Mixing with the Cleanest Race: My upbringing in North Korea | NK News
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October 03, 2026Oct 03, 2026

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Mixing with the Cleanest Race: My upbringing in North Korea

The impact of my education in North Korea - Africans told me, “You are not African, you are Korean”

Hello, my name is Monique Macías and over the coming months I’m going to be sharing my experiences about living in North Korea with you from a very unique perspective: as a foreigner who lived in Pyongyang between 1979 to 1994. In my introductory post, you can read about why I lived in North Korea for such a long time. 

I’ve always felt like I’m more Korean than Guinean or European. But because of my upbringing, it’s always been difficult for me to find somewhere where I’ve not been treated like an outsider – where I haven’t felt like an