Garbage Bombs
North Korea has been testing hydrogen bombs for years, but in 2016, their salvo of tests stirred up some serious worry for their neighbors to the south. Thus, the South Koreans sent balloons over the DMZ and into North Korea with anti-testing propaganda in them.
Not to be outdone, the North Koreans sent back some balloons of their own. Their propaganda, though, was a lot more personal. In fact, when the South Koreans popped them, they were greeted with garbage.
Desks and Chairs
Limited Browsing
We all spend hours browsing the millions of websites that are at our fingertips every day. It seems like there is no end to the knowledge we can gain, but in North Korea, this just can’t happen. Their internet only has 28 websites available to those who have access to a computer. Of course, that number is very low in comparison to the rest of the world. The internet is free, though, so that is good!
Fake City
The area surrounding the DMZ has been prime for propaganda for years, so in order to have their ideas heard, the North Korean government built a small town near it. It certainly looked nice and was also intended to beckon South Koreans into defecting. In truth, though, it was primarily created so that the North could blast their rhetoric over the loudspeakers. However, in 2004, both sides decided to stop broadcasting their propaganda, and now the city sits empty.
Removing a Tree
In 1976, a tree almost brought the war back to life. That seems like a strange thing to say, but it is the truth. Line of sight in any situation is important. In 1976, there was a tree blocking the US view at one of the DMZ checkpoints. After a serious incident and skirmish, the soldiers on duty decided to remove the tree. The stump was left as a reminder of the conflict.
Keeping Up With the Tourists
It is hard to get permission to travel to North Korea as a tourist. If you do get approval, there are several stipulations. The first is that you will be assigned two government “guides.” These two guides will tell you where you can go and what you can do, as well as who you’re allowed to talk to. There are two so that they can watch each other and make sure that each is doing their job properly.
Strange Forms
Like with everything else, the rules for what you can bring into the country as a tourist are very specific. If you fly into the capital‘s airport, you will have to fill out a very detailed customs form. It asks you to log any electrical devices, books, or publications you have, as well as many other items. Anything deemed inappropriate or controversial will be confiscated. These can be books that are on the banned list, other artistic works, or GPS devices.
Vacancy
There is a lot of focus put on the outward appearance in North Korea. The government and its leader hope to make their country seem more prosperous than it actually is. One of the ways to do that is to build! They have built things like a huge, beautiful luxury hotel in the middle of the capital city. The Ryugyong Hotel is in the top 100 tallest buildings category and has thousands of rooms. However, with all its grandeur, it has never had one single guest.
