"Everyone knew North Korea was becoming increasingly isolated. But, as with everything in the DPRK, when people were in public, they pretended to have no idea about what was going on."
1989 was a historic year for the entire world. Across Eastern Europe, people who had lived under oppressive communist governments for forty years took to the streets, mostly peacefully, and communism fell. Even in China, North Korea’s neighbour, thousands of students and workers marched in Tiananmen Square in Beijing for more freedom and an end to political corruption.
Two years later, the first communist country in history, the Soviet Union, collapsed. And suddenly, North Korea, in a span of three years, went from being part of an international communist family, with comrades everywhere, to being one of only a handful of officially “Marxist-Leninist” states.
1989 was a historic year for the entire world. Across Eastern Europe, people who had lived under oppressive communist governments for forty years took to the streets, mostly peacefully, and communism fell. Even in China, North Korea’s neighbour, thousands of students and workers marched in Tiananmen Square in Beijing for more freedom and an end to political corruption.
Two years later, the first communist country in history, the Soviet Union, collapsed. And suddenly, North Korea, in a span of three years, went from being part of an international communist family, with comrades everywhere, to being one of only a handful of officially “Marxist-Leninist” states.
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Monique was born in Equatorial Guinea and grew up in Pyongyang, North Korea. She graduated at the University of Light Industry, with a BA as a Textile Engineer. Since leaving North Korea, Macias has been working as a fashion designer in countries including Spain, South Korea, and the U.S. Macias recently wrote a book about her life in North Korea which will soon be translated in to English.