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Welcome a conversation about North Korea that spans from Kim Jong-un, China-North Korea relations, animosity with South Korea, missile tests, North Korean defectors to real issues affecting the lives of North Koreans today. Join us for a chat about the funny and heartbreaking things we notice about the Hermit Kingdom today. The DMZ is a Crossing Borders podcast and Crossing Borders works to help North Korean refugees living in China and South Korea.
Learn more about <a href="https://www.crossingbordersnk.org/>Crossing Borders</a></p>
49 Episodes
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We review a documentary about a North Korean family called "Under the Sun," by Russian director Vitalij Manskij. On the surface, the documentary is a story about a young girl in North Korea who was chosen to take part in the well-known variety stage show "Spartakids." Under the surface, there is another layer to the movie. The movie is also about the North Korean propaganda people who are controlling the every movement of the characters in this "documentary." Sug and Dan break down this mov...
NORTH KOREANS SUFFER IN FREEZING WINTERDue to firewood shortage, North Korean residents have difficulty heating their homes and staying warm this winter. North Koreans usually prepare kindling or charcoal briquettes in autumn, but a source in North Hamgyong Province said that most people were unable to purchase enough due to the high price of firewood which climbed from KPW 2,000 in mid-November to KPW 3,000 in December. NORTH KOREA LAUNCHED HYPERSONIC MISSILE IN 2024According to South K...
This episode is about North Korea's unofficial bribery season. It's when budgets are being formed and pockets are being lined. Before Sug and Dan get into this, they have an obligatory venting session about Chicago's winter weather (it's also that time of year). Yes, this is an official season in North Korea. Bribes go up and down the chain of command. They are exchanged from government offices to other government offices, from people to government offices, and between people. One common br...
North Korea has a homepage! And like most North Korean media, it is both interesting and odd. Sug and Dan page through this website so you don't have to (actually, between this recording and the release of this podcast, the website has been shut down). The website is chock full of the typical praise of Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un that one would expect out of North Korea. But there's more, much more. There is news of dog breeding festivals, celebrations, and yes, a message board ...
In this episode Sug and Dan review the year with North Korea in all of its glorious highs and lows. They share their favorite episodes and what they have learned. They also share how the podcast has changed them. We also discuss the headlines we didn't talk about such as: North Korea launches a missile at Luca DončićBed Bugs hit South Korea, North Korea says "Meh" North Korea launches a satellite into orbitKim Jong Il gave his staff addictive drugs North Korean footbal...
North Korea and the world is in a precarious place. With two major wars, North Korea finds itself in a position to help. One of the few things that North Korea has been a consistent exporter of is weapons. The country has a lot of them as it continues to prepare for a war with South Korea, the US and perhaps everyone else. But with conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine, many are concerned about China attacking Taiwan. Will North Korea get involved in this conflict? Will there be another domino t...
North Korea has not had access to the broad global economy essentially since its inception but things ratcheted up in the early 2000s when the US started officially sanctioning North Korea. In this episode, hosts Sug and Dan discuss sanctions that the US and UN have imposed on North Korea mostly due to their nuclear program. Dan and producer Jay have also experienced their lifetime bans from various US institutions for various activities and both examples are surprisingly analogous to North K...
Eternal President of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, was rumored to have had a mythical ability to fold space time and teleport anywhere. North Koreans call this "chukjibop." Recently, North Korea dispelled this rumor and said, in fact, that he did not have this ability. Kim Jong Un has slowly been bringing the mythology of his grandfather and father into more realistic territory, which is an interesting move. Why is he doing this? Could it be a reaction to what is happening with media in his count...
Our cohost Dan Chung is an expert on North Korean refugees. For over 20 years he has studied in detail the ways in which North Korean refugees escape their country. In this episode, Dan discusses how he would escape North Korea in today's world. Sug and Dan start in North Korea and work their way out of North Korea in detail. --- Got any questions or comments? Send them to us at dmz@crossingbordersnk.org. Support the show
It's that time of year again. The DMZ crew goes over some spooky things about North Korea including a shaman who wards of evil spirits with delicious dduk (sweet rice cakes) and other interesting methods. North Koreas still believe in spirits even though the only official religion is the worship of their found Kim Il Sung. Sug and Dan go over some other spooky stories that are in the Korean ether and compare them with the stories that spook us out here in the US. LINKS: Anti Ghost Porridge...
Sug and Dan discuss the latest headlines out of North Korea, which include: NORTH KOREA UNVEILS NEW NUCLEAR MISSILE SUBMARINENorth Korea Only Reports Victories from the Asian GamesNORTH KOREAN PRISON BREAK AMIDST GROWING PUBLIC UNEASE OF SERIOUS CRIMESNorth Korea Freedom Week Ahead of ChuseokA Desperate North Korea has Finally ReopenedUS secures the release of the soldier who crossed into North Korea 2 months ago--- Got any questions or comments? Send them to us at dmz@crossingbordersnk...
Did you know North Korea had a booming film industry? Yes, the second Great Leader, Kim Jong Il, was a huge film buff. He had his own vast library of films, he produced many films and yes, he even kidnapped a famous South Korean director Shin Sang Ok to make North Korean movies. Pulgasari was the work of Kim as the executive producer and Shin as director. Pulgasari is a kaiju film (like "Godzilla") set in ancient Korea. Dan and Sug explain the movie in detail (spoiler alert) and break i...
North Korea's Dear Leader Kim Jong Un chose a peculiar mode of transportation to visit his buddy Vladimir Putin: A bulletproof train. On this episode we discuss Kim Jong Un's choice of transport: the features, the speed, the customized flourishes designed specifically for the Great Leader himself. -------- Got any questions or comments? Send them to us at dmz@crossingbordersnk.org. Support the show
The US recently declared July 27 "National Korean War Armistice Day" in honor of the many soldiers who gave their lives defending the Korean peninsula against communism. This day is now an officially acknowledged day for North Korea, South Korea and the US. Each country has their own version of what occurred both on that day and also, in the Korean War. And with these distinct stories come different moods and attitudes about the war and all of its complexities. Sug and Dan discuss this day an...
North Korea's mental health system relies on methods that were done away with decades ago. Such methods include inducing insulin coma to its patients. Being sent to a hospital 49 is akin to throwing away your family's standing with the regime. Sug and Dan discuss the system and talk about the ways that mental health is viewed in the Korean-American communities. Support the show
Sug and Dan go through a few headlines from straight out of North Korea including the curious case of the US soldier crossing into North Korea. Our hosts also discuss the rise in overseas surveillance of North Korea's own diplomats, North Korea's dramatic call out of Japan over their dumping of potentially contaminated water and much more. Links: US Soldier Defects to North Korea Other Top Headlines from North Korea Support the show
Did you know that North Korea and South Korea call each other every day? The two countries talk often to coordinate what happens at the DMZ, over airspace and over their maritime borders as well. But sometimes North Korea ghosts its neighbor to the south. Sug and Dan discuss this strange dynamic as well as look back fondly on the days of the land line. LINKS: Pictures of the inter-Korea phone system Wiki Support the show
The South Korean martial art Taekwondo has become a ubiquitous mainstay in the US and much of the world. But did you know that North Korea has developed its own martial art call Kyeok Sul Do? It's like Taekwondo but more North Korean. We discuss the two martial arts and trace back their shared origin. Links: Kyeoksuldo demonstration Rexquando demonstration Support the show
North Korea has one main sporting event: The Arirang Mass Games. It's not necessarily a sporting event but more a show with thousands of performers and an audience of over 100,000 also performing in synchrony. All of this is for the Great Leader himself. Links: Arirang Mass Games Arirang Mass Games Wiki Support the show
Sug and Dan go through all the current events related to North Korea. North Korea hacks more cryptocurrency. South Korea begins to test North Korean refugees for radioactivity. North Korea prepares for yet another military parade. Links: Crossing Borders blog North Korea's War on Outside Info Support the show
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