“Ask a North Korean” is an NK News column penned by North Korean defectors, most of whom left the DPRK within the last few years. 

Readers may submit their questions to defectors by emailing [email protected] and including their first name and city of residence.

Today’s question is from Mark in Washington, D.C., who asks how many North Koreans learn to swim. In July, a North Korean defector re-defected by swimming somewhere between 2.5 and 3.5 kilometers — a feat for even seasoned swimmers – across the inter-Korean border. This begged the question as to whether ordinary North Koreans were