Thread: Life in the USA as viewed by the DPRK TV.

Originally Posted by Hanna

I wouldn't take the English voice-over too seriously; it's a dub off a sub into Russian!
It's pretty obvious that plenty got lost or angled in the translation.

Hanna,

I can guess you do not even imagine what the DPRK propaganda is like. Sadly, I do not understand Korean to confirm (or to disprove) the English and Russian translations. We probably need someone who speaks Korean to comment on it.
But I do believe the translation is right. That is based on what I have read about the DPRK in general (and its propaganda in particular) so far.
We had something like that (but to a much lesser extent!) in the USSR. Our mass media used to over-emphasize the problems with unemployment and homelessness which existed in the West. But at least it never pretended to cover the whole society. Thankfully, international tourism existed in the USSR and some our citizens (although through a lot of red tape) had an ability to travel abroad as tourists.

The DPRK is not the USSR of 80-s, and it is not even the USSR of 30-s, it is rather like the USSR of 30-s if squared or even cubed. People do not have any access to any information other than the official mass media reports. No Internet, no international phone calls, and radio receivers with a fixed frequency setting (any manipulation with it is illegal). Undoubtedly, citizens take that picture seriously.

If you can read Russian, that is a detailed article on it: Корея - КНД

Корейцам постоянно внушается, что Корея - "страна образцового социализма", "страна чучхе и Чхоллима" является одной из самых развитых и богатых стран современного мира, а счастливая и изобильная жизнь ее граждан вызывает повсюду зависть.

Часто идут в Корее фильмы об ужасах жизни на Юге, о стремлении южан жить также, как северяне. Типичный фильм этого рода -- "Судьба Кым Хи и Ын Хи", вышедший ещ в 70-е годы, но популярный и поныне. Его сюжет прост и прямолинеен. В 1945 году родились две девочки-близнецы. Вскоре они осиротели и одна из них волею обстоятельств попала на Север, где стала знаменитой певицей, а другая - на Юг. Несчастная южанка голодала, ходила в рваном тряпье, потом пела в дешевом кабаке джазовые песни (джаз -- это, конечно, символ разложения и разврата), чуть не попала в публичный дом и, в конце концов, стала инвалидом. Ее же сестра тем временем счастливо жила на Севере, пела и танцевала в ансамбле "народной музыки чучхейского типа" (гибрид традиционной корейской музыки с советской эстрадой тридцатых-сороковых, эпохи Дунаевского), жила в прекрасной квартире, носила изысканные наряды. Фильм завершается тем, что героиня плачет от счастья у подножия статуи Ким Ир Сена на холме Мансудэ.

Originally Posted by Боб Уайтман

Hanna,

I can guess you do not even imagine what the DPRK propaganda is like.

Yes, actually. I was there in my childhood. Yeah I agree that they are a fanatical. But I don't think it's for me to judge or anyone else. They are like religious believers in their leader and ideology. Kim Il Sung was alive when I was there, and he was like a god. To a large degree it's a cultural thing in East Asia. And their ideology is a not just communism, they mixed it up with lots of other ideas that are unique to Korea. I really don't think any of us here should pass any judgement on it.It's THEIR country and THEIR culture. They can have as much propaganda as they like, as far as I am concerned.
And I am certain that even if the regime there fell tomorrow, most of the people would continue to love Kim Il Sung, regardless what anyone said about him. To them, he's like Lenin, Stalin, Jesus and your nicest grandfather in one person.

I had been in the USSR too, in my childhood (late 80s) and it was not the same at all. People in the USSR were much more individualistic and relaxed as far as I could tell. There were proper shops and restaurants, just less than I was used to. Not that different. Korea really tried hard for communism -- much harder than USSR in my opinion. For example the guide showed me and my brother a shop where no money was used. Everybody in the neighbourhood could go there to collect a fruit and nuts for free. On the other hand, my dad said the whole country was funded by the USSR (he was in Korea for work and hated it). Not sure how true it was, but I think things pretty much collapsed later.

The Koreans are VERY dignified and proud. Definitely, that country should be left alone. No Western intervention. However, it's on the US hitlist.

Anyway, this isn't very relevant to Russia is it? I mean North Korea is completely different to Russia today or any other time.