Hello there! Welcome all to Ask a North Korean, the feature where you, the NK News readers, ask your questions about all things North Korea and have them answered by our very own North Korean writers.

Today’s question is about whether North Koreans were genuinely as devastated as they appeared to be upon hearing the news of the death of Kim Il Sung.

Outside observers often find it difficult to believe that the crowds of wailing North Koreans shown on state TV weren’t pressured by the authorities to show such dramatic displays of grief.

However, as In-hua Kim — a