NORTH KOREA
LOVES TO BRAG ABOUT ITS NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM, WE KNOW VERY
LITTLE ABOUT HOW THEIR CITIZENS LIVE.
I WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MOST ISOLATED COUNTRY ON EARTH.
TAKE A LOOK.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS, DOLPHIN SHOWS AND DENNIS RODMAN ALL HAVE NORTH
KOREA IN COMMON.
A LAND RULED BY AN ECCENTRIC AND PORTLY DICTATOR.
FEW PEOPLE GET IN, NO ONE'S ALLOWED TO LEAVE.
THE WORLD WANTS TO KNOW, WHAT THE [ BLEEP ] IS GOING ON IN
THERE?
RODMAN KNOWS, BUT HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOO DRUNK TO REMEMBER.
I WANT TO GET AS CLOSE TO THIS CRAZINESS AS I CAN.
I'M HEADING TO A PLACE WHERE CAMERAS ARE RARELY ALLOWED.
THE DEMILITARIZED ZONE THAT SEPARATES THE NORTH AND SOUTH IS
THE MOST HEAVILY GUARDED BORDER IN THE WORLD.
I'M MEETING WITH AN EXPERT ON NORTH KOREAN DEFENSES.
TELL ME WHERE WE ARE?
>> THIS IS THE JSA, THE JOINT SECURITY AREA BETWEEN NORTH AND
SOUTH KOREA.
THIS IS ONE OF THE RARE AREAS WHERE NORTH AND SOUTH CAN
ACTUALLY MEET. >> WHICH SIDE ARE WE ON?
>> WE'RE STILL ON THE SOUTH KOREAN SIDE RIGHT NOW.
>> STEPPING OVER INTO SOUTH KOREA, THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED
BEFORE.
>> THAT'S THE NORTH KOREAN?
>> THE CONCRETE LINE MARKS THE MILITARY DEMARCATION LINE
BETWEEN SOUTH KOREA AND NORTH KOREA.
SO IN NOVEMBER OF 2017 IT WAS A NORTH KOREAN SOLDIER WHO
DEFECTED, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN JUST OVER THERE, DROVE HIS JEEP
OVER.
HE WAS BEING SHOT FROM THE BACK, SPRINTED ACROSS TO THE SOUTH
KOREAN SIDE AND WAS SAVED BY SOUTH KOREAN SURGEONS.
>> WHAT HAPPENS IF I START WALKING THIS WAY?
IS THIS DANGEROUS?
>> IT MIGHT CREATE AN INCIDENT. >> HOW CLOSE WOULD I GET BEFORE
I GET SHOT?
>> THIS IS PROBABLY TOO FAR, YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO GO --
[ LAUGHTER ] >> NOW, THIS WOULD BE A TERRIBLE
IDEA.
BUT -- >> WHERE ARE WE SITTING RIGHT
NOW?
>> WE'RE IN A MOVIE SET.
THIS IS A FAKE VERSION OF THE JSA.
>> WHY COULDN'T WE GO TO THE REAL AREA?
>> THEY PROBABLY WOULDN'T GIVE FILMING PERMISSION TO COMEDY
CENTRAL.
>> THAT'S RIGHT, ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTH OF THE REAL DMZ, SITS A
FULL SCALE REPLICA.
THE FACT THAT THIS PLACE EVEN EXISTS, PROVES SOUTH KOREA'S
FASCINATION WITH THE NORTH/SOUTH CONFLICT.
>> WHY WOULD THEY BUILD A MOVIE SET?
>> IF THEY WANT TO TAKE PHOTOS. >> WHY DO YOU THINK SOUTH
KOREANS ARE SO FASCINATES WITH NORTH KOREANS.
>> THEY'VE BEEN SO ISOLATED FOR 70 YEARS.
IF SOMEONE SAYS, HEY, I'M FROM NORTH KOREA, YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF
QUESTIONS.
>> NORTH KOREAN DEFECTORS ARE BECOMING SOCIAL MEDIA STORES FOR
THAT REASON.
I SAT DOWN WITH A NORTH KOREAN DEFECTOR LEE FUNG.
WHEN DID YOU DEFECT FROM NORTH KOREA?
>> Translator: I ESCAPED TWICE, WHEN I WAS EIGHT I FAILED.
>> WHEN YOU GOT CAUGHT, WERE THERE RAMIFICATIONS?
>> WE HAD TO GO TO JAIL. >> YOU WENT TO JAIL AS AN
8-YEAR-OLD?
>> YEAH.
>> SNEAKING OUT OF NORTH KOREA IS THE FIRST OF MANY STEPS.
>> IT'S VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GO DIRECTLY FROM NORTH KOREA TO
SOUTH KOREA.
YOU HAVE TO GO NORTH TO CHINA, AND GET ALL THE WAY THROUGH
CHINA WITHOUT GETTING STOPPED BY THE CHINESE POLICE.
>> WHAT HAPPENS, YOU GO BACK TO NORTH KOREA?
>> YOU'RE FORCED INTO SLAVE LABOR.
>> ANGELA KIM ALSO DEFECTED FROM NORTH KOREA 10 YEARS AGO.
>> I WAS AN ACTOR IN NORTH KOREA, TO TELL PEOPLE NOT TO
ESCAPE FROM NORTH KOREA. >> THAT WAS YOUR JOB?
>> YES.
>> WERE YOU ALWAYS PLOTTING TO ESCAPE YOURSELF?
>> WERE YOU LIKE, HEY, DON'T -- >> WHEN I TELL PEOPLE, DON'T
TAKE DRUGS?
[ LAUGHTER ] >> I'M SURE THESE TWO HAVE VERY
HARROWING ESCAPE STORIES, I'VE HEARD CERTAIN THINGS ABOUT THIS
REGIME THAT I NEED VERIFIED IMMEDIATELY.
>> YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN STILL LIVING THERE UNDER KIM JONG-IL?
>> YES.
>> DID YOU USED TO BELIEVE THAT HE NEVER HAD A POO?
>> POO?
>> YEAH.
HE NEVER HAD A SHIT OR A WASTE. >> HE'S A PERSON, YEAH.
>> HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO.
>> YEAH, WHY NOT?
>> THERE ARE LOADS OF THESE RUMORS.
KIM JONG-IL CLAIMED HE SHOT FIVE HOLES IN ONE THE VERY FIRST TIME
HE PLAYED GOLF.
KIM JONG-UN TRAVELS WITH HIS OWN TOILET.
SO NO ONE CAN STEAL HIS POO.
>> DID YOU HEAR THESE STORIES GROWING UP?
>> THE WATER, IF YOU TOUCH, IT CAN KILL YOU.
THESE ARE THE STORIES. >> WHAT WERE YOU TAUGHT ABOUT
AMERICA AS A CHILD?
>> THOSE GUYS HAVE A HORN WITH A BIG NOSE.
>> A BIG NOSE AND HORNS.
THAT'S CANADIANS YOU'RE EXPLAINING.
>> DO THEY TEACH YOU ENGLISH IN NORTH KOREA?
>> YES, IN HIGH SCHOOL.
>> WHY DO THEY TEACH YOU ENGLISH IF YOU'RE NEVER ALLOWED TO
LEAVE?
>> CAN I TELL THE TRUTH?
>> NORTH KOREA SAID WHEN YOU'RE FIVE, YOU SHOULD KNOW ENGLISH SO
YOU CAN KILL THE PEOPLE. >> OH, KILL THE PEOPLE?
>> NO, NOT PEOPLE, THE AMERICANS.
>> SO YOU CAN SAY HAPPY 4th OF JULY, MOTHER [ BLEEP ]?
[ LAUGHTER ] >> ONE UPSIDE TO ESCAPING NORTH
KOREA IS ACCESS TO FREE PRESS.
ONE DOWN SIDE TO ESCAPING IS THE NONSTOP 24/7 FREE PRESS
DOMINATED BY TRUMP.
>> WE WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO TOTALLY DESTROY NORTH KOREA.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK OF DONALD TRUMP?
>> THAT'S THE BEST ANSWER TO DONALD TRUMP I'VE EVER SEEN.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> I'M SORRY, I -- SOMEHOW --
>> THAT'S WHAT MELANIA DOES EVERY MORNING.
>> MELANIA IS TRYING TO DEFECT INTO NORTH KOREA.
>> I MEAN, THE WAY SHE TREATS PEOPLE -- I KNOW IT'S JUST
WORDS, BUT IT'S REALLY SAME BETWEEN KIM JONG-UN --
>> YOU THINK KIM JONG-UN AND DONALD TRUMP HAVE A LOT IN
COMMON?
>> I THINK SO.
THEY USE FEAR ALL THE TIME.
>> YES.
FEAR.
>> AND HATE.
MAKE PEOPLE HATE OTHER PEOPLE.
>> YES.
>> THERE IS SOMETHING IRRESISTIBLE ABOUT THE NONSENSE
OF TRUMP AND KIM JONG-UN.
BUT WHAT GETS LOST IN THE RIDICULOUSNESS IS THE 26 MILLION
REAL PEOPLE OF NORTH KOREA.
IT'S A SHAME SO MANY OF THEM HAVE TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS.
>> SO MANY PEOPLE I MET IN SOUTH KOREA, TOLD ME OF THE NORTH
KOREAN PEOPLE DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THEIR SITUATION.
BUT PEOPLE ARE THINKING.
>> A MISCONCEPTION IS, YOU ARE EDUCATED, AND MANY OF YOU ARE
QUESTIONING THE GOVERNMENT?
>> YEAH.
>> AND NOW WANTING TO LEAVE?
>> YEAH.
>> TALKING TO REGULAR PEOPLE TEACHES YOU A LOT.
SO THE ONLY THING LEFT WAS TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS ON THE BEST
THING THE FREE WORLD HAS TO OFFER.
>> HAVE YOU EVER HAD A FROZEN COCA-COLA?
PUT A SWIRL OF ICE CREAM IN THE TOP OF IT, THAT'S LIVING.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU FOUGHT TO GET.
THAT'S WHY YOU LEFT NORTH KOREA.
>> OOH.