Like many temporary visitors to the DPRK who had lived in South Korea for a long time, I immediately grasped the meaning of an old Korean saying: namnam puknyeo, “the most beautiful Korean women are from the North, the most beautiful Korean men are from the South.”
Indeed, in Pyongyang I found myself surrounded by rather mediocre men and exceptionally pretty women, though this rule was not without significant exceptions.
MEN OF KOREAS: THE HANDSOME AND NOT SO
In my view, an average North Korean man looks less impressive than his better-fed, better
Like many temporary visitors to the DPRK who had lived in South Korea for a long time, I immediately grasped the meaning of an old Korean saying: namnam puknyeo, “the most beautiful Korean women are from the North, the most beautiful Korean men are from the South.”
Indeed, in Pyongyang I found myself surrounded by rather mediocre men and exceptionally pretty women, though this rule was not without significant exceptions.
Tatiana Gabroussenko obtained her PhD in East Asian Studies at the Australian National University. She is currently a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University, Seoul. Her latest book, "Soldiers on the Cultural Front: Developments in the Early History of North Korean Literature and Literary Policy," was included in the Choice magazine list of Outstanding Academic Titles of 2012.