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.
A defector writes about prejudice toward wounded veterans, and the desperate choices that parents face
A defector writes about differences between rural and urban waste management and how some trash is treated as precious
Students get time off in summer and winter, but requirements to collect scraps and even feces means they can’t relax
From ‘Water Province’ to ‘Robber Province,’ a defector explains nickname origins and why Pyongyang is like a movie set
A defector writes about corrupt traffic police, the importance of bribes and the Kim regime’s disregard for rule of law
An escapee writes about trains, planes and automobiles and why the main form of transportation is one’s own two legs
A defector writes about daily routines and the supremacy of work, and why DPRK citizens don’t even think about hobbies
An escapee writes about the devastation of the DPRK environment and why few people think about conservation
North Koreans are passionate about education, and like in South Korea, a fever for private instruction has taken hold
The young girl has joined her father at multiple events, and it’s clear that she’s far from a normal North Korean child
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