Ask A North Korean
Your chance to ask questions to North Koreans about life growing up in the DPRK
Ask a North Korean: How do you move to a new house in the DPRK?
North Koreans can only move under specific circumstances, and even then finding affordable housing is nigh impossible
Ask a North Korean: Do North Koreans enjoy state media?
Organizations set aside time for reading newspapers, but most citizens find it tedious and overstuffed with ideology
Ask a North Korean: What are toilets like in the DPRK?
Public restrooms and toilet paper are in short supply, while expense of flush toilets results in a porcelain ‘hierarchy’
Ask a North Korean: How do North Koreans stay cool in the summer heat?
Special foods and solar-powered fans are common remedies, and even soldiers will take siestas on hottest days
Ask a North Korean: The long, dangerous journey to freedom in the South
The final chapter in a harrowing escape from North Korea that forced one defector to leave her child and husband behind
Ask a North Korean: What superstitions and urban myths exist in North Korea?
The state has failed to fully root out folk beliefs, which range from wedding rituals to tall tales about Kim Il Sung
Settling in Seoul: Where South Korea succeeds in helping new defectors
Adapting to life in an alien country is a daunting challenge, one defector says, so any assistance can go a long way
Ask a North Korean: How do you talk to friends and family back home?
Defectors from border areas can arrange calls when sending money, but it’s more difficult for those from Pyongyang
Ask a North Korean: Do North Koreans go to the dentist?
A defector explains why many must procure their own implants, the growing popularity of teeth whitening and more
Ask a North Korean: How bright lights in China inspired a defection
‘You cannot change where you were born, but you can choose where you live’
