[Mefustae]

Who here can actually say they know what North Korea looks like? The Western view, and the view tought in South Korea, is that of a hellish landscape of pure evil ruled by an alein cockroach. In reality, here it is.

Now, is it just me, or does it sorta look like City 17 in places...?

[Ace]

You're breaking my balls Hanz!

[Bobboau]

the giant hotel thing is just the most ****ed up thing I've ever heard of, and actualy makes me worry about there nukes less.

[brozozo]

What a strange, strange place.

[Kosh]

Wow, North Korea really sucks.

[Dough with Fish]

God damn, was that an interesting read. Thanks, Mefustae!

Last year, the History Channel did a week-long story about North Korea (I think it had something to do with an anniversary of the Korean war) anyways, they covered a lot of disturbing things about that country. They beat the thought that America is weak and horrible into children at a very young age, the countrys leader is obsessed with looking young and fit, when in reality hes old and frail. He. appearantly, is obsessed with movies and acting in general. Hell, he even went to the point of even kidnapping South Korean actors and made them perform for him. Everything is controlled and regulated to a *T* there, not only for outsiders, but for their own people. What a messed up place. Yeah, America may be ****ed up and a bit facist, but at least its nothing like that.

[aldo_14]

Did no-one else see the 'holidays in the Dangerzone' program on, I think, BBC2 that had the undercover journalist recording his stay in North Korea?

[Rson]

I remeber reading about a small resistance movement that works by distributing South Korean soap operas to the North Korean population brave enough to risk it.  The reason for this is that, as Dough with Fish said, they beat in the thought that other nations, particulary America and South Korea are weak, poor and decaying.  So when they watch the soap operas and see that the characters have nice things, big houses etc they begin to see beyond that propoganda.  Of course the punishment for this is severe.

[Kosh]

They beat the thought that America is weak and horrible into children at a very young age,

They also teach that Kim Jong Il also invented the computer, the car, the internet, and basically everything. They are also taught that North Korea has the highest standard of living anywhere.


But the people in North Korea as easily the most indoctrinated, brain washed bunch you could possibly find. Almost all of them believe these stories about Mr. Il's divinity. The ones who don't usually make a run for either China or South Korea.

[aldo_14]

When you run to China to escape oppression, that pretty much tells it all.......

[Mefustae]

You have to admit, the North Korean metro looks ace, waaaay better than any of the British, French or Italian ones i've used.

[aldo_14]

You have to admit, the North Korean metro looks ace, waaaay better than any of the British, French or Italian ones i've used.

It probably helps that no-one uses it.

[NGTM-1R]

And the penalty for either tagging or littering is death.

[Mefustae]

And the penalty for either tagging or littering is death.

Am I the only one who wouldn't have a problem with that policy being instituted worldwide?

[Kosh]

When you run to China to escape oppression, that pretty much tells it all.......

Absolutley.


Also I am sure that there is a "famine factor" in there too.....

[Rictor]

the giant hotel thing is just the most ****ed up thing I've ever heard of, and actualy makes me worry about there nukes less.

You mean the white pyramid?

It's hilarious that a giant white pyramid is exactly how the Ministry of Truth building is described in 1984. Looks like Comrade Kim Il Sung has been reading Orwell.

[Bobboau]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryugyong_Hotel

its a quarter mile high monument to this nations juvinile kneejerk show-up-manship, on a certan level I sort of admire the balls of what is essentaly a third world country that can't even aford to feed it's own people putting roughly 2% of there GDP into a hundred story phalic simbol, just to prove theres is bigger than ours (well singapore's aparently, but thats besides the point), but the fact that the most promenent feature in there skyline, by far, is an empty shell of a building they waisted so much on, is too structuraly unsound to finish ever, and they basicly can't aford to demolish it is just beond all words of staggeringly... I don't even know what to call it, somehow 'stupidity' doesn't seem to cover all the dimentions of fuct that this thing embodies, I mean it's just amazing.

[aceofspades]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryugyong_Hotel

its a quarter mile high monument to this nations juvinile kneejerk show-up-manship, on a certan level I sort of admire the balls of what is essentaly a third world country that can't even aford to feed it's own people putting roughly 2% of there GDP into a hundred story phalic simbol, just to prove theres is bigger than ours (well singapore's aparently, but thats besides the point), but the fact that the most promenent feature in there skyline, by far, is an empty shell of a building they waisted so much on, is too structuraly unsound to finish ever, and they basicly can't aford to demolish it is just beond all words of staggeringly... I don't even know what to call it, somehow 'stupidity' doesn't seem to cover all the dimentions of fuct that this thing embodies, I mean it's just amazing.

yaeh RLY

[Fineus]

I've never felt more compelled to hire out a private jet, take some photos of America / England / the other places that are apparently decaying and go on a serious leaflet dropping campaign across the country. It'd be like a game of "grow your own revolution".

That said, the Ryugyong Hotel is kind of impressive and as for there being a death penalty for littering / tagging...

...well you don't see much at all in those shots do you? Therefore it works!

[Dough with Fish]

http://www.wikimapia.org/#y=39036320&x=125730865&z=18&l=0&m=h <- Thats a satellite view of the hotel....

That just amazes me. Not just the size of the hotel, but the story behind it, and the fact that everyone there denises its existence.... It's just dumbfounding, it really is.