From the death of Kim Jong Il in 2011 to the dramatic purge and execution of Jang Song Thaek last December, North Korea has undergone some dramatic changes in the past several years. But while experts around the world are only too happy to provide ongoing analysis of events, the closed nature of North Korea makes it practically impossible to find out what ordinary citizens think. And while it's true that foreign experts often do provide useful commentary and context, it's important to remember that many do so with highly limited experiences of working directly with the people and government they specialize in.

Nevertheless, tens of thousands of refugees, defectors and escapees can be found around the globe – all of whom used to call North Korea their home. But although there is little to stop international media from asking for their opinions on current affairs, the thoughts of this extremely unique community are all too rarely sought after. So, in an effort to get a better understanding of what North Koreans might think about the past, present and future of their country, we decided to conduct an extensive opinion-driven survey on a wide-range of questions.