Inside North Korea - Day 4

August 23, 2011
(Picture-taking was prohibited today)

Today started out slow. I had a short walk around our compound but there wasn't anything interesting really. After breakfast we headed to the beach. There were lots of people there. I walked around and eventually sat down. Someone from the group came and sat next to me. She wanted to speak to some people but wanted me to translate. We talked to a few people and were eventually invited to sit with them and have clams. The man who spoke the most was a manager at a shoe factory in Pyongyang (the beach was in Nampo). He said they came about once a week on their day off. His wife was a Taekwondo teacher. That was really the most interesting thing from the beach. The whole thing was likely staged anyway. We drove into Nampo City for lunch after that. When lunch ended we kind of made our way outside to the bus slowly. One member of our group bought a popsicle and most of the group was just standing around chatting while I was trying to search for a possible interlocutor. Just then, a little boy approached the guy with the popsicle and held out his hand. I couldn't tell if any words were exchanged or not. The boy wore a blue shirt that was tucked in with dark shorts. He was very dirty and had a skinned knee. It looked as though there was something was wrong with his stomach - a large lump or serious bloating. I believe he was an orphan. A woman came out of the restaurant where we had just eaten, grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him across the street. She took him behind a van where I couldn't see them, so I walked to a better vantage point. I still couldn't see what was going on but I was definitely less conspicuous. Eventually she emerged from behind the van alone. I decided to find the chocolate on the bus that I had brought as a gift. After the lady was gone I called him over to me and gave him a chocolate. I was hesitant to give him the entire box. I was worried what a whole box of chocolates would do to a starving little orphan. He took the piece of candy and ran away. I looked around for other poor orphans like him but didn't see anyone. Then he appeared again by the corner of our bus, still nearby the restaurant entrance, and there were a few people from the group asking me about the incident because they saw me giving something to him before. I dismissed the people in my group and called the boy over again and gave him about 4-5 pieces. He immediately appeared to be determined to ration the bounty. Then, one of the girls from the group asked me if she should give him her half full water bottle. I hastily took it from her and gave it to the little boy. Just then, the lady came back out from the restaurant (probably because she saw an unnatural group forming) and the boy ran. I told him that I was afraid he would get in trouble, so he should eat quickly. I felt terrible that I couldn't do anything else for him. 

Obviously not the boy I interacted with, but certainly representative.

Next, we left Nampo and headed back toward Pyongyang. On the bus I couldn't get my mind off the little boy. As the bus pulled out we drove by the boy, still running down the street, looking back every so often to make sure no one was following him. I hope he made it away safely. On the way out of the city, as I reflected on the incident we drove by a building where the pictures of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il were prominently displayed. I couldn't help but feel anger and sadness that the "paradise" they had created generated a culture where the restaurant employee would scold and abuse a starving orphan rather than succor him. Make no mistake, she was working under orders from the Party that tourists were not to see evidence of poverty. Next, we left Nampo and headed up to Pyongyang. On the way we stopped at Ch'ongsan-ri where there is a famous co-op farm. We were told that both Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il have frequently visited this particular farm. We were shown the main home on the farm where the head farmer and his family live. They fed us some pears grown on their farm and mineral water from a well on their farm. Interestingly, those were the only things in their refrigerator. We had been told that we would work in the fields with them for an hour or two. After a brief Q & A with the family, our guide Mr. Han said that we'd like to go to work in the fields. The head farmer said no, there wasn't any work to be done. His wife added that the fields were so far away, etc. and as the excuses built up, I feared that we wouldn't get to do anything. Then, Mr. Han said, "I've made a promise, I must keep my promise." So they agreed to let us pull some weeds. After about a 15 minute wait 9 or 10 women appeared in very nice clothes. I grabbed a spade and began working with one, Sungmi Lee (리성미). I chatted with her as we worked. First, I just tried to get to know her - her name, family, hometown - to which she asked me the same questions. She repeatedly suggested that I must be tired and should therefore rest. I told her no, that I wouldn't rest until she did. She rolled up her pants and kept working. I told her that I drove a tractor in high school and that my parents had both grown up on a farm. She asked if I was a farmer. I told her that I was a student studying foreign language education. I found out that she was two years younger than me, so I called her 성미동무 or comrade Sungmi. She asked me about how I spoke Korean. I told her I was interested in Korea and if you're gonna visit a place, you should learn to speak the language. I then asked if I could ask her something about Korea. She was compliant. I asked her what she thought about reunification (thinking that was a safe topic because it is so prevalent on signs, in the propaganda, and in conversation here). She seemed hesitant so I told her that she did not have to answer. She looked around quickly, then continued working. After a moment she then said that it would be a shame if it did not happen. (통일이 안 됐으면 참 안 됐을 겁니다.) This response shocked me. Reunification is spoken of as a certainty here. It's not a question of "if", but "when". So to hear her phrase it in uncertain terms, as though the possibility that Korea would not reunify was a hard to bear, yet realistic possibility, was startling. Her response was still a safe one that, if overheard by anyone else, could be passed off as nothing, maintaining some amount of deniable plausibility. I quickly followed up her response with a statement intended to reassure her that her responses would not get her in trouble, and that my inquiries were out of pure curiosity. I said that I have asked this same question to many of my South Korean friends. She eagerly asked what they think, disregarding her previous caution. I told her that some are losing hope. My words pierced her to the heart; it showed in her face and her whole body, she was shocked (완전 충격 받았어요), she almost fell backward. She asked why and I said something about so much time having gone by without any resolution. I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth, that the economic ramifications alone dissuade most South Koreans from even thinking about reunification. She innocently ascribed the loss of hope to the South Korean government, specifically mentioning President Myoungbak Lee's poor management of the country. After a moment I asked if I might ask her a different question. She looked around, then buried her head back into the work of pulling weeds and gave me an almost imperceptible, assenting nod. I asked what she felt about Kim Jong Un's leadership ability. If she wasn't hesitant already, this question certainly made her anxious. Again, I let her know that she did not have to answer. After a moment she replied that he is his father's son and so he would be a great leader. I realized this question may have been too far over the line, so I clarified that at such a young age the responsibility could be be quite heavy and that was all I wanted to know about. She acknowledged that it may indeed be challenging. A moment later a worker a few feet away called to Sungmi saying that they were all taking a break, so we stopped. I feel that I made a friend, she almost seemed sad to see me go, yet probably a bit relieved. Each time I have an experience that I count to be one of the most unique of my life I realize that it is equally unique to my North Korean counterparts. How I hope that they do not forget too quickly our brief interactions, I know I will not. We got on the bus and continued on to Pyongyang again. There, we went to a middle school to play with the kids. We played a soccer game with boys (9-10 years old). It was a blast! I was grateful for the Muir family soccer games that prepared me for my North Korean debut. We split up the boys on to 2 teams and then everyone from our group who wanted to play split up on to the 2 teams. We came up with cheers, ran our hearts out, and just had fun in general for nearly 2 hours. then we gave our gifts to their principal and took pictures together.

Next, we made our way over to the hotel, showered, and then were off to dinner at a duck restaurant that was delicious. On the way I suddenly found myself explaining my religious beliefs to 2-3 members of our group, conversations that lasted for a good portion of the meal, too. Our last activity of the night was going to the 개선청년공원 (Kaesun Youth Park), an amusement park. It had a roller coaster and several large rides that spin you till you puke your guts out. There were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people. Our group was watched closely and not permitted to interact much with anyone. 95% of the people there were very well off. I tried buying ice cream but they gave it to me for free. On the bus ride back to the hotel someone asked Mr. Han what CNC meant. He explained that it meant Computerized Numeric Calculation or something like that. Basically, it is a new emphasis by the Party and Kim Jong Il to push for a technological revolution (in farming mostly). I have been talking with a guy in our group about Kim Jong Un quite a bit and he thinks that technology will be Kim Jong Un's banner - the 3rd revolution. So I asked Mr. Han in a round about way if this was the case. He kind of talked in circles around it and avoided talking about Kim Jong Un all together. Based on my two inquiries today about Kim Jong Un, it just seems like the people haven't been told what to think about him yet, and so they don't really know how to respond. It was a very long day, my last full day in North Korea. I will truly miss it, but I cannot wait to be with Emily again.

Inside North Korea - Day 3

Aug 22, 2011

The ondol (온돌) floor heating system was so hot last night that it woke me up in the middle of the night. I got up and went into the next room and ended up falling asleep on the floor in there. When I finally woke up I got ready and walked outside shortly before the rest of the group and I walked around the "hotel" complex and peered out onto the streets. There was a very small channel of water running through the complex. Because of the drought conditions this summer the water level was low enough for me to jump down into the ravine without having to walk in the water. I made my way to the boundary of the grounds where the water was flowing out through a metal grating that appeared like prison bars. In fact, both of our accommodations thus far have felt strangely confining. They clearly don't want any stray tourists making their way out into the local communities without any supervision. Through the metal bars I could see the people of Kaesung busily going to and fro on an early Monday morning. In particular, a few children caught my eye.

After breakfast we walked through town to a large statue of Kim Il Sung situated on the top of a hill central to the city. Kim Il Sung visited this particular hill once while inspecting the city and from the hill top he surveyed the city and declared that the traditional sector should be preserved and the remainder of the city should be modernized. (Of course, the traditional sector looked completely dilapidated and the modernized sector looked only less dilapidated.) 

The view looking out from the base of the statue.

 

Me sitting very far in front of the statue. The actual size of the enormous statue is distorted by the perspective of the photo.

As the group looked out over the city I squatted down nearby a little boy who was there keeping the site clean. He said "hi" to me in English, so I approached him. He was pretty tentative to speak with me, but I was persistent as I spoke to him in Korean. I asked him how old he was. He said he was ten, then he said twelve. I teased him for lying to me. He looked to me like he was no more than seven or eight years old. He then pointed to my camera and asked what it was. I told him the name of it in Korean (사진기) and he had a blank look on his face. So I decided to show him what it was. I took a picture of him and then showed him the picture.

He was rather amazed. So much so, that he called over to some other little boys nearby but they couldn't hear him. So, I took a picture of them, too, and showed it to him.

By this time he was pretty excited. I noticed that he had some crickets in his hand, so I asked him what they were and if he tried catching them often. He called them (잠자리) or dragonflies. Then I noticed that the group was leaving the spot so I told him that I had to leave. He asked me if I would be coming every day. Sadly, I had to tell him that I would not. It broke my heart. (I also spent some time teaching him English words like rock, tree, leaf, etc.) We left Kaesung on the bus at that point and headed toward the DMZ (DeMilitarized Zone - 10 Km wide area that forms the border between North and South Korea). This was my second trip to the DMZ. I have now toured it once from each side. From the North it is relatively casual. They appear to view the DMZ as dangerous, but it was more like a border than a tense war zone as it is depicted in the South. (Both depictions may be each respective nation's own form of propaganda aimed at tourists, too.) We were guided around various buildings where the armistice was signed and other places as well as the Joint Security building where a 50 cm cement block outside separates the two Koreas, but on the inside one may roam freely between them.

The stone plaque outside the building where the armistice was signed. Message me for the entertaining translation.

The Joint Security Area

We had to walk around in lines, two by two, from building to building. One of our minders, Mr. Han (한주학) speaks to me in Korean because I told him at the airport when he met us that I wanted to practice. Throughout the tour of the DMZ he translated the description of each place as narrated by a KPA officer (Korean People's Army - the North Korean military). The KPA officer only narrated in Korean because it was "official business", though we later found out that his English was remarkably good. Before going to the building where the Armistice was signed we formed our lines and I was in the front. Mr. Han spoke to me in Korean in front of the KPA officer, Mr. Kim, who previously wasn't fully aware that I spoke or understood Korean, though he was suspicious because I had nodded a few times at what he was saying in a narration before it was translated into English. Occasionally the translation did not come through very accurately, especially when referencing the dirty American Imperialists. Mr. Han asked me if it was my first or second time visiting the DMZ. I told him it was my second; once from the South and now, once from the North. At this, Mr. Kim (the KPA officer) noted that my Korean was exceptional and then asked where I was from. I told him that I live in California. Our entire conversation was in Korean, so no one else in the group nearby understood what was transpiring. He noted that California was on the west coast, which I confirmed. He commented that California was probably the closest state of the U.S. to North Korea, which I also confirmed (we conveniently ignored Alaska and Hawaii.) He then told me that his country had developed missiles strong enough to go over the ocean and strike California. To this I was stunned. He spoke with a straight face and cooly. I couldn't respond with more than an acknowledging smile. He then asked if I was not frightened (무섭지 않습니까?) to which I replied after some hesitation that I had indeed heard talk of such missiles. After a moment he smiled and said that it could be frightening but that it was nothing. I believe he wanted a reaction from me, something to justify what he is constantly told, that foreign nations, especially the U.S., cower to the power and might of North Korea. I did not give him the satisfaction. The interesting thing is that he said these things as though they were the first thoughts that came to his mind after realizing where I was from. The remainder of that visit was relatively uneventful but I did manage to get a picture with him.

We had lunch back in Kaesung and then we drove back to Pyongyang. In Pyongyang we visited the National Library. Here, we visited several different rooms full of 90's era technology. We were guided by a female guide and an older gentleman. The older gentleman, come to find out, is a very high ranking official at the library. One member of the group asked to see a few art books (because he is interested in propaganda art). The older gentleman got a couple of books and began talking to the other guy from our group (who happens to speak some Korean). During the conversation I flipped through a book and was halted by a picture titled "저고리" or traditional Korean jacket. The painting was stunning and I later was fortunate to get a picture of it. I then joined their conversation which turned to language and I said that in order to understand a person you had to speak his language, that through language you can understand a person's way of thinking and their life. For example, the Juche ideology is only comprehensible to one who speaks 조선말 (North Korean dialect). To this he exclaimed that I was exactly right, the great Juche philosophy could only be understood by those who understand Korea & it's language. I made a friend in this man. When we left the library I said a special good-bye to him. He told me "또 오십시오" (Please, come back) to which I replied, I certainly will. On the road from Kaesung to Pyongyang we stopped twice. The first stop was at a "rest-stop" where they sell souvenirs to tourists. As I flipped through a book on North Korea-China relations a very old, haggard looking man began looking on with me. There were one or two other tour busses that had stopped and so I assumed he was a Chinese man from one of those busses. His wife came over and looked on as well and then asked the attendee how much the book cost. I was suprised to hear her ask in Korean and even more surprised to hear the response given in Korean currency and not Chinese currency. (Foreigners are not allowed to have any Korean currency.) The wife commented to her husband that the book was expensive. I couldn't believe what I was understanding them. I asked the old man in Korean what nationality he was and he said that he was North Korean and said it in a way that implied it was ludicrous to assume anything else. He then asked me my nationality. I told him. He burst into laughter. He couldn't believe what he was experiencing: a conversation in Korean with an American, of all people, the sworn enemy! He commented on my ability to speak his language and then his wife called him to hurry along. Interactions with people who are not trained to interact with you have been rare thus far, but quite pleasant when you can make it work. The second stop was at a monument just outside of Pyongyang of two women reaching across the highway.

Inside the base of the monument on one side was a souvenir shop that no one but me happened to notice. While the others were snapping photographs I went into this shop and spoke with the woman at the counter. She was very eager to have me come in and was surprised that I spoke her language. She eagerly began telling me all about the different things in her shop as though she hadn't seen a customer in years. She was probably in her late 30's and wore a beautiful traditional dress. There was a book on the table in front of a chair and she told me to look at it. I opened it expecting to see art or photography but instead I saw blank white pages with some writing. She said it was for visitors to record their thoughts about the tour or monument. So I wrote a note in it with my name, nationality, and desires that Korea would someday be reunified and included the date. There is truly so much that happens each day, so many impressions, feelings, and novel experiences that as I reflect on them at the end of the day it feels like it all happened over the course of a week and not one day. We left Pyongyang and headed to Nampo, a coastal city Southwest of Pyongyang. Here we have come to an old getaway of Kim Il Sung's. Perhaps one of the nicest hotels I have ever been in though, it is a page right out of history - mid 60's or 70's. It comes complete with a hot tub in the bathroom. As I sat soaking after dinner, thoughts of the day ran through my mind, but my thoughts repeatedly turned to my Emily. How I wish she were here with me, how I long to hold her. On the road here I saw a gorgeous sunset rivaled by none I have ever personally witnessed. We drove by some road construction also. Hundreds of men and boys were in the dirt road digging, casting rocks and dirt into our pathway and creating holes on either side of the road - blocking the way. Women were nearby, taking the stones and building a wall to line an intersecting road. One man was carrying rocks from one pile to another and he had his shirt off. He looked like a man of hard labor, tones and dark. He had clearly spent many years doing great physical labor.

Each hotel where we stay at is a compound, with guards (sometimes uniformed, sometimes not) and fences. However beautiful the grounds are, we are in a prison. We see and talk to, for the most part, only what they want us to. It takes ingenuity and some language skills to get by this and I am beginning to learn how to more and more each day. I am an ambassador to this country, I am constantly aware that potentially hundreds of people see me each day and make judgements about what they have heard about America. I can't affect every person that sees me, but I am trying. I smile as much as I can at people, I wave to little children and I speak to whoever I can. At the library we had a very brief moment to speak to some people attending an English language lecture. I told them about my family and the U.S. and asked them about themselves. Open dialogue has been so promising, so enlightening, so magical.

Inside North Korea - Day 2

Aug. 21, 2011
It is Sunday in North Korea. After breakfast at the hotel we went to the resting place of Kim Il Sung. 

금수산기념궁전
김일성의 시신이 안치된 건물

I cannot describe how I felt to see the reverence the Korean people have for him. Here, scores and scores of people are marched through the interior of the building in lines, two-by-two. Tourists kept separate from citizens, of course. The message to the North Koreans who have been bussed here from all over the countryside (a government-funded, mandatory trip made once or twice a lifetime) is that the foreigners have come from all over the world to pay their respects to the Great Leader. We are led through the grand sepulcher by a guide and a recording that we listen to through headphones. In the end we are directed to a large cavernous room that is as still as night, the lights are dimmed, and it is slightly stuffy and eerie inside. There is only one door to enter or exit the room. In the center of the room is a large glass case with red velvet rope barricades surrounding it. Groups of four step up to the red velvet, stop, and bow 90°. This is repeated four times, once on each of the four sides of the glass case. And then you exit the room. As I approach the red velvet I look inside the glass case and see the preserved body of Kim Il Sung. I feel an odd sense of respect and disgust course through me. Before I know it I'm back outside the building. Though his body lies in the Mausoleum, as the propaganda signs say around the city, he is always with us. 

He lives in the hearts of the people here. The life he created for them, the world he made for them is full of constant reminders of him and his work. Every billboard, every building, every monument, song, news broadcast, and every person (via the pin on their shirt) carries a symbol of devotion and a reminder of the worker's paradise he has left for his people. The celebration of his communist victory is ubiquitous throughout the country, save for in one thing - the actual quality of life of the citizens, even in the capitol, who look more downtrodden than any freeway ramp beggar I have ever seen. 

As a part of our tour we got to ride on the subway, the deepest in the world. The escalator was scarily steep and all the subway stops were named things like paradise, glory, bountiful, or revolution, and the art at the two stops where tourists are generally allowed to visit was amazing. 

 

We went to a few other stops that aren't for show and I was surprised (sort of) to see that they were quite drab. We also got to see the National Art Museum. By the middle of the tour the tour guide had given to talking to me in Korean about many of the works (partly because the group had begun to get tired and disperse a bit and partly because I think she thought that it was so curiously wonderful that I could speak her language). A few things she said that struck me were that she had only had the job for about six months or so. I asked what she did before that. She replied that she didn't have a job before that, she was simply a stay at home mom. Now that her kids we grown and all in school she felt the need to be doing something, so she began working at the museum. Right away I knew that she must be married to somebody important. First of all, to not have to work is a HUGE deal, a luxury few in North Korea enjoy. Second, that on a whim she could get a job at the National Art Museum with seeming ease. Not only a very high profile job, but a job that puts her in contact with foreigners, which again, is extremely rare in North Korea and highly guarded. Only people who are within a certain circle of trust are put into such posts. Another thing she told me that solidified my first assumption came up as she was asking what all we had done since arriving. I told her about seeing the Arirang Festival. She commented that she loves to go each year to the festival and that, without fail, it brings tears to her eyes (나도 모르게 눈물이 흘린다). I took a picture with her afterwards.

Next we drove down to Kaesung. Kaesung was an old capitol of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty (918 AD -1392 AD). I mistakenly thought it was the third largest city in North Korea, it is actually the ninth. On the drive down I could see an array of beautiful hills, rivers, and mountains. The land is covered by farms though there were no visible villages from the road. Kaesung is near the 38th parallel, and hence in the southern part of the country. Upon arriving in Kaesung we visited Sung Gyun Gwan (성균관) - the oldest university in recorded Korean history. We visited the site where now exists rebuilt buildings of the ancient campus. There were so many children out as we drove around from Sung Gyun Gwan to the restaurant for dinner and then to the hotel. The hotel is a "traditional Korean" lodging, which means I slept on the floor. Thankfully there was a mosquito net!

Before going to sleep I tried to take a bath. There was no hot water and the electricity went out shortly after I finished (lucky it was a quick bath). 
My last thoughts tonight are of the many children I saw running through the streets today. The children are so precious. I am so glad we could make the drive from Pyongyang and see the country-side. It's still so surreal - unreal even - to be here, much like a dream.

Inside North Korea - Day 1

Aug. 20, 2011
I didn't sleep well for probably the fifth straight night this week. Waking up early, I went out, back to the river and around town. I got to practice what very, very little Chinese I have learned and I got a few more pictures of North Korea before we left Nandong. We hopped on a bus and drove about 3-4 hours back to Shenyang where we boarded a plane - Koryo Air - to Pyongyang. 

My boarding pass

Air Koryo 고려항공

The flight was very short but we were served some delicious Asian pear soda (배사이다). It was tourist season here in Pyongyang, which means that there were hundreds of people arriving today - jammed into a very small airport terminal. However, don't you worry, the first thing you see when you land in Pyongyang is a giant picture the Great Leader - Kim Il Sung on the top of the airport terminal. 

Other than our group, the other visitors all appear to be Chinese. There were also a couple of Korea Workers Party members on the flight. You can tell because they all wear a pin on their left breast with the image of the Dear Leader, Kim Jong Il. We met our guides at the airport as we came through security. They took us to a bus and we came to our hotel for a very quick dinner. It was delicious and included fish, bulgogi, dumplings, rice, and soup. Then we raced off to the Arirang Mass Games. 

A poster advertising the festival

The games, or festival, are actually more of a highly detailed, choreographed performance and light show. Absolutely spectacular! Jump roping, acrobatic, ocean scenes, revolutionary symbolism, music, songs, and more. I cannot begin to describe how utterly amazing the show was. 

 


We came back to the hotel - the Yang Gak Do International Hotel - and settled in for the night.