Real Talk!

This morning I read the North Korean response to the recent UN resolution that gives authority to all countries to stop and search North Korean ships for weapons. It seems to be quite a threat...

so, immediately,

I spent a great deal of time, researching and reviewing the history of North Korea's weapon potential that has been a source of controversy for decades.

And then, in fairness, I did some research on the culture and history of North Korea, including possible vacation travel...

Here is what I discovered:

North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) occupies the northern portion of the Korean Peninsula, covering an area of 120,540 square kilometres (46,541 sq mi). North Korea shares land borders with People's Republic of China and Russia to the north, and borders South Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

By nature, North Korea is secretive and closed. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has officially acknowledged the widespread human rights violations that regularly occur in North Korea. The UN’s Human Rights Resolution 2005/11 states:

“Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, public executions, extra judicial and arbitrary detention, the absence of due process and the rule of law, imposition of the death penalty for political reasons, the existence of a large number of prison camps and the extensive use of forced labour;

Sanctions on citizens of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea who have been repatriated from abroad, such as treating their departure as treason leading to punishments of internment, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or the death penalty; All-pervasive and severe restrictions on the freedoms of thought, conscience, religion, opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association and on access of everyone to information, and limitations imposed on every person who wishes to move freely within the country and travel abroad;

Continued violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women, in particular the trafficking of women for prostitution or forced marriage, ethnically motivated forced abortions, including by labour inducing injection or natural delivery, as well as infanticide of children of repatriated mothers, including in police detention centres and labour training camps.”

The government distributes all radio and television sets; citizens are forbidden to alter them to make it possible to receive broadcasts from other nations. (You don’t want to know the punishment for violating this regulation)

There are numerous civic organizations but all of them appear to be operated by the government.

The state forcibly drafts girls as young as 14 years to work in the so-called kippŭmjo that includes prostitution teams.

People diagnosed with autism and other related disorders are often persecuted

There are public executions of people, including officials convicted of drug trafficking and embezzlement.

In October 2007, a South Pyongan province factory chief convicted of making international phone calls from 13 phones he installed in his factory basement was executed by firing squad in front of a crowd of 150,000 people in a stadium.

Usually citizens cannot freely travel around the country or go abroad.

Forced resettlement of citizens and families, especially as punishment for political reasons, is said to be routine.

All media is strictly controlled by the government.

North Korea is said to have abducted many foreign nationals and the South Korean government claim that 486 South Koreans, mostly fishermen, are believed to have been abducted since the end of the Korean War.

Crime levels are practically zero, at least to tourists on a strictly controlled tour.

Foreigners who visit the country are generally strictly monitored and forbidden to enter certain locations. Tourist travel to North Korea is only possible as part of a guided tour. Independent travel is not permitted.

Tour groups are warned that any trouble they cause as a tourist will likely be blamed on their tour guide's inability to control you, and he or she will bear the brunt of the penalties.

Ordinary North Koreans are forbidden to interact with any visitor without authorization from the government.

No one is permitted to take photos of anything military, including personnel, or to take photos that would show the DPRK in a bad light.

Citizens of South Korea are normally not permitted to visit North Korea except the special tourism zone in Kumgang and now on tours to Kaesong.

Babies born with physical defects are rapidly put to death and buried.

Disabled people are allegedly "rounded up" and sent to "special camps."

Drinking water is untreated and there are reports of foreigners being hospitalized in the DPRK after drinking the water.

Prison conditions include regular torture. Pregnant female prisoners are forced to have abortions and in some cases babies were killed upon birth in prisons.

WARNING: Under no circumstances whatsoever are you to say something that could be perceived as an insult to Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-Il, Juche, or the North Korean people or government. One tour guide stated that they do not even say the name of the "great father" out of respect. You and your guide are likely to face serious trouble, although your guide will bear the worst of it. Assume at all times that you will be under constant surveillance throughout your trip.

Authorities have imprisoned thousands of individuals alleged to be dissidents or saboteurs.

According to a U.S. Department of State report "Methods of torture and other abuse reportedly included severe beatings; electric shock; prolonged periods of exposure to the elements; humiliations such as public nakedness; confinement for up to several weeks in small "punishment cells" in which prisoners were unable to stand upright or lie down; being forced to kneel or sit immobilized for long periods; being hung by the wrists; being forced to stand up and sit down to the point of collapse; and forcing mothers recently repatriated from China to watch the infanticide of their newborn infants. Defectors continued to report that many prisoners died from torture, disease, starvation, exposure to the elements, or a combination of these causes.”

The administration in North Korea maintains that it does not do any of these things.

UPDATE: note about the comment I received...

I'm not sure why your friend would think that you, particularly, would like it there... do you know which part of Korea your friend meant?