About the author
More articles by 'Tae-il Shim'
Ask a North Korean: Do North Koreans think their country is the world’s best?
“Nobody honestly thinks North Korea is the best country in the world. If you live in poverty, how could you?”
Ask a North Korean: Why do some North Koreans defect via Russia and not China?
“North Korean workers are eager to go to Russia. In North Korea, they’d be working all year long for meager wages.”
Ask a North Korean: What do North Koreans know about Muslims, mosques or Islam?
“Let alone mosques, there aren’t really any churches, monasteries or temples in North Korea.”
Ask a North Korean: Do rich and poor North Koreans hate each other?
"Those with money view those without it as non-human ... They work those beneath them like slaves."
Ask a North Korean: how do defectors keep contact with relatives in the North?
"North Korea is sealed off from the rest of the world, but defectors are able to make contact"
Ask a North Korean: do you support leaflet launches into North Korea?
"In my personal opinion, these leaflet launches into North Korea should be encouraged and widely carried out"
Ask a North Korean: how does North Korea’s secret police eavesdrop on citizens?
"Thoughts that go against the government may seem trivial, but monitoring them is an important task"
Ask a North Korean: how do you feel about the election of defector Thae Yong-ho?
"I see Thae's election as being of great significance in establishing all North Korean defectors in South Korea"
Ask a North Korean: how does sex education differ between North and South Korea?
"It breaks my heart when I think of how women in North Korea... don't receive even the most basic sex education"
Ask a North Korean: how do people keep warm during harsh North Korean winters?
"From October to April, Hyesanites struggle for survival"
