[music plays] [children singing]
CHILD: [foreign language] CHILD: [foreign language] Welcome to our kindergarten!
[applause] CHILD: [foreign language]
CHILD: Now, we begin our performances. [applause]
FEMALE: What was your question?
- Why are you going to North Korea?
FEMALE: I want to see for myself this country that has been so mysterious and demonized.
What it actually is on a human level.
I just remember growing up hearing about my relatives who escaped from
North Korea during the war.
I felt I really want to see what it's like with my own eyes; be able to talk to people,
find some sort of real or true experience or connection beyond what I expect of this
country or what people expect that they are all brainwashed-robots, repressed and
I don't know.
[indistinct chatter] FEMALE: I'm bringing a lot, a bunch of stuff
for my guides when I see them and gifts for kids, hopefully,
I'll see some kids in the countryside.
I'm excited but there's so much that is unknown.
What's going to happen when we get there?
What will I be allowed to see, makes you a little anxious.
[music playing]
AUTOMATED VOICE: Warm welcome to the DPRK: The Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
From time immemorial, it has been called the Land of Golden Tapestry for its world-famous
mountains and scenic spots.
All of you, tourists, will directly witness, hear and experience real looks of [unintelligible]
Korea and cherish impressive memories of them.
[music playing]
[foreign language]
[music playing]
FEMALE: All right, any news? No? Really?
It's hot here, too, so humid [chuckles].
She's asking if we have sun cream [chuckles].
My god, you know this is $6 a minute?
Yeah, I don't know if I would say fun but it's going fine, I guess.
No, it's kind of hard to talk to people because my Korean sucks.
The only people I can talk to are the guides.
Yeah, I know.
I should have listened to you and gone to Korean school.
I feel like such a bad Korean daughter [laughs].
[music playing]
[foreign language] FEMALE: [laughs]
FEMALE: [gasps] MALE: Ash tray.
FEMALE: Oh, my gosh.