North Korea has been scrutinized as one of the world's worst dictatorships, with an especially strong focus
on the country's nuclear proliferation.
But in spite of its tyrannical government, little attention has been paid to the North Korean people.
What few reports have come out of this autocracy paint a bleak existence for the average citizen.
So we wanted to know, what is life really like in North Korea?
Well, first and foremost, North Korean society is based on a social caste syste known as "songbun",
which is used to allocate government assistance, such as housing or rations.
Its ranks are determined by loyalty to the North Korean dictatorship,
and a single real or perceived slight against the government can demote an entire family
and future generations.
This is why one of the most common themes in international coverage of North Korean culture
is a near fanatical devotion towards the country's leaders.
Allegedly, every home is required to have pictures of former leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il,
and no other wall ornamentation;
with strict rules and fines associated with dusting the pictures regularly,
as well as their placement for maximum respect.
The cult of personality surrounding the country's leaders is one of the most emphasized aspects of songbun.
North Korea has a population of about 25 million,
and while that's fairly high, its growth has been stagnant for decades.
One of the most significant barriers to population growth was the North Korean Famine,
which lasted from 1994 to 1998, and the effects of which are still felt today.
Although originally supported by the Soviet Union, stemming from their involvement in the Korean War,
the collapse of the USSR meant that North Korea stopped receiving aid
and thus food stores and production plummeted in the early 1990s.
At the same time, natural disasters, like drought, decimated the populations ability to grow enough food
to sustain even local populations, and the inefficient government system proved to be no help at all.
By some estimates, between half a million and three and a half million citizens died in the famine,
stunting population growth and economic development.
Although in the year since aid from the US and other countries has improved the situation,
most reports maintain that a majority of North Koreans are unable to source foods with necessary nutrients
such as fats or proteins, largely subsisting on crops like rice, cabbage and radishes.
In poorer regions, even boiled grass and ground tree bark serve as food substitutes.
In addition to a poor diet and the famine,
North Korea's birthrate suffers from extreme poverty and social conditions.
Due to mandatory 10-year military conscription, that starts at age 17,
citizens rarely get married before their late 20s.
Nonetheless, nearly all North Koreans are expected to get married. Divorce rates are effectively zero,
and couples are encouraged to have as many children as possible to offset the slow population growth.
While in most of the rest of the world an occupation is something a person can study for and work towards,
within the North Korean collectivist system, jobs are assigned by the government
based on industry need and location.
According to defectors, there's no choice whatsoever in career,
and the only way to be assigned a preferable position is to bribe government officials.
Jobs are also generally limited to country sustainability. For example: medicine, factory work, construction,
or in some cases, working for foreign corporations that utilize cheap North Korean labor.
Although the government allegedly provides free health care,
it spends less per citizen than almost any other country in the world.
Across the board, the largest cause of death is cardiovascular disease.
This is partially due to the extremely low standard of care, with nearly all regions
suffering shortages of medical equipment, medication and even anesthetics for surgery.
Additionally, smoking is widespread.
Nearly half of all North Korean men are regular smokers, although among women the percentage is incredibly low
particularly in urban areas, where women smoking is severely stigmatized.
Reports from North Korean defectors also suggest that the use of illegal drugs, like methamphetamine,
is not only widespread, but common.
These austere conditions paint a bleak picture of life in North Korea, with nearly no room for upward mobility,
extremely poor living conditions
and very little government support for those outside the leaders high-ranking inner circle.
Although North Korean propaganda has attempted to paint the country as mighty and prosperous,
with enormous monuments and fanatical displays of loyalty, the reality could not be farther from the ideal.
So, how exactly does this autocratic dictatorship actually function?
And who else has power and besides Kim Jung-Un?
You can find out by watching this video explaining the details of North Korea's bizarre government.
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