A version of this originally appeared, in Russian, here.

North Korea has existed for de jure 67 and de facto 70 years. This is a time comparable with one person’s lifespan. Thus, the majority of the DPRK’s population are those who were born and have spent their entire lives under the rule of Kims. Over this and the following article, I attempt to describe the life of an average North Korean, cradle to grave.

Surely, one cannot possibly hope to grasp the lives of the people of an entire country in one article. A North Korean may be born