DPRK, or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is located on the Korean peninsula, in its northern part. At the moment, the most famous name of the state is North Korea.
The country borders on the Russian Federation in the northeast and the People's Republic of China in the north. With the South Korea, they are separated by a demilitarized zone. It is washed from two sides by the seas: Japanese and Yellow. Pyongyang is the capital of the state.
Korea became a People’s Democratic Republic in 1948. Currently, power lies in the hands of Kim Jong-un, the head of one of the country's political parties. The ideology of the state is “self-reliance”.
The standard of living in North Korea is quite low, as a rule, this is due to the fact that the country's leaders invest all the money in the development of the army and increase weapons.
DPRK population
In DPRK, almost only native Koreans live. Their number is 99% of the total mass of people. 1% - Chinese, Mongols, Japanese and Russians.
The language spoken by all residents is Korean. Here you will often find a person who professes Buddhism or Confucianism, less often - Christianity. Independent religions not supported by the church are prosecuted. Some groups are controlled by the government.
Initially, when the island was discovered, it was inhabited only by the Tungus, and they later mastered the Chinese north.
When the government realized that it needed foreign specialists, in 1960 a large action began to attract them to the country. Perhaps it was thanks to these efforts that a sufficient number of students from Vietnam, Europe, and Somalia studied at Korean universities.
In order to answer the question of what kind of life is in North Korea, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the population. All living people are divided into certain levels:
Belonging to these layers is determined by the position of a person in society, his activities during the Korean War, and then inherited by the male line.
Persons who belong to the Labor Party of Korea (TPK) belong to the main stratum, those who were excluded from it - to the hostile one. It also includes those who returned to their homeland (China or Japan) after a long stay in Korea.
All those who are recognized as "hostile" do not have the right to enter a large number of universities, work in the political sphere and serve in the army.
In the 1960s, the population was detailed, as a result of which special groups of people were created in each layer. Unfortunately, the number of both layers and groups cannot be determined.
State structure of the country
The DPRK Constitution was adopted in 1972. To date, about three edits have been made to it. Based on her articles, it is safe to say that the legal power in the state belongs to all the people who work for the good of the country. However, in fact, not everything is so smooth. Life in North Korea is built on communist ideologies, and this, as practice shows, does not make life easier for ordinary people.
The supreme body in the DPRK is the Supreme People's Assembly. People are elected to it for a term of 5 years by secret ballot. However, the elections are non-alternative, therefore, as a result, it is officially announced that the party or person was unanimously elected. The right to participate in them is granted from the age of 17.
Life in Pyongyang
In the mornings, sirens are heard on the streets, but they do not warn of anxiety, but that it is time to get up and go to work. Within half an hour, you can see crowds of people who ride a bicycle or get to the right place by public transport.
On the roads they monitor the movement of the girl-regulator. They are extremely necessary, because everyday life in North Korea does without traffic lights. It is almost impossible to meet them in this country. Patrol work is boring and monotonous: the roadway is wide, but there is very little transport.
A small plus of Pyongyang is the presence of the subway. Stations are very similar to Moscow, the differences are in appearance: here they are better. Posters of the president, soldiers, and ordinary workers often hang on houses.
The streets of the capital resemble the former Soviet Union. The only difference is that this is North Korea. Living conditions here are not the best, but on every street there is a monument to leaders and heroes.
However, there are those moments that distinguish the north from the USSR. For example, contests held between workers are gaining serious momentum. Winners receive prizes such as rice and flour. This is exactly what Korean people lack.
At night, the lights and advertising lamps turn off. The city is plunged into darkness. The streets are practically not lit.
The life of a simple Korean
The slogan of North Korea, which is translated into Russian as "self-reliance", reflects all the troubles and advantages of people's lives.
Workers who live without breaking the law and do their job well receive up to 1 thousand grams of rice, meat and eggs in return. On TV, they constantly report that residents of other countries do not have all this and live much worse. An ordinary person can’t check it, since only verified persons are allowed to communicate with foreigners.
Life in North Korea is in complete obedience. If a person keeps a radio in his house, listens to the music of foreign artists or watches foreign television channels (although this is almost impossible), he will receive a link to penal servitude or prison. The situation is aggravated by the fact that repressions are imposed not only on the offender, but also on his entire family. And the whole clan falls into the so-called black list. This is fraught with the fact that no one will be accepted into the university, there will be no work, entrance to the capital is also prohibited. For particularly serious crimes, a person is publicly executed.
Such laws have one huge advantage: crime is practically absent. The nation is growing healthy and strong, since from childhood everyone visits sections, is regularly examined by doctors and does not eat much. No woman has the right to pick up a cigarette.
The birth rate of North Korea exceeds the birth rate of South. But soon these numbers will be equal, as the government is pursuing a policy to reduce the number of children in families.
Life expectancy
No matter how strange it sounds, even though Koreans often do not have bad habits, their life expectancy is reduced. Now he is 66 years old. This figure is constantly falling due to the fact that women and children suffer from the general situation in the country.
An expert on international affairs in the United States said that the amount of food that is allocated per person is not enough to restore vital energy. Therefore, life expectancy in North Korea, especially ordinary workers, is only falling.
The problem with this humanitarian aid system is that some parts of the country simply do not receive it. All due to the fact that the state has a basic rule - notify the government of intentions to visit any locality.
The impact of the Korean war on the country's economic development
The war, or police operation, was carried out from 1950 to 1953. This confrontation is also called the “Forgotten War”, as it was not mentioned in official publications for a long time.
In fact, this conflict was unleashed due to bad relations between the United States and its allies and China. The northern coalition consisted of the DPRK, China (the Chinese army) and the USSR. The last two countries did not officially participate in the war, but they actively supplied weapons and financed. The southern coalition was the Republic of Korea, England and the United States of America. In addition to these countries, the UN was on the South side.
The reason for the war was the desire of the president of both North and South Korea to unite the peninsula under his leadership. Such a warlike mood radically changed life in North Korea, photos of those times are indisputable evidence. All men were liable for military service and had to serve without fail for more than 10 years.
During preparations for the confrontation, the government of the Soviet Union was afraid of the outcome of the Third World War, which argued for the failure to fulfill some requests from North Korea. However, this did not affect the supply of weapons and the military. DPRK is gradually increasing the power of its army.
The war began with the occupation of Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea. It ended with India making a proposal to create a peace treaty. But since the south refused to sign the document, Clark, the UN general, became its representative. A demilitarized zone was created. But an interesting fact remains that the agreement to end the war has not been signed so far.
Foreign policy
The DPRK has a very aggressive, but at the same time sensible foreign policy. Political scientists of other countries suspect that the leader of the state has experts who are able to suggest the right decisions and predict the consequences in a given situation. It is worth noting that North Korea is a nuclear state. On the one hand, this makes hostile countries reckon with it, on the other hand, it is quite expensive to maintain such weapons; many European countries have long abandoned it.
Relationship with developed countries and their influence on the development of the economy of North Korea
- Russia. After the Soviet Union collapsed, relations with the Russian Federation were almost extinct. Only in the reign of Vladimir Putin were agreements on cooperation in many areas signed. In addition, in 2014 all debts of the north to the Russian Federation were written off. In a way, this made life a little easier for North Koreans.
- USA. Relations with the United States and currently quite tense. America to this day stands on the side of South Korea and strongly supports it, which helps the economy grow significantly. What can not be said about the northern part of the state. US officials expose the DPRK as an aggressor and are often accused of provoking a southern neighbor and Japan. Some serious publications conducted investigations and wrote that the northern government was trying to kill the president of South Korea, shot down planes, drowned liners. This attitude of America does not contribute to the economic development of the country, and this does not allow improving the life in North Korea for the common people.
- Japan. Relations with this country are completely broken and can at any time develop into a full-fledged war. Each state after the Korean War imposed sanctions on each other. And the DPRK openly declared in 2009 that in case of the flight of Japanese aircraft to the territory of Korea, fire would be opened to kill.
- South Korea. Due to the aggravated relations and aspirations under oneself to unite the peninsula, abductions, killings and attacks regularly occur. Often heard on the outskirts of the countries of the shootout, they are recorded on the land border. A few years ago, the DPRK announced its decision to launch a nuclear attack against Seoul. However, this event was prevented. This is one of the main reasons why life in North Korea is dangerous and leads to the fact that young people at the first opportunity try to move to other countries for permanent residence.
The military life of men
In 2006, the army of the People's Democratic Republic numbered more than 1 million people. Over 7,500,000 were in reserve, and 6,500,000 were members of the Red Guard. Another 200 thousand work as security guards at military facilities and other similar posts. And this despite the fact that the country's population is not more than 23 million.
The contract with the land military is concluded for 5-12 years. A man has the right to choose where to go to serve: in the army, division, corps or brigade.
The service life in the navy is slightly less: from 5 to 10 years. Due to the fact that the government does not spare funds for the development of its army, people are fully equipped with the necessary equipment, weapons and protective suits.
Unlike other countries, the state in question is investing in intelligence development, which significantly worsens the lives of people in North Korea.
Most of the military is concentrated in the demilitarized zone. The people's army has more than 3 thousand main and 500 light tanks, 2 thousand armored personnel carriers, 3 thousand artillery barrels, 7 thousand mortars; in the ground forces there are also about 11 thousand anti-aircraft installations. Such uniforms require the investment of large sums of money that could bring the country out of stagnation.
Life in North Korea (reviews of ordinary people confirm this) because of such a belligerent mood has no progress, or rather, it just stands still. Indigenous people do not even know that it is possible to exist somehow differently. No wonder the rulers of the country came up with a slogan, the essence of which is not to envy anyone and live only on their own. Such a policy helps in some way to maintain control over the common population.
What is life like in North Korea? Reviews of foreigners
Unfortunately, all people living in the country are forbidden to talk about how hard they live. However, tourists who have visited North Korea are eager to share all their memories and impressions.
According to travelers, entry into the country is carried out only with the help of travel agencies. All the time, a person or group of people is monitored and moves around the city or area with only a guide. Radios, telephones, any other gadgets are not allowed to be imported. This is contrary to the convictions of the government. You can photograph only what is allowed by the guide. In case of disobedience, a person is added to the black list, he is denied entry to North Korea.
Immediately with the naked eye it is clear that people live in the middle. Dressed poorly, roads are empty. Cars appear very rarely, which is why many children play on the roadway.
There are many soldiers on the streets who are also forbidden to photograph, especially if they are resting.
People move on foot or by bike. Tourists are given a free ride near the hotel. By the way, the corridors in the building resemble horror films. There was no repair for a long time, people appear here extremely rarely. In addition to bicycles, residents use bulls.
Both women and children work in the fields. Abandoned territories located at military bases are rich in small tricks similar to tanks.
Some buildings have escalators that have appeared recently. People are not used to them and are poorly informed about how to use them.
Electricity in the houses give for several hours. Trees and small monuments are not whitened with a brush, but with their hands.
In spring, people eat ordinary grass, added to dishes, which can be quickly and quietly torn on a neighboring lawn.
Economic spheres
In the DPRK, the economy is not sufficiently developed. Due to the fact that since 1960 the country has become closed and has ceased to publish production statistics, all conclusions are given by independent experts, they cannot be 100% reliable.
- Industry. North Korea (the everyday life of citizens depends on the level of development of the state in this area) is moving well in the direction of mining. In addition, there are oil refineries in the territory.
- Engineering. The country is engaged in the production of machine tools that the Russian Federation imports. However, the models are not modern, they were produced in the USSR several decades ago. It produces cars, SUVs, trucks.
- Electronic sphere. After the DPRK imported several million more smartphones and ordinary cell phones in 2013 than in 2013, everyday life in North Korea got better. Over the past 5-7 years, companies have produced tablets, several smartphones and a special computer for working in factories.
- Agriculture. Due to the lack of fertile land in the country, agriculture is poorly developed. A large area of the country is occupied by mountains. Mostly crops such as rice, soybeans, potatoes and corn are planted. Unfortunately, there is little cultivation of greens and vegetables that can be eaten raw. And this leads to poor health and, as a result, reduces the life expectancy of ordinary Koreans. In animal husbandry, poultry and pig farming predominate. Due to the poor development of the country, the crop is harvested by hand.
Comparison of the standard of living of people in North and South Korea
The most closed country is North Korea. The life of ordinary people is not the best. You can only move around the city by bicycle. Cars are an unprecedented luxury that an ordinary worker can hardly afford.
Everyone who wants to get to the capital of the DPRK (Pyongyang) must first obtain a pass. However, it's worth it. There are picturesque places, various monuments and monuments, and even the only metro in the whole country. Outside the city you can drive along. The military must always be transported - as is customary in law.
All residents of the DPRK must wear badges with state leaders. Also, citizens who have reached working age must get a job. But since often there are simply not enough places, the local authorities come up with new activities, such as a bunch of sheaves of hay or cutting old trees. Those who retire must also do something. As a rule, parties allocate a small plot of land, which the elderly undertake to care for.
Everyone has long known that North Korea, the life of ordinary people in which sometimes turns into hell, has cruel laws and follows in the footsteps of fierce communism. However, there is something that this country attracts and attracts to itself. These are parks, reserves and simply very beautiful places that you can admire endlessly. What is "Dragon Mountain", which is located a 30-minute drive from Pyongyang.
The lives of women in North Korea are very difficult. Mostly men are involved in the army, they have practically no benefit for the family, so the weaker sex became more active and was able to prove that it can live in such conditions. Now the main breadwinners are women. They work round the clock because of several inadequate laws of the DPRK, aimed only at protecting the state. If we compare modern life with any historical era, then we can say with confidence that Korea lives in 1950. The photo below is proof of this.
South Korea is a country of cinema, music, prosperity. The country's main problem is alcoholism. In drunkenness, the state takes 7th place in the world, but this does not at all prevent it from moving forward, expanding its sphere of influence and becoming a powerful power. The Government of the Republic conducts its foreign policy in such a way that it has good relations with many countries of Europe.
The people living in the country are kind, helpful, they always bow and smile to passers-by. And especially this feature is manifested in the service sector: in cafes, restaurants, cinemas. The buyer, or rather, the person who pays the money, is treated like God. In no case should he wait long for his turn. Due to these rules, service in this country is of quality and speed.
Education is what makes South Korea different. It is at the highest level. Poor academic performance, which entails failure in high school, means expulsion from society.
The army is not developed as well as in the north, but everyone is obliged to serve here - from workers to pop stars. The consequences that await after trying to evade service are reminded by North Korean planes constantly breaking through the sky. The appeal of men is carried out closer to 30 years. As a rule, Koreans get married very late, often after demobilization.
Their apartments look stingy. At home, only those who work tirelessly can afford. Citizens themselves laugh at apartments and other housing, which is shown on television and published in magazines, saying that this is just a fantasy game.
North and South Korea, whose living standards are very different, unfortunately, do not even think to unite with the world. Any conflicts and risks of the resumption of war constantly arise, which severely affects ordinary citizens of the north and forces them to migrate to other countries.