“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 comes from Gustavo in Florida, who asks whether North Koreans really believe that their country is paradise on earth.

The North Korean government often tells its people of the superiority of their system and, without easy access to outside information, it seems that ordinary North Koreans would be unlikely to question this. But even