Month: February 2019

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the eponymous lovers are in constant struggle of being together because of societal views on interclass relationships. Although the novel was penned over 400 years ago, the same prejudice outlined in it lives on today as in the story of Jun-sang and Mi-ran. In order to keep their love alive, they are forced to hide beneath the shadows, deceiving their parents and communicating mainly through letters for some time. In fact, the only person who of their secret relation was Mi-ran’s older sister Mi-sook. Nevertheless, despite their deep adoration for one another, jealousy began to develop as Jun-sang shared of the “luxuries” he received while in the capital. By this point in her life, Mi-ran had already given up on her hopes of a better future; she knew she would never have the kind of life her boyfriend had. It is shocking that in spite of the ruthless oppression that every citizen of North Korea faces, envy can fester between songbun. The lower classes will always be made to feel like the grass is always greener on the other side of the countryside, when in reality the living conditions in Pyongyang aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Despite her feelings for Jun-sang, the constant reminder of her lover’s privilege always left her feeling bittersweet.

Reading Dr. Kim’s recollection of her time living in North Korea, seemed like an oxymoron. Here she appeared to be a strong independent women who was a doctor, but her hands were tied when it came to treating her patients. One would think that she might have been privy to having a successful home life, however, this was not the case at all. She excelled in school, her job and her dedication to her leader, but her relentless devotion came at a horrific price. The man whom she “adored” since college dumped her, leaving her “devastated”, and then she jumps into another relationship. In an attempt to be ‘normal’ she has a shot gun wedding, a baby and a divorce. This is insane and honestly I would never have imagined that someone in North Korea, especially a woman could have a life like Dr. Kim’s. I was floored that the baby had to stay with her in laws after the divorce. She had to give up her own kid after leaving her husband and all because she was blindly loyal to her country.

On September 11 2001, America was hit by the worst terrorist attack they had ever endured. Everyone remembers exactly what they were doing the morning that the two plane’s crashed in to the twin towers. I vividly remember the morning I found out, I woke up and turned on the television while I was getting ready for school. I flipped the channel 11 FOX NEWS and was taken aback by the image that I witnessed on the television. The news channel kept replaying the tragedy over and over again and there were images of people consumed by ash fleeing for safety. At first, I thought it was just a scene from a new movie but once I arrived at school and we held a moment of silence on the field, the reality of what happened hit me and I understood what had happened. I saw kids all around me as we held hand being to cry. Although we were all the way in California, we felt the pain of the people in New York City, we felt compassion and love towards our brothers and sisters. When I read the about how people remembered exactly what they were doing when Kim Il-Sung died I could relate to the notion that sometimes moments in time that we experience are forever burned into our minds and when we close our eyes we are haunted by them. The image will replay over and over again. In NK people were described as ants as they swarmed towards the multitude of statues in order to publicly morn their leaders death so that they would not risk being killed. Whereas, the people who fled the Twin Towers looked like ants but they were running for their lives in every direction away from the danger. The North Koreans were conditioned the draw close to danger if it means survival but Americans have been taught to save their own a$$ at all costs and steer clear of danger no matter what. Although these nations are polar opposites they share the same basic instinct that trauma sticks with us no matter how many years have past.

As you can probably tell by now i don’t write from a single point of view to the degree even of risking my own perjury by supporting some his ways of life for certain reasons. My life experiences have left me jaded and understanding in aa number of different ways, one of them living under the run of a spiritual teacher that acted just like Kim Jung in allot of ways. my paper will really shed more light on this. i mention it now so that im not crucified for saying things like this.

I understand why Kim did some of the things he did, using extreme fear tactics to keep his people (his people) and safe from American Ways of Life.

He failed miserably with allot of it but on some level i feel like there must have been days when he just wanted to do what his father’s before him were trying to do… run there country successfully, take care of their people without outside help, and not conform to the ways of the westerner, which for them and still many of the world, live lives of very self centered, selfish, unmoralistic ways of life.

Fear is a very powerful weapon…. especially when it can be applied in your back your, your front door, right into your living room….

Its amazing the level of control that Kim and his regime managed to inflict into the people of north korea, to the point that even after his death people where literally pretending to be mournful of his passing. when indeed there was much relief and even excitement because in many ways the people’s relationship with the state has changed drastically and is even showing signs of improvement. His inability to ever roll back the economic changes that came from marketiation was a major loss of control and i believe one of the fundamental shifts for North Korea moving things in the direction of government of the people for the people. although it will take several generations to come for a true revolution, it’s still a chip off the block.

Fade To Black:

The Lights Are on But Nobody’s Home

Chapter 4 Fade to Black:

While reading this chapter it dawn on me it was an explosive start, of a decade.  The Soviet Union was being torn apart, communism was on its way out.  North Korea was not though of, it wasn’t a threat Kim IL sung was find.  To show things were okay he allowed, his censors to report the ills of other communist countries.  You can’t tell a lie the same way twice.  I feel these people placed them selfies into a state of denial.  Foe Mrs. Song the lightbulb that blinked, fetching water, and her job. 

Comrade Kang looking for subversive activities, but all the time the food distribution was off. What I mean, by The Lights Are on But Nobody’s Home, the lights were on for scavenging for food, taking care of their families.  Nobody’s home for going to a labor camp, jail, or being made an example of such as being killed.          d

Remember how I said North Korea was bound to start cracking? Well, after years of falling behind on repayment, China and the USSR severed their connection with the country and turned to its southern counterpart instead. Their parting marked the beginning of a downfall spiral that nearly had the country falling flat on its face. No alliance meant no exports, which meant no hard currency, electricity, etc. Without electricity, mines and farms couldn’t produce output, leaving many citizens malnourished and unemployed. Progress tanked as North Koreans didn’t have enough energy to perform, and many were left unsure of how to cope with the situation. Many turned to food distribution centers, orchards, and even the “Black Market,” desperate for some sustenance. Despite its promises like rice in every pot, North Korea abandoned its people, leaving them to have fend for themselves. I am so grateful that America has measures in place that prevent our leaders from the crises like those in North Korea. Even with all of the uproar and turmoil the current government shutdown has precipitated, there are systems set to regulate the president’s power and programs to aid the people most affected. All it took was one major misstep to send North Korea from thriving to free falling.

Without journalists like Barbara Demick who dig tirelessly for the truth, we would be made to believe that North Korea is the flourishing nation it tells us it is. North Korea prides itself on self-sufficiency and high literacy rates, which in reality is only part of the story. Their government fails to inform us and their citizens of its $10 billion worth of debt and reliance on other countries for architects and X-rays. North Korea has tangled itself in a web of lies so tight that bosses lie to their supervisors and no one really knows where the country stands. I relate North Korea It to a ticking time bomb in that it’s only a matter of time that its fabrications will swallow itself whole. I am amazed that despite all of the nation’s inconsistencies, Kim Jong-il is still able to command his people with the flick of a finger. His success only speaks to the amount of manipulation he must have to steer a functioning society that in actually is falling apart at the seams.

I’m sure Chang-bo meant no harm when he questioned why his children didn’t have boots like the ones he saw on TV. He, as any parent should, only wanted to give kids the very best he could offer but was nevertheless ratted out by a fellow neighbor. It’s astonishing that even in the comfort of their own homes, North Koreans have to continue filtering out their every word. They are constantly forced to walk on eggshells with their safe haven being only inside their own thought. In the three days that followed, Chang-bo couldn’t even defend his frustration with the government. He rather had to talk himself out of his opinion, convincing his interrogators that the situation was all a misinterpretation. When something aggravates me to a certain point, not much time passes until I get up the nerve to say something. For Chang-bo to be faulted for his own beliefs must have nothing less than a kick in the face.

A routine of work, eat, sleep, repeat can define the usual day-to-day for most of us, but Mrs. Song’s goes two steps further. After working a full day’s shift at the Chosun Clothing Company, she is required to attend sit-down lectures about Kim Il-sung only to come home, do the chores, and start the process all over again. It baffles me that despite the backbreaking work and few hours of sleep she gets each night, she sincerely believed that she wasn’t working hard enough. I work at a stationery store, where I sit for seven hours for the most part, and even then some days can be tiring. Mrs. Song is the living embodiment persistence and hard work. Her story makes me more appreciative of simple but necessary rights like time off and minimum wage and also my parents who work hard each day to give me their very best. As a mother, Mrs. Song labored tirelessly to create a better live for her and her family, while on the inside she was holding on by a thread.