“Settling in Seoul” is an NK News series in which North Korean defectors share their experiences adapting to life in South Korea.

This week, Rose — who lived in North Korea until she defected with her family in 2019 — writes about her experiences with politics in both North and South Korea, as well as the process of voting in the DPRK.

Got a question for Rose? Email it to [email protected] with your name and city. We’ll be publishing the best ones.

For the 30 years that I lived in North Korea, the concept of politics was as unrealistic and