Image via Complex Original
As we’ve seen in the past month (or, really, the past generation), North Korea is a prime example of how not to run a country. It has one of the largest standing armies in the world. Over half a million people died of starvation between 1993 and 2000. Anywhere from 150,000 to 200,000 people are currently imprisoned in North Korean labor camps, where they are tortured and worked to death on a regular basis. And that’s just what we know.
You see, North Korea has a nationwide blackout on foreign media and the Internet. And it’s extremely difficult to get into the country, which is why many people refer to North Korea as "The Hermit Kingdom." This gives rise to rumors, a lot of conjecture, tons of gossip, and a surplus of secondhand information.
Today, we’re going to try and clear some that up. Here are nine crazy stories about North Korea, along with our evaluation of their legitimacy. You’ll be relieved at what’s false, and terrified at what’s true.
Kim Jong-il kidnapped a famous South Korean film director, and forced him to make a monster movie.
True or False?: True
We definitely know this is true, because you can actually watch the films that resulted from the director's captivity.
Kim Jong-il ordered the kidnapping of South Korean film director Shin Sang-ok and his ex-wife, South Korean actress Choi Eun-hee, while they were in Hong Kong. The plan was for Shin to make propoganda films, and for Choi to star as his leading lady. Eventually, they both managed to escape, but it took them eight years to find an opportunity. In the meantime, they made seven North Korean films. The most famous of these was Pulgasari, a "North Korean Godzilla" that has since become a cult classic.
North Korea is behind the Sony security breach.
True or False?: True
The Sony leak has been an embarrassing invasion of privacy for many people. And it's bizarrely fascinating to watch, like a trainwreck in slow motion. Because of leaked emails, we learned that everyone hates Adam Sandler, film executives agonized over the ending of the new Bond film, and no male executive can confidently watch Shame.
Many people immediately suspected North Korea for the leak. Why? Because Sony was releasing The Interview, a comedy film about an attempt to assassinate Kim Jong-un. But that seemed like a bit of a stretch; even the FBI, which was investigating the leak, considered the North Korea connection to be unlikely. But now, the film has been canceled, and the FBI has confirmed that North Korea was centrally involved in the hacks.
How is the U.S. supposed to respond to this? Maybe by just destroying the country's Internet altogether?
Political prisoners can receive three generations of punishment.
True or False?: True
Boy, we hoped this wasn't true, but it is. One of the most severe punishments a North Korean can receive, outside of being executed, is to be imprisoned for three generations. For example, if you protest against the government, you aren't just sentenced to life in a labor camp. Your son also serves a life sentence. And your grandson also serves a life sentence.
How do we know that this barbarity actually takes place? The survivors who've managed to escape the camp (all three of them) told the world about this, among other horror stories of torture, beatings, and family obliteration. One survivor's mother and brother were executed right in front of him for trying to escape. Then he was tortured as well—a classic example of "guilt by association."
Kim Jong-un executed his uncle with a pack of wild dogs.
True or False?: False
It's Totalitarian Dictatorship 101. Whenever a new leader assumes power, there's always a purge—a flushing out of the previous ruler's loyal followers, to ensure complete loyalty to the new leader. So when Kim Jong-un had his uncle arrested and killed, it wasn't too surprising. But the alleged method of execution was horrifying—120 crazed, hungry dogs allegedly tore the man to bits.
Major news networks picked up the story before it was traced back to a Chinese satirist's website. The guy's definitely dead, but he probably wasn't turned into a human chew toy.
Many North Koreans believe that Kim Jong-il did not use the toilet.
True or False?: True
North Korea engages in a "cult of personality"—the Kim family's members have been elevated to the level of deities. To reinforce this status, official North Korean media attributes incredible feats to the family. For example, there's the oft-cited anecdote that Kim Jong-il never used the bathroom. And as insane as that sounds, this was a well-established "fact" in North Korea, and multiple defectors have corroborated this story.
Jang Jin-sung, a defector who was once a propaganda poet for Kim Jong-il, admitted in interviews that he believed the bathroom story into adulthood. It was only when he met Kim Jong-il, face-to-face, that he realized it was not true.
When Kim Jong-il died, North Koreans were punished if they did not cry hard enough in public.
True or False?: False
It was a bizarre, surreal sight. Kim Jong-il had just died, and thousands of North Koreans were out in public, wailing and crying hysterically. Some got down on their knees and pounded the ground. Soon, the rumor spread that these people were being paid in food to mourn, or that they were threatened with imprisonment or death if they didn't cry hard enough.
But beyond gossip, nothing concrete has emerged to corroborate that claim. Public, demonstrative grief is actually a traditional aspect of many Asian cultures. And besides, most of the grief was probably real. Even if he was an awful man, it's a prime example of learning to love your abuser—he's the only "Dear Leader" that many of these people knew.
Kim Jong-un had an ex-girlfriend executed after she participated in a pornographic film.
True or False?: False
This was another rumor that sounded too juicy, too conveniently scandalous, to be true. And it was.
Hyon Song-wol was a popular North Korean pop singer, and allegedly, the ex-girlfriend of Kim Jong-un. The rumor was that she starred in an adult film, and as a result, was executed by the government. Again, major news networks picked up the story, but it was easily disproven when Song-wol appeared on North Korean television, alive and well. Oops.
Kim Jong-il's corpse has been preserved and is currently on display for tourists.
True or False?: True
Preserving a leader's corpse ensures that his cult of personality extends far beyond his death. Several world leaders' bodies are still on display today, decades after their passings. Russia preserved Lenin, China preserved Mao, and North Korea preserved Kim Jong-il and his father, Kim Il-sung. Their bodies have become popular tourist destinations for the handful of American tourists that are allowed into North Korea each year.
Kim Jong-un has been overthrown, and is now a “puppet ruler.”
True or False?: UNCONFIRMED
One of the most interesting rumors out there is that Kim Jong-un was overthrown in 2013 by the Organization and Guidance Department, a powerful, bureaucratic organization that Kim Jong-il cultivated during his life. Jang Jin-sung made this claim at a recent press conference; he believes that Kim Jong-un is now a ceremonial leader, a public face with no real power.
Jang Jin-sung is a fairly trustworthy source, but like many stories about North Korea, it's a difficult claim to corroborate. There were initial claims that the capital was under lockdown, although these claims were later dismissed as false. Like most stories about North Korea, it's best to take this one with a grain of salt until better, more concrete proof emerges.
