Editor’s note: The following is the sixth in a multipart memoir series written by Alek Sigley about his time studying at Kim Il Sung University.

Discrimination is an unfortunate part of life for many in the world, but the kind experienced in North Korea is a different flavor.

One day, I joined a fellow international student — a blonde-haired, blue-eyed European — and his North Korean roommate for lunch. As I previously wrote, these “dongsuk-saeng” (동숙생) roommates were more spies than peers, but we were all hungry and set off to find a good meal.

We knew of a