About the author
More articles by 'Sersong Han'
Settling in Seoul: The movies and books that influenced a North Korean escapee
The Kim regime heavily restricts artists, but South Korean culture shines a light on what the Koreas share in common
Ask a North Korean: How has DPRK society progressed over the years?
Private markets have introduced new perspectives, but the dictatorship means few place much stock on social progress
Settling in Seoul: What was your first year like after reaching South Korea?
Some adjust faster than others to a capitalist lifestyle, even when it causes tensions with those closest to us
Settling in Seoul: A North Korean defector discovers the concept of hobbies
DPRK society insists individuals live for collective, but people in the South can explore their own interests
Ask a North Korean: What was it like to listen to K-pop for the first time?
People risk their lives to enjoy foreign music that explores love, memories and other themes absent from official songs
Ask a North Korean: How do people in the DPRK express individuality?
Fashion police hammer down the nail that sticks out, but people still find subtle ways to display their own style
Ask a North Korean: What are funerals like in the DPRK?
Most funeral services take place in people’s homes and differ in other ways from ceremonies in the South
Ask a North Korean: What do you miss about living in North Korea?
Atomization in South Korea makes it difficult to express one's feelings, whereas people in the DPRK say what they think
Ask a North Korean: What it’s like to be a boxer in the North Korean military
DPRK regards military athletes as akin to combatants in war, and the results can be fatal
Ask a North Korean: What is it like to defect across the Northern Limit Line?
One of the few defectors to escape by sea tells the story of how he and his father pulled it off
