March 29, 2024
Evergreen

Fight the power: A rare student protest in North Korea

How the Cultural Revolution inspired a short-lived student rebellion in Pyongyang

North Korea is not a completely mono-ethnic nation. There are some ethnic minorities inside the country, the most significant being the Chinese diaspora, or Hwagyo in Korean. What is important about them is that they are de jure foreigners: Hwagyo hold citizenship of the People’s Republic of China, not of the DPRK.

During the long history of North Korea, the Hwagyo have experienced many ups and downs, and those who have remained in the country eventually ended up being a ‘trade minority’: rich, but excluded from politics, not that dissimilar from Jews in medieval Europe.

Become a member for less than $4 per week.

  • Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis
  • The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop
  • Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns
  • Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting
Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts.
Subscribe now

All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time.