Juche Tower is a monument for Kim Jong Il. 3) The USS Pueblo ... b. Ryugyong is the residence of the North Korean government.