Rose

About the author

Rose is a pseudonym for a North Korean defector writer. She was born in the city of Chongjin and lived in North Korea until she defected with her family in 2019, resettling in South Korea in Jan. 2020. She previously worked as a video producer in North Korea, specifically in wedding production, and now works in the marketing department of an advertising company.

Ask a North Korean: What are ideological study sessions like?

A defector writes about taking notes for hours to prove her loyalty, memorizing the leader’s speeches and more

Rose November 10, 2023

Ask a North Korean: Do North Koreans believe in God?

A DPRK escapee writes about the fatal consequences citizens face if they are found to worship the wrong religion

Rose October 17, 2023

Settling in Seoul: What a North Korean escapee thinks of South Korean politics

DPRK’s ‘revolutionary’ politics left no room for choice, but ROK’s democratic system can be bewildering for defectors

Rose September 21, 2023

Ask a North Korean: What did state propaganda teach you about love?

While praising sacrificial love between comrades, schools discourage romance and treat it as taboo

Rose July 7, 2023

Ask a North Korean: How a woman’s disappearance led a family to defect

New columnist Rose writes about discovering the world via foreign media and yearning to escape a country-sized prison

Rose May 16, 2023