March 19, 2024

About the author

Mina Yoon

Mina is an "Ask a North Korean" contributor. She is in her early 20s and left the north-east of North Korea in 2010. She can be reached via email.

More articles by 'Mina Yoon'

Bribery and broken dreams: What it’s like to learn to drive in North Korea

Bribery and broken dreams: What it’s like to learn to drive in North Korea

Getting a driver’s license to begin with in North Korea takes a lot of time; there are only two driving academies nationwide

Bribery and broken dreams: What it’s like to learn to drive in North Korea
Mina Yoon
Mina Yoon May 27, 2014
What happens when you die in North Korea? A funeral system explained

What happens when you die in North Korea? A funeral system explained

"It’s not only the living in North Korea who are pitiful, the dead are, too"

What happens when you die in North Korea? A funeral system explained
Mina Yoon
Mina Yoon April 4, 2014
Why North Koreans envy the Chinese so much

Why North Koreans envy the Chinese so much

Envy of improved living standards, not the old alliance, drives their sentiment toward neighbors

Why North Koreans envy the Chinese so much
Mina Yoon
Mina Yoon March 12, 2014
Losing clothes, health, and even life for the Mass Games

Losing clothes, health, and even life for the Mass Games

Performers brave illness, injury and humiliation to make spectacular displays

Losing clothes, health, and even life for the Mass Games
Mina Yoon
Mina Yoon February 12, 2014
Pig livers and blindness: Growing up in North Korea’s famine

Pig livers and blindness: Growing up in North Korea’s famine

Ask a North Korean: What was it like to grow up during North Korea's famine?

Pig livers and blindness: Growing up in North Korea’s famine
Mina Yoon
Mina Yoon February 3, 2014
Who do North Koreans think started the Korean War?

Who do North Koreans think started the Korean War?

North Koreans find it so difficult to question the tale of U.S. / South Korean invasion, defector says

Who do North Koreans think started the Korean War?
Mina Yoon
Mina Yoon January 8, 2014
Could North Korea win a war with South Korea or the U.S?

Could North Korea win a war with South Korea or the U.S?

Morale in once-patriotic military corps has plummeted, leaving little chance for success

Could North Korea win a war with South Korea or the U.S?
Mina Yoon
Mina Yoon December 18, 2013
How do you get a job in North Korea?

How do you get a job in North Korea?

No choice, no way out, and now no guarantee of compensation

How do you get a job in North Korea?
Mina Yoon
Mina Yoon November 29, 2013
When a goat and pig decided to join the North Korean army

When a goat and pig decided to join the North Korean army

Ask a North Korean: Are there any jokes North Koreans like to tell?

When a goat and pig decided to join the North Korean army
Mina Yoon
Mina Yoon November 14, 2013