North Korea has a tendency to give harsh punishments to even minor offences. A man of the name Kim Joo II lived in North Korea his entire life and at a young age he had already experienced things that will scar one for life such as witnessing a public execution by the age of 10. This is a short story written by Kim about a class experience. “In my class, two boys were rivals. One was annoyed that the other was doing well, so he borrowed his textbook, which had a portrait of Kim Il-sung on it. He drew a small, funny mark on the portrait, and then gave it back. They found the mark when they checked the book, and the family of the first boy disappeared overnight.” Kim II-sung was the prior leader to Kim Jong un and both of them share similar
Blaine Harden, former national correspondent and writer for the New York Times, delivers an agonizing and heartbreaking story of one man’s extremely conflicted life in a labor camp and an endeavor of escaping this place he grew up in. This man’s name is Shin Dong-hyuk. Together, Blaine Harden and Shin Dong-hyuk tell us the story of this man’s imprisonment and escape into South Korea and eventually, the United States, from North Korea. This biography that takes place from 1982-2011, reports to its readers on what is really going on in “one of the world’s darkest nations” (back cover of the book), that is run under a communist state and totalitarian dictatorship that was lead by Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and currently lead by Kim-Jong un. In Escape from Camp 14, Shin shows us the adaptation of his life and how one man can truly evolve from an animal, into a real human being.
Throughout the roughly 50 years of the Cold War, United States Presidents attempted to exert their power and authority over American foreign policy with vastly different results. Presidents during the war faced an increasingly disaffected general American population. Securing their support was a cornerstone in determining the effectiveness of any President’s foreign Policy. The Cold War challenged the security of the US as a unified hegemon, forcing Presidents into making tough decisions on behalf of the American People. As the world grew ever more interconnected, defining and defending US global interests against Communism became less black and white. In my own personal view Jimmy Carter was the least effective Cold War President, while Ronald
The foreign team visited North Korea in an attempt to complete 1,000 surgeries for people with cataracts, which causes mild to extreme blindness. They had “minders” with them for the extent of their mission. A minder is a North Korean government official whose role is to monitor and make sure the team is doing everything as planned. They make sure everything is going the way they want it to. The minders are so serious about their job, that one of them threatened to kick the photographer out of the country for laying down to get a full shot of the giant statue of Kim Il-Sung. He explained that no one can lay down in front of the founder of North Korea, as, it is very disrespectful. Minders also act as a guide, translator and guard for the team.
Amid the snow-covered hills in the tiny village of Chipyong-Ni, Korea, a battle ridden 23rd Regimental Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division made a decisive stand from February 13-15, 1951 that would lead to the first operational win against a much stronger and larger force. In what some considered being the Gettysburg of the Korean War, the Battle of Chipyong-Ni was a bitterly contested engagement between the X Corp, 23rd Regimental Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, under the command of COL. Paul Freeman the North Korean People’s Army and the Chinese Communist Forces’ (CCF). This analysis will demonstrate that COL Paul Freemans’ ability to properly use mission command ultimately led to the first operational defeat of the enemy since the Korean War had started.
In North Korea life was incredibly different, and is still different, from life in America. The residents of North Korea live in extreme poverty, while Kim Jong Il and any member of Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea live as if they were kings; their meals filled with delicacies the citizens of North Korea can only dream of. Although it’s found strange to most in "normal" society, Kim Jong Il is revered as a God, because it is he who gave them all the “luxuries” in North Korea. When in actuality, he is the sole culprit of North Korea’s extreme poverty.
Park Chung Hee's presidency from 1963 to 1979 played a pivotal role in South Korea's modernization and economic growth after colonial rule and the destruction of the Korean War. However, his authoritarian rule saw many human rights abuses and political oppression.
North Korea has absolute control over everything it's people see on a daily basis. If it’s the people somehow step out of line they punish them much like an abuser would by causing them physical, financial or even emotional damage. It is very similar to abuse victims in the sense that they don't know that they are being abused. Shin doesn't realize that there's more to life until he meets Park, at his prison camp job, and eventually escapes with him. One of the only ways that an abuse victim can get out of the situation safely is by telling people around them including the police, family members, friends and coworkers that they are being abused before they leave their abuser. This is also how Shin escaped the clutches of North Korea he told people in China that he was from North Korea and a refugee it eventually that led to him getting diplomatic immunity in China that would help him get to South Korea. This matters because his main motivation for writing this book was so that people would understand and try to stop North Korea and what it was doing to its own people and help get other people out of the situation that they were
More murderous than Hitler, more powerful than Stalin, in the battle of the Communist leaders Mao Zedong trumps all. Born into a comfortable peasant family, Mao would rise up to become China’s great leader. After leading the communists away from Kuomintang rule, he set out to modernize China, but the results of this audacious move were horrific. He rebounded from his failures time and again, and used his influence to eliminate his enemies and to purge China of its old ways. Mao saw a brighter future for China, but it was not within his grasp; his Cultural Revolution was not as successful as he had wanted it to be. Liberator, oppressor, revolutionary, Mao Zedong was the greatest emancipator in China’s history, as his reforms and actions changed the history of China and of the wider world.
It seems like tensions between the United States and North Korea are getting worse. The North Korean President Kim Jong Un is about to attack whoever is within his spectrum of enemies, and Donald Trump is not happy about it. He tries his best at delivering promises and keeping Americans safe.
The Joseon Dynasty has emphatically changed Korea so much that it is called “Choson”, same as Joseon, in the North Korean language. The dynasty came after the Goryeo Dynasty, which was starting to crumble due to the neighboring Mongol Empire. General Yi, a renowned general at the time, took over and ascended the throne as emperor, officially ending the Goryeo Dynasty and starting the Joseon Dynasty. Between 1392 and 1897 CE, the Joseon Dynasty started in Korea and inspired new modifications of government and illustrious art, yet continued to have a monarchy-style government.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have your freedoms taken away? To not be able to say what you think, or do what you want. Well, believe it or not in the country of North Korea there are people that experience those kinds of limits every day along with the cruelty of being starved, beaten, and worked to death. These harsh conditions are found within prison camps that were set up by previous leaders Kim Ill Sung, and Kim Jong Ill after the Korean War. These camps were originally created to capture political traitors along with scare North Korean people into being fully committed to the regime. Today, the current leader Kim Jong-Un has still continued the prison camps and has taken it to the extreme of capturing any North Korean
Korea’s legendary founder, Dangun, established an ancient state which is now known modernly as Pyongyang, located in modern day North Korea. He is known for uniting the people during 2333 B.C. Koreans currently celebrate Dangun Day every October 3rd, known as National Foundation Day, which is supposedly the birthday of this god-like figure. There is no evidence that he actually existed, yet Koreans believe in this original founder of their country.
King Sejong, the fourth King of the Choson Dynasty from 1418 to 1450, is regarded by most Koreans as one of the greatest figures in their country's history. Along with his strong love and enthusiasm for the nation, he enforced many significant reforms, laying the foundation for the Confucian state dynasty that was to rule for more than 500 years.
In North Korea, breaking the dress code is a crime. Members of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, enforce these dress codes. Punishments for breaking the dress codes include public shaming, self-criticism sessions and in extreme cases a period in a labor camp. Recently, people have been breaking the rules,
Everyone is unique in their own way so a society where people are sitting in a room and everyone is wearing the same clothes, same shoes, same hairstyle, and basically the same of everything would never work. A world where everyone has no individuality and no unique personality. It’s like a big robot factory and every robot is built the same way. Similar to a daily life in North Korea. People would think that since there are no differences, people won’t be able to bully each other and there would be no judgements. A world like that means no individuality, no expression, no fun, no talent, no inventions, and no beauty.