North Koreans in the city: clash of work ethics | NK News
NK News Logo
November 22, 2024
NK News is hiring
Evergreen

North Koreans in the city: clash of work ethics

Why North Korean tardiness is not the same thing as laziness

When I arranged my first set of interviews with North Korean refugees in Seoul my supervisor warned me that North Koreans were prone to being late. Yet, I still was dumbfounded when one of my first respondents did not show up for two hours.

He was not caught in traffic, nor accidentally overslept, nor lost in the city. He just appeared two hours late, happily smiling, without even providing a plausible excuse.

Become a member for less
than $5.75 per week.

  • Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis
  • The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop
  • Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns
  • Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting
Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts.
Subscribe now

All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time.