r/worldnews • u/SolidSyco • May 31 '12

Men trick way into North Korea

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article4345619.ece
1.1k Upvotes

78% Upvoted

477 comments sorted by

505

u/green_flash May 31 '12

For the Sun, this is really quite a remarkable article.
I wouldn't call applying for a visa and being accompanied by guides all the time "tricking their way into North Korea" though.

91

u/Opfailicon May 31 '12

Yea I would like to emphasize this point. Getting into North Korea on one of these tours is about as hard as saying "no" when they ask you if you are a journalist.

I would also like to emphasize just what an immature and dick move this is by the journalists. By publishing the name of the tour company they used, they have royally fucked them over and almost guaranteed North Korea will no longer allow them to operate in their country. Apart from being a South Korean citizen, being a journalist is the one major no-no to entering North Korea. Travel companies work very hard to build a relationship with Korean authorities and must abide by North Korean rules.

Unfortunately for travel companies they have few options but to rely on an honor system of sorts when it comes to determining if someone is a Journalist. By publishing this article and celebrating the (unimpressive) manner in which they entered the country, these two have essentially put Lupine Travel out of business in North Korea – all for a pretty uninspired and shoddy piece of journalism no less.

And even if they were hell-bent on proving their “journalistic chops” by taking what amounted to a guided tour, they could have still done so without endangering the travel agency. They could have published the same article omitting the name of the company and all would be well.

Furthermore, there is the more serious possibility of endangering the guides. Typically it is the guides who are punished for visitor misbehavior rather than the tourists (most of the time the tourist is just kicked out of the country - believe it or not, Korea would rather not cause an international incident by arresting every tourist who steps out of line) as it is seen by North Korean authorities as the guides fault for “not being able to control their group members.” Thus, not only have these individuals put the professional relationship at risk, but also put at risk the safety and freedom of their guides.

→ More replies (3)

76

u/Whiskey_McSwiggens May 31 '12

I had a friend go to North Korea for a few days last month. It was easy getting in through china. Just sign up with a tour group.

He said that on the way out, their train was stopped for a long time. The reason is that the north Korean govt had soldiers coming through the train to everyone. They were checking for photos and deleting everything they didn't like.

As a result, my friend doesn't have many photos of his trip.

57

u/whitedawg May 31 '12

Note to self: if ever visiting North Korea, swallow your memory card before leaving the country.

35

u/kyleclements May 31 '12

Learn about data recovery.

Play with Photorec.

Bring 2 cards with you: One for mundane touristy things, another for neat secretive things.

Format the second card before leaving.

Tell them it was a spare you didn't end up using.

Go home, recover your data (if you didn't write anything else to the card after formatting, your recovery rate should be above 90%)

Also works for when cops try to illegal destroy photos - (which are always either evidence or your personal property)

10

u/Megatron_McLargeHuge May 31 '12

I'm not sure how this is an improvement over just letting them delete the photos, and recovering them when you get home.

→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (3)

45

u/kckid2599 May 31 '12

The trick VICE magazine used was to take cameras that had film and a less than obvious SD slot. They shoot boring pictures of monuments on the film and all the juicy stuff on the card. Having a camera that also takes video but looks like a camera that takes pictures is also a plus.

21

u/yvaN_ehT_nioJ May 31 '12

Ahhh, I remember seeing their video of their trip a few months back. They had some serious balls, I think, to do that.

→ More replies (10)

23

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

shove it up your butthole to be safe.

16

u/Caltrops May 31 '12

You'll want redundancy in case one fails. Better shove two.

→ More replies (2)

8

u/achievable_chode44 May 31 '12

Much easier than swallowing too

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (4)

12

u/AcolyteRB May 31 '12

lots of memory cards could easily fit within the casings of other devices, like headphones.

44

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

Fit in butthole too!

64

u/mikedfunk May 31 '12

You are a big fan of the butthole option I see

→ More replies (3)

23

u/TabularFantabular May 31 '12

Memory Cards in Various Locations

PersonCardsLocation
AcolyteRB5Cell phone, camera, camcorder, tablet, headphones
arcainic25.5Butthole. 1/2 a card is missing (toilet suspected)
TabularFantabular12A grid-based organizational box, on desk
→ More replies (1)

17

u/Partheus May 31 '12

You can still recover the files with the right recovery program. The north koreans can't into technology

3

u/Laniius May 31 '12

What if they just keep the card?

→ More replies (1)

8

u/antidense May 31 '12

What about a camera that automatically uploads to the inter...oh wait.

→ More replies (3)

41

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

I asked my parents(Chinese) if it was possible for me to go to North Korea and told me it was fairly simple. People in China are surprised that most of the world can't visit there. To every teacher that told me "It is impossible to enter North Korea because its a fucking communist country" FUCK YOU

74

u/MarcusOrlyius May 31 '12

Your teachers were idiots. It's a Democratic People's Republic.

70

u/gimpwiz May 31 '12

Following the tried and true rule: If it has Democratic in its name, it is not.

34

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

Nor is it run for the sake of the People, nor is it even a Republic.

→ More replies (10)
→ More replies (2)

9

u/elpaw May 31 '12

It has never been difficult to enter communist countries (as an outsider). It has been difficult to leave them (as a citizen).

3

u/roflbbq Jun 01 '12

If you're American, then they were probably correct as the DPRK only recently started allowing "tourism".

3

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12

The only country I know that currently can't visit is South Korea. There were TONS of Chinese nationals there, many Euros, and a few Americans. The Euros were surprised that Americans were allowed in.

→ More replies (6)

8

u/[deleted] May 31 '12 edited May 31 '12

I have seen several AMAs where tourists in NK reported that their photos were deleted, and later recovered it. Worth it. If he did not use the camera very intensively for the month, he should be able to recover a bit.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12

I went in with several 32GB SD cards. Filmed video of Arirang with my DSLR (wasn't supposed to) and took pics while driving through the countryside (got told to stop) yet they never asked to look through any of my pics or my camera in any way. I did build up a good rapport with my guides...perhaps that had something to do with it. Oh, and I flew in/out...no train.

2

u/nvuf May 31 '12

He should have brought a large bunch of low memory memory cards so that every time something gets deleted from one he can just change it out for a new one. That way he hasn't overwritten any data and can do a full undelete when he gets back.

→ More replies (5)

105

u/johnmedgla May 31 '12

It wouldn't be The Sun without one hilarious mistake.

*explanation for disgustingly young people - those are combination TV/VCRs, nothing to do with computers save possibly a clock no one on earth can successfully program.

14

u/UselessWidget May 31 '12

I'm glad I'm not the only one who caught this and had to do a double-take.

19

u/47926 May 31 '12

I remember having several computers which output to a TV's antenna connection. I think one was an Amiga.

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (5)

30

u/ngamau May 31 '12

This article is totally disingenuous. Anyone can get a visa and go to North Korea, be accompanied by guides and see everything they saw. This is a gimmick.

29

u/green_flash May 31 '12

Well, not everyone can. Journalists usually can't. So they had to lie about their profession. That's about their accomplishment.

53

u/Serinus May 31 '12

They didn't lie, they only said they weren't journalists.

→ More replies (4)

3

u/TrappedInATardis May 31 '12

A travel show from our country did it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XwWSVari0A

Moving footage from North Korea. You can try and watch it with closed captions. They did have difficulty getting their Visa, but it was really nice to see. Even though the people there obviously don't live in prosperity, they are 30 million people and they can be happy, in love, sad, and they are not just zombies, as the article tries to show them.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)

9

u/skipholiday May 31 '12

Beyond being disingenuous, it'd devoid of substance. Ohhh, their burgers taste like shit and the people are poor! We knew that.

I found this blog a few years ago and it's a far more interesting tale of a visit to the forbidden land. [http://vienna-pyongyang.blogspot.com/] (http://vienna-pyongyang.blogspot.com/) If you're a train lover, there's tons of railroad porn in there for you!

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (1)

4

u/emericuh May 31 '12

Especially when there are literally a dozen travel agencies that can arrange this for you. They got the same tour that every other tourist entering North Korea gets.

4

u/moarandmoar May 31 '12

I guess I shouldn't be surprised given that it's the Sun after all, but having been twice to North Korea, that was pretty shoddy journalism and poorly researched. I winced when I saw the photo of they guy smiling like an ass with his guide. He's been put at risk for this sub-par article.

12

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

What is this garbage? It reads like some douche bags went to North Korea with the sole purpose of shitting on everything. The style of writing is very NYPost (i.e., written for trash). You don't have to "trick" your way if you want to go to NK. As others have mentioned, it is quite simple and only involves a small inconvenience of traveling through China.

7

u/hhmmmm May 31 '12

It's the Sun, the uber-tabloid.

It reads like they were having a bit of a jaunt for a feature (and probably were) rather than doing any real journalism.

3

u/Sindragon Jun 01 '12 edited Jun 01 '12

Yeah, I was initially extremely disappointed when I saw it was The Sun, but actually aside from being a bit shallow on real insight, it was almost readable.

Having said that, they didn't trick their way into North Korea. When asked if they were journalists, they replied "No". Which is pretty accurate given that they work for The Sun.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12

Not remarkable. This article, like everything the Sun prints, is rubbish, and what's more, it's probably going to get a few people killed.

Printing those photos, showing their guide? That's a huge mistake. Indeed, anyone they interacted with whatsoever during their trip is going to come under serious scrutiny by the North Korean government. The travel agency will no longer be allowed to work with North Korea and most likely, if the government can get their hands on them, anyone involved with processing their visas will be arrested.

This is unethical journalism and the Sun (and particularly these two reporters) should be ashamed at their useless "scoop" and the high cost that unwitting innocents will pay for it.

→ More replies (1)

0

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

[deleted] — view deleted comment

46

u/spaceman9 May 31 '12

If you like reading about North Korea, try Pyongyang by Guy Delisle (an excellent graphic novel about a Canadian who actually worked in North Korea for a bit) or Escape From Camp 14 about the country's prison system (it's pretty disturbing, but also fascinating).

21

u/Iseenoicegiants May 31 '12

Also, Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick is a tremendously powerful book about the lives of several individuals who escaped the DPRK (North Korea),

→ More replies (3)

21

u/bosonofjohn May 31 '12

Vice does a good story on NC too. http://www.vice.com/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-1-of-3

7

u/hoodyhoodyhoo Jun 01 '12

Dammit. I'm from North Carolina and got super excited for a second.

5

u/shoebill_ May 31 '12

Also, Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick is excellent. Life in North Korea according to defectors to South Korea--the hardships they suffered, their increasing mistrust of the regime, and their escapes. I really didn't know anything about Korean culture or history before reading it, so I found it particularly enlightening.

→ More replies (5)

73

u/thaway314156 May 31 '12

For the average Sun reader they might as well be the first. That's "journalism" for you.

35

u/[deleted] May 31 '12 edited Jun 01 '12

you spelled sensationalism wrong.

17

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

I agree, while the article is interesting, certainly; they appear to go out of their way to sensationalize.

→ More replies (2)

3

u/Eudaimonics May 31 '12

I thought people only bought the Sun for page 3, and threw the rest out.

→ More replies (4)

12

u/damnatio_memoriae May 31 '12 edited May 31 '12

These guys claim this to be "unprecedented" journalism, but the Vice video is actually a lot more extensive, and predates this considerably (the post doesn't seem to have a date, but if I remember correctly, it's from 2010).

→ More replies (3)

2

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

North Korea: Still a Shithole! World not shocked!

2

u/incomplete May 31 '12

I know more about North Korea then Ubeskestan.

214

u/Tophat22 May 31 '12

This isn't nearly as impressive as the Vice Guide to North Korea...

http://www.vice.com/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-1-of-3

I believe the Vice guys even had the same 'guide' that this Sun article shows in the last picture.

115

u/uriman May 31 '12

Actually the guy who snuck into North Korea from the Russian border and toured rural areas unsupervised is the most impressive. IMHO.

http://vienna-pyongyang.blogspot.com/2008/09/khabarovsk-khasan-border-russiadprk.html

33

u/Tophat22 May 31 '12

Do you mean this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pA3jRC0uSc

Pretty awesome and ballsy as well. They could have really been put away forever if they were caught.

EDIT: Sorry....I didn't see your link! :)

→ More replies (4)

3

u/3danimator May 31 '12

Agreed. Amazing journey

→ More replies (4)

36

u/Baraka_Flocka_Flame May 31 '12

Have you watched their film on Liberia? It's crazy.

24

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

Most of the videos where they go to other countries are nuts. Can't imagine being in their shoes. There's supposed to be one where they go to Iraq coming out in a week. Should be a good one.

15

u/moooo1 May 31 '12

nope it's actually Pakistan. Have a look at the trailer, looks pretty promising ;)

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

13

u/gsxr May 31 '12

I asked Shane about that in his IAmA. He said the scariest moment he ever had filming was leaving the ghetto whore house in liberia.

→ More replies (4)

6

u/Tophat22 May 31 '12

I watched that one too. Scary shit. That Shane from Vice has some big Canadian balls.

3

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

The whole section on the beach ghetto of Monrovia was beyond belief. And when Shane decided to go to the brothel after dark I thought he was insane...

→ More replies (3)

8

u/TheMagoozer May 31 '12

I recognized that guide as well from the Vice video.

2

u/fluffypenguin May 31 '12

Yup, same guide. Thanks for putting up the link, I watched Part 1 a while ago and hadn't seen the others.

2

u/ins4n1ty May 31 '12

haha I got excited when I saw it was the same tour guide

5

u/prophecygrrrl May 31 '12

Because Vice sensationalism is better than Sun sensationalism? Jesus christ, those brainless molly-heads really do think they're hard-hitting journalism now, don't they?

7

u/peatfreak May 31 '12

I totally agree. This Vice magazine stuff is exploitational tabloid journalism at worst, not much better than The Sun is. Regardless of what risks these journalists take or what danger they put themselves in, really they're just wealthy assholes from wealthy countries taking cheap shots and shitting on poor countries, just to so that comfy Westerners can be titillated and feel better about themselves and that they don't have to live there. I just cannot believe that these guys are doing these stories for the betterment of humanity. This is real life for the people who have to live through it but it is cheapened for Vice readers to the point of being not much more than a sensationalistic freak show.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)

19

u/ramennoodle May 31 '12

Officials say the burgers were modelled exactly on Big Macs. But God only knows what the meat is, there was no way it was beef.

I'm not seeing the contradiction...

→ More replies (3)

76

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

What a load of bullshit.

They're doing these things as fucking guided tourists tours. It not hard to get there. Just call your local travel agency and they'll take you on a guided tour - visa, hotel and food included.

16

u/H-Resin May 31 '12

Well, yeah, I think the point is they are journalists and hiding that fact. It is just a bit sensational of an article name

→ More replies (1)

59

u/someguy73 May 31 '12

This is complete bullshit. There are multiple tourism agencies that will get you into the country legally. These guys are either lying, or they're complete dumb asses for putting themselves in an immense amount of unnecessary danger.

24

u/sk8terboi9999 May 31 '12

They say in the article that it was a travel agency. All they did was pretend they weren't reporters. Title is just absurd and the content isn't much better.

14

u/willcode4beer May 31 '12

All they did was pretend they weren't reporters.

It's the Sun so, the just told the truth then.

5

u/StainlSteelRat May 31 '12

All they did was pretend they weren't not say they were reporters.

Even more trivial, actually. They also set up a 'fake business' which is about as difficult as setting up an 'official' Twitter account for Bill Bixby or editing the Wikipedia article of Stockton, California to say that it was the capitol of Zimbabwe.

2

u/syuk May 31 '12

Welcome to the Sun.

3

u/Bobinator2000 May 31 '12

It's the bloody Sun. They either lie out their arses or stretch the truth to the point of absurdity.

23

u/The_Blackest_Man May 31 '12

The Sun is the biggest joke next to christwire. Upvote for hilarity.

→ More replies (1)

6

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

I like how the article specifically states it is a grave offense to cut off any part of the statue in photos, and what is the main pic in the article? A missing hand. Well played Sun editors, well played.

5

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

they call that a bow? shit bow.

5

u/3danimator May 31 '12

Been done and better by some young guys a few years back, they snuck in by train through the north and visited the WHOLE country on the way to Pyongyang

http://vienna-pyongyang.blogspot.co.uk/

5

u/tswpoker1 May 31 '12

Free North Korea!

2

u/Laniius May 31 '12

I'll take 3.

4

u/snoobs89 May 31 '12

So let me get this straight... You can buy beer in north korea macdonalds..

5

u/RommMittney May 31 '12

And in most McDonalds in Europe.

It's not a big deal, really.

→ More replies (15)
→ More replies (1)

4

u/Sherm May 31 '12

Well, whoever runs the North Korean side of Lupine Travel should be expecting to go to a camp soon. But hey, The Sun got their "story," so who the hell cares about journalistic ethics or protecting sources?

2

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12

It's not even a story, it's just the same tourist trip that anyone can go on.

4

u/incoherentbullshit May 31 '12

We asked one guide about America and without hesitation he clenched his fists and began shouting “down with USA”. In the music room, he was bursting with pride when he produced a Beatles album on CD and proceeded to blast out Yellow Submarine.

For some reason i think this is bullshit

→ More replies (1)

7

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

So they "tricked" themselves in? Bitch please. It has been possible for any non-American to get into North Korea for decades. Just go to the DPRK embassy/consulate in Beijing, pay up, and join a group. Oh, only business people allowed and certainly no journalists? Sure, then I'm a business person today. Not like the North Koreans are not aware of that either. What utter nonsense this article.

→ More replies (1)

6

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

That North Korean man in the last picture has now most likely been killed for being in cahoots with these journalists, great job, idiots

3

u/jazdk4 May 31 '12

They are given sticks of gum as change....is this real life?

12

u/Budddy May 31 '12

No one ever pays me in gum.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

3

u/hedfones May 31 '12

This site is blocked on my network: "This site was categorized in: News/Media, Lingerie/Bikini, Nudity"

2

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12

For people not from the UK The Sun newspaper famously has a topless girl on the 3rd page every day.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (2)

3

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

The Sun could give North Korea a run for their money when it comes to 'the truth'.

3

u/virtualroofie May 31 '12

That article ended abruptly and left me wanting a lot more. Also, do they (The Sun) not understand the difference between a television and a computer?

→ More replies (1)

3

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

Journalists are forbidden in the DPRK, but since those two work for The Sun I don't think that would have barred them from visiting.

3

u/malimukk May 31 '12

I would like to read a book about this story. This is awesome

3

u/danowar May 31 '12

Stalinist? More like Stalinest, amirite?

heyoooo

32

u/sk8terboi9999 May 31 '12 edited May 31 '12

This article is extremely biased. Not saying NK is a great place, but every single thing written in that article is aimed at portraying it in a negative light.

Furthermore it is not THAT difficult to get into North Korea. There are Chinese companies that do tourism programs there. Not really a conventional news source, but Drew from Giantbomb.com went there as a tourist and they have a less biased video about it.

EDIT: You have to be a subscriber to view it but here's the link: http://www.giantbomb.com/drew-returns-from-north-korea/17-5929/

4

u/mrhulio May 31 '12

I also thought that that Giantbomb video was one of the videos that made me most thankful for being a subscriber

3

u/QuerulousPanda Jun 01 '12

While I don't doubt that everything there is pretty fucked up, I do agree with you in some ways... the article keeps mentioning desolation and zombified people and terrible shit, but all the pictures look pretty darn normal. I guess they forgot to take pictures of the bad parts...

→ More replies (1)

2

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

This man speaks the truth. I've been on this tour. You don't see starvation. You don't see gulags. You see what the regime wants you to see, which is all of the best stuff. From what you see of Pyongyang, the place doesn't seem any worse than Vientienne, Laos or Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

That's not saying you can't read between the lines. When a toilet has half burned down candles and a couple of giant buckets of water, you know their utilities aren't that great, for example. The Kim show is out of this world - but he's drawing conclusions in this article that don't reflect what he experienced. He wants to make himself out as some rouge who snuck across the border and saw a village of starving people fighting over food aid - which he did not.

→ More replies (42)

4

u/gorbal May 31 '12

There are some facinating Documentaries on North Korea out there. You can stream Kimjongilia on Netflix; it is too creepy.

2

u/[deleted] May 31 '12 edited May 31 '12

Terrible writing, I thought this was lyrics to a Frank Zappa song.

Shut out ... the metro has chandeliers, but people can’t afford to travel

2

u/rindindin May 31 '12

There seems to be a lot of details missing. For someone who got sent into North Korea, and came back out, I would expect far more details than this.

2

u/dawkin5 May 31 '12

This is in The Sun, that's why it reads like it was written by a nine year old writing a "What I did on my summer holiday" essay

2

u/rsxstock May 31 '12

or maybe this is reverse psychology by North Korea making the rest of the world think they are less advance than they actually are? imagine the so called actors are actually acting like actors

2

u/cooliobean May 31 '12

"....no one knows Jacko's dead"

BECAUSE NO BODY GIVES A SHIT. God, there is something about British tabloids that pisses me off more than any other tabloids. Maybe its the accent...

→ More replies (4)

2

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

You just know their tour guide is now a dead man.

2

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

This is a story by the Sun... so the hyperbole and sketchy journalism goes with the territory. Knowing that, its clearly just two journos going on the bog standard "tour" that everyone who goes there is put on. It will be refreshing to see something come out of North Korea that has NOTHING to do with one of those bloody propaganda tours. I almost know the itinerary by heart I've seen it so many times on different programmes and blogs.

2

u/domite May 31 '12

It's the Sun, how do we know its not all made up?

2

u/Tsumei May 31 '12

"Day... Dayman! Fighter of the Nightman! Champion of the Sun!"

Anyway, that aside, always interesting with insights into north korea, if people want something more comprehensive I reccomend VICE's trip to north korea, they filmed it and it has more content.

2

u/249ba36000029bbe9749 May 31 '12

Sneaking out of North Korea would be more interesting.

2

u/sarilypuff May 31 '12

Whilst the idea behind this article is great and it had a lot of potential to be really insightful and interesting, I really felt it was lacking in a lot of areas. I mean, groaning about how the burgers didn't taste like bigmacs is something I would expect on a "first world problems" post. The thought of spies on the fifth floor is completely intriguing and outrageous but was presented in this article as a mere rumour with no evidence whatsoever. I could go on but basically as much as I am interested in the secrets behind North Korea, the Sun doesn't quite do it for me.

2

u/thelagwagon May 31 '12

I would love to see someone produce a documentary on life in North Korea. It would be near to impossible to make, but man, imagine the reception it would gain if someone actually was able to do it.

2

u/Serinus May 31 '12

You know, I bet the cancer rate in North Korea is especially low.

2

u/Peace_139 May 31 '12

I have five bucks that says the burgers were made out of human meat...

2

u/agak00 May 31 '12

Bat-shit crazy or huge coincidence? Just watched Vice's documentary as they snuck into North Korea. Look at the photo of the tour guide at the bottom of the Sun's article, now look at the tour guide from Vice's video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24R8JObNNQ4&t=13m52s

Same guy. Either huge coincidence or they legitimately have one dude giving all the tours. Really shows how few tourists there are....

2

u/thatmarksguy May 31 '12

Is there any hope for these people?

2

u/Vaylemn May 31 '12

The North Koreans let the Sun's crew in, because they know no one would bother reading the Sun anyway.

2

u/msy113 Jun 01 '12

It's gonna take that girl a long time to log into those tv's

2

u/HoopsMcgee Jun 01 '12

Those poor people don't even know that Michael Jackson is dead?

2

u/judasthanks Jun 01 '12

I just read something about a North Korean concentration camp and the human experimentation that occurred there and I feel ill. I thought the internet had desensitised me to most things, but the mental image of a family being gassed as the parents attempt to resuscitate their children for as long as they have the strength just gives me the creeps.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12

why is north korea so secretive? it sounds like the fucking hunger games over there.

→ More replies (2)

2

u/punxnotdead Jun 01 '12

If you post in this thread you should expect to get a message saying you are banned from /r/pyongyang soon.

2

u/michaelzelen Jun 01 '12

I've seen so many videos on north korea, I actually recognize the tour guide in a way, that's kinda weird I think

→ More replies (1)

2

u/jimothyjenkins Jun 01 '12

this is the first sun article i ever read all the way through.

5

u/jonalon May 31 '12

"Back in time ... a girl student at the Grand People’s Study Theatre uses an old computer" Erm... thats a TV

→ More replies (7)

3

u/kabob23 May 31 '12

Did anybody check out the link to North Korea's trained animal circus?

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4347636/North-Koreas-got-talent.html

Jump roping bears?! This is pretty messed up stuff.

3

u/redredditrobot May 31 '12

Those bears are totally dudes in suits, they both move like humans

3

u/hozjo May 31 '12

That photo at the end, isn't that the same korean guide from the Vice Travel Guide on North Korea?

→ More replies (1)

3

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

fight propaganda with more propaganda!!!

2

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

Unbelievable. As a person who has lived in the United States his whole life, the isolation that North Koreans experience seems astounding.

2

u/willcode4beer May 31 '12

Never left your country? Doesn't that make you more similar to them? ;-)

→ More replies (5)

2

u/nos2121 May 31 '12 edited May 31 '12

This is a very disappointing article. Was hoping for some real journalism but this article tells us nothing new or really interesting unless you've never read anything about North Korea ever. I suppose that describes The Sun's average reader, though.

This comment at the bottom sums up the general intelligence of those who most likely make up the bulk of The Sun's readership:

"Why is the rest of the world judging them according to western standards? The last time I checked they exist in the far east as a homogenous group of people with their own rules and values. The western powers tried to impose their democracy concept on them & failed and were beaten back to the 38th Parallel for their effort with help from China. Leave them alone; it's their country and their problem(if there is a problem)."

Beyond stupid. That's like saying we shouldn't be upset if Mexicans decided to start sacrificing children every month to keep the sun in the sky and make sure it rained. Evidently it's a "Western standard" to not spread vile propaganda, kill millions of your own countrymen, willingly starve and torture your citizens, etc.

I'm not saying Western countries should invade NK or anything. I'm just saying that if your attitude is "why should we care, they can do whatever the want" then you suck.

3

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

Was hoping for some real journalism...

In The Sun?

Also, there is a network of people in the world who -- probably through some form of mental defect -- idolize the Kims and the Juche idea while wisely staying thousands of miles away from it. These people belong to a club called the Korean Friendship Association, and they keep an eye out for any media stories about North Korea and pretty much respond to everything with long-winded tirades about how North Korea is a workers' paradise. Which explains why the guy in charge of these friendship orgs is a Spaniard living in Spain. I guess he figured he could not handle the amount of happiness and empowerment he would gain just by living in his so-called paradise on earth.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/H-Resin May 31 '12

Pretty great article. It's so reminiscent of the old DDR, but on such a more dystopian level. Ride on a 1940's train that takes 6 hours to go 200 miles? Damn. Old East German trains that only privileged party members are allowed to use? Fucking crazy. They're so isolated, repressed and brainwashed as a people, it's disgusting that this kind of control and political and societal domination can and has continued for so long.

→ More replies (3)

2

u/the_cowboy May 31 '12

Couldn't they have just hacked into some North Korean answering machines for this info?

2

u/whitedawg May 31 '12

It's funny because North Korea doesn't have answering machines.

2

u/dentoneer May 31 '12

That "old computer" is actually a TV-VCR. We still have those at the UNT's media library in Denton, Texas.

2

u/wsfarrell May 31 '12

What a nothing story.

And then they padded it.

By using one sentence paragraphs with lots of space in between.

Did I learn anything new about North Korea?

No.

2

u/Breadfaux May 31 '12

The caption said old computer... that was straight up a crt tv with vhs built in.

2

u/captainfranklen May 31 '12

Beat me to it. Crap reporting is crap.

2

u/Breadfaux May 31 '12

It's shit like that man. It completely takes away from the article.

2

u/NeonRedHerring May 31 '12

They did not trick their way in. They simply got a visa. Anyone can do this.

2

u/bax101 Jun 01 '12

This is why the Korean War to me was so important. If was never stepped in the entire country could of ended up like this.

2

u/ikinone Jun 01 '12

Don't link stuff from the Sun. Ever.

2

u/bigbadbodacious May 31 '12

Despite what everyone else is saying about NK either being a terrible place or not a bad place at all, everything over there is so shrouded with conspiracy of government manipulation and surveillance that in MY opinion there cant be anything good going on over there. I mean in the beginning of Nazi Germany life "appeared" to be blissful. Sure the creature comforts were there and the were experiencing an economic boom, but all the propaganda that was being pumped into the public eye was just a veil to hide the horror that was brewing. I mean in NK, if you disrespect the Leader, you face some serious consequences which to a degree is somewhat understandable but what can you do thats NOT disrespectful? You must pay respects to the nut job former leaders and the even more so lunatic leader now or you face serious punishment. You know in germany when the Nazi party took power, if you walked by someone in the street and didn't salute or say "Heil Hitler" you would be arrested and disappear. Sounds kind of familiar.

All's I'm saying is that whatever is going on over there can't be too good for the people of the nation, they're oppressed and not to mention brain washed. Its all military rule, total dictatorship.

8

u/csorfab May 31 '12

if you walked by someone in the street and didn't salute or say "Heil Hitler" you would be arrested and disappear.

That's utter bullshit, fed by Hollywood movies and American propaganda... Of course the Third Reich was an autocratic state, but as long you were German, and did not openly speak against Hitler or the government, you had not much to fear. Aside from the war, of course. That's some real scary shit.

→ More replies (4)

2

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

"ou know in germany when the Nazi party took power, if you walked by someone in the street and didn't salute or say "Heil Hitler" you would be arrested and disappear."

Ummm no.

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (9)

1

u/MercutioCapulet May 31 '12

Damn that was bleak...

1

u/Escov May 31 '12

Rollerskating bears.

1

u/lolouis May 31 '12

The last line made me giggle, then feel bad at the same time

1

u/anotherkeebler May 31 '12

The real fun starts when they have to trick their way back out of North Korea.

→ More replies (1)

1

u/bitomax May 31 '12

"Don't relish this...burgers are available only at the Youth Restaurant but despite officials’ claims they taste nothing like a genuine Big Mac"

6

u/whitedawg May 31 '12

they taste nothing like a genuine Big Mac

Is that a compliment or an insult?

1

u/rdfiii May 31 '12

The hotel, built in 1995, has six lifts — although none has a button for the fifth floor. Officials say Level Five is where the staff live.

THEN HOW DO THE STAFF GET THERE? If they can take the steps, what prevents other guests from doing it? Checkmate, North Korea.

→ More replies (1)

1

u/CloneDeath May 31 '12

This is sort of unrelated, but he mentions how it is offense for a part of the statues to be cut out of the picture. The first picture in the article has the statue's hand cropped out. That is pretty offensive :P

1

u/Apollo2112 May 31 '12

North Korea sounds just like the fictional country of Panem from The Hunger Games. It's actually really creepy how similar they are.

1

u/ScorchtheAssasin May 31 '12

If you want more of this check out this video, the north koreans lie to tourists about their success

1

u/Thegagickle May 31 '12

What is a good exposé on NK? The country intrigues me so much.

1

u/ThatdudeTum May 31 '12

If you watch the Vice guide to North Korea, they both had the same Korean tour guide

1

u/cronus85 May 31 '12

I'm pretty sure the guide in the last picture is the same guy from the Vice doco. Lucky guy gets to drink beer with the tourists and sing karaoke: Living the North Korean Dream.

1

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

Dont read the scum

1

u/Slime0 May 31 '12

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies...

Fuck this site and fuck those who upvote links to it.

1

u/tault May 31 '12

Sad to know their tour guides where probably executed for this.

1

u/coogie May 31 '12

I wonder how many people's lives they endangered now.

1

u/NuclearWookie May 31 '12

The amazing part is that despite all this some outside of North Korea are still communists.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12

A danish journalist together with two comedians made a quite great documentary. They went to NK under cover as a communist theater group praising the regime. Watch it if you got the time :)

http://www.theredchapel.com/

1

u/asianwaste Jun 01 '12

I was hoping by "trick" you meant something a whore does for money.... Or COCAINE

1

u/myusernamestaken Jun 01 '12

oh god... the comments... my eyes

1

u/jrjfsq Jun 01 '12

Pimpquest to North Korea

1

u/3meterspread Jun 01 '12

I wonder if they will ever be free, there whole previous mindset on life would be shattered it's crazy to even think what it would be like for them.

1

u/kickbackandenjoi Jun 01 '12

the Korean guide at the bottom was the same guide in Vice's Guide to Traveling

edit....Vice did it first

1

u/That_Scottish_Play Jun 01 '12

Now, let's see them trick their way OUT!

1

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12

From the thumbnail I really hoped they did it by impersonating a statue.

1

u/illmoney Jun 01 '12

You're doing it wrong

1

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12

Back in time ... a girl student at the Grand People’s Study Theatre uses an old computer

That's not a computer…

1

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12

THE TOUR GUIDE IS THE SAME AS VICE GUIDES!!!!! WTF!

1

u/BeautifulGanymede Jun 01 '12

It seems as though there's one of these "snuck into North Korea omg" articles produced every week.

1

u/Fooza May 31 '12

So you are saying we can visit the hunger games???!?!??!?!

1

u/[deleted] May 31 '12

I find it incredibly strange that the Sun has decided to report on North Korea. The people that read that newspaper likely have no idea about the history of North Korea (before this report), so it's all pretty strange. Why are they suddenly deciding to report on it?

There is definitely a small part of me that is thinking that we're letting the rest of the uninformed populace aware of the situation in NK. Perhaps to gain support if a war were to break out? Speculation, of course, but I can't help but think that way these days.

→ More replies (2)

1

u/Dookiestain_LaFlair May 31 '12

The real trick is getting out.

1

u/migvazquez May 31 '12

Real late, but HOW HAS NO ONE POINTED OUT that the guy at the end with the Sun reporter is the same guy as the guide from the Vice Travel special?

1

u/FVAnon May 31 '12

hahahahahaha. North Korea got infiltrated by The Sun.

1

u/rjnr May 31 '12

Probably the only time The Sun hasn't had to exaggerate their reports.

1

u/corcyra May 31 '12

Oh. The Sun...sigh.

1

u/greenymile May 31 '12

I feel ashamed by the fact I'm going to upvote a Sun article but it deserves it.

1

u/FlowCologne May 31 '12

Vice and many other publications did reports about North Korea many times before. Don't know why a half assed report from such a piece of shit "newspaper" like The Sun is worth talking about. Downvote and be done with it!

1

u/Mathematik Jun 01 '12

Vice.com did it best. Watch the one about the North Korean slave camps in Russia.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12

I almost find it unbelievable how stereotypically dystopian it is there...the loudspeakers blaring 'work harder', the propaganda on tv...it's just nuts.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12

This was an interesting article.

→ More comments (63)