March 29, 2024

About the author

Joshua Kim

Joshua is a pseudonym for a North Korean defector writer. He was born and raised in North Korea and lived there until he defected in 2019. He now resides in South Korea.

More articles by 'Joshua Kim'

Ask a North Korean: How did you learn to use a computer?

Ask a North Korean: How did you learn to use a computer?

Schools provide limited computer education to most students, and buying one requires submitting to strict state controls

Ask a North Korean: How did you learn to use a computer?
Joshua Kim March 17, 2023
Ask a North Korean: Were you exposed to outside information in the DPRK?

Ask a North Korean: Were you exposed to outside information in the DPRK?

Unapproved information reaches most corners of North Korea through fliers, radio broadcasts and even shark balloons

Ask a North Korean: Were you exposed to outside information in the DPRK?
Joshua Kim January 6, 2023
Ask a North Korean: What’s the restaurant scene like 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: What’s the restaurant scene like in the DPRK?
Joshua Kim December 23, 2022
Ask a North Korean: How common are extramarital affairs?

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: How common are extramarital affairs?
Joshua Kim December 15, 2022
Ask a North Korean: Do North Koreans have different regional accents?

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: Do North Koreans have different regional accents?
Joshua Kim October 26, 2022
Ask a North Korean: How much crime is there in the DPRK?

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: How much crime is there in the DPRK?
Joshua Kim October 10, 2022
Settling in Seoul: How a North Korean defector found a second family on Chuseok

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

Settling in Seoul: How a North Korean defector found a second family on Chuseok
Joshua Kim September 12, 2022
Ask a North Korean: How do you buy contraception in North Korea?

Ask a North Korean: How do you buy contraception in North Korea?

The lack of sex education in the country means many have little knowledge about how to prevent pregnancy

Ask a North Korean: How do you buy contraception in North Korea?
Joshua Kim August 24, 2022
Ask a North Korean: How do North Koreans stay cool in the summer heat?

Ask a North Korean: How do North Koreans stay cool in the summer heat?

Special foods and solar-powered fans are common remedies, and even soldiers will take siestas on hottest days

Ask a North Korean: How do North Koreans stay cool in the summer heat?
Joshua Kim July 20, 2022
Ask a North Korean: What superstitions and urban myths exist in North Korea?

Ask a North Korean: What superstitions and urban myths exist in North Korea?

The state has failed to fully root out folk beliefs, which range from wedding rituals to tall tales about Kim Il Sung

Ask a North Korean: What superstitions and urban myths exist in North Korea?
Joshua Kim July 4, 2022