Ask A North Korean
Your chance to ask questions to North Koreans about life growing up in the DPRK
Ask a North Korean: What’s the restaurant scene like in the DPRK?
Few outside the capital can afford to eat out, while the most popular eateries are run out of people’s homes
Ask a North Korean: How common are extramarital affairs?
Strict rules that discourage divorce by party officials have the side effect of encouraging infidelity
Ask a North Korean: What are the most popular university majors?
Most North Koreans have little choice over their course of study, unless they can pay hefty bribes
Ask a North Korean: What do you miss about living in North Korea?
Atomization in South Korea makes it difficult to express one's feelings, whereas people in the DPRK say what they think
Ask a North Korean: What are weddings like in the DPRK?
Ceremonies are simple affairs quite different from those in South, while food is an important part of the ritual
Ask a North Korean: What is retirement like for the elderly?
Most retirees fend for themselves and eek out a living at marketplaces due to collapse of public distribution system
Ask a North Korean: Do North Koreans have different regional accents?
Authorities insist everyone speak standardized language, but people actually use a range of slang, profanity and accents
Ask a North Korean: How much crime is there in the DPRK?
Theft and other crime occurs in North Korea like any other country, but the state is selective in what it punishes
Ask a North Korean: What it’s like to be a boxer in the North Korean military
DPRK regards military athletes as akin to combatants in war, and the results can be fatal
Settling in Seoul: How a North Korean defector found a second family on Chuseok
The joy of the holiday mingles with sadness of family separation for those who can’t visit hometowns and loved ones
