Jin | NK News
October 04, 2024

About the author

Jin

Jin is a pseudonym for a North Korean defector writer. She was born and raised in North Korea and lived there until she defected in 2014. She now resides in South Korea.

More articles by 'Jin'

Settling in Seoul: A North Korean surfs the internet for the first time

Settling in Seoul: A North Korean surfs the internet for the first time

Online world can be overwhelming at first, but defectors quickly discover value of access to a world of information

Settling in Seoul: A North Korean surfs the internet for the first time
Jin March 23, 2023
Ask a North Korean: What snacks are most popular in the DPRK?

Ask a North Korean: What snacks are most popular in the DPRK?

The state gives out low-quality sweets on major holidays, but what people really covet are imported treats from abroad

Ask a North Korean: What snacks are most popular in the DPRK?
Jin February 24, 2023
Ask a North Korean: What do North Koreans think of foreign countries?

Ask a North Korean: What do North Koreans think of foreign countries?

Schools teach very little about the outside world as Kim regime focuses on nurturing pride for the DPRK above all

Ask a North Korean: What do North Koreans think of foreign countries?
Jin January 27, 2023
Ask a North Korean: What are the most popular university majors?

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 are the most popular university majors?
Jin December 8, 2022
Ask a North Korean: What are weddings like in the DPRK?

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 are weddings like in the DPRK?
Jin November 17, 2022
Ask a North Korean: What is beach culture like in North Korea?

Ask a North Korean: What is beach culture like in North Korea?

Much like people around the world, North Koreans like to eat, drink and play at the beach. The problem is getting there.

Ask a North Korean: What is beach culture like in North Korea?
Jin September 2, 2022
Ask a North Korean: How do you move to a new house in the DPRK?

Ask a North Korean: How do you move to a new house in the DPRK?

North Koreans can only move under specific circumstances, and even then finding affordable housing is nigh impossible

Ask a North Korean: How do you move to a new house in the DPRK?
Jin August 12, 2022
Ask a North Korean: The long, dangerous journey to freedom in the South

Ask a North Korean: The long, dangerous journey to freedom in the South

The final chapter in a harrowing escape from North Korea that forced one defector to leave her child and husband behind

Ask a North Korean: The long, dangerous journey to freedom in the South
Jin July 8, 2022
Ask a North Korean: How bright lights in China inspired a defection

Ask a North Korean: How bright lights in China inspired a defection

‘You cannot change where you were born, but you can choose where you live’

Ask a North Korean: How bright lights in China inspired a defection
Jin May 17, 2022
Ask a North Korean: Was there a specific experience that drove you to defect?

Ask a North Korean: Was there a specific experience that drove you to defect?

A defector describes how imprisonment by secret police separated her from family but strengthened her resolve to live

Ask a North Korean: Was there a specific experience that drove you to defect?
Jin April 13, 2022