Everyday Life in North Korea

The video below was smuggled out of North Korea and eventually obtained by a Japanese TV outfit. Many thanks to Anonymous Aussie for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:



Note: 1,000 Korean won is about $1 Aussie, $0.90 US.
A full transcript is below the jump.
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Transcript:

Red line — September. 2004, Chungjin, North Korea

Recently, in North Korea, there has been increasing ‘Flower Swallow’ [I don’t know what it is — translator] because they have a bad economy and a big gap between wealth and poverty.

Our Jungang Ilbo [the name of newspaper] got the video of the Chungjin area taken during September of last year depicting that situation.

The original video is 90 minutes long, but we offer 5 minutes of excerpts, and if someone edits this, he or she will be charged by law. — Jungang Ilbo — yellow box — The scene was offered by Japan N-TV.

Last year in September, 20 people droop their heads in the square of Sin Arm Market in Chungjin City, Hamgyungbukdo (North Hamgyung province). The woman wearing the red hairband is being judged by the man next to her because she prostituted herself, so they are having public justice.

She got 1,000 won (2,500 won in South Korea) from prostitution so that she can buy about 2 kg of rice.

For just 2 kg of rice, she needed to prostitute herself, and now she is led away in handcuffs to the National Equitable Labor Exchange. The men who were there also get punishment for making fake dollar bills, robbery, and rape.

Two soldiers just finished their meals and are having cigarettes. There is another soldier, who is enjoying his ice cream.

Boys of around ten are gathered around a fire and are smoking naturally.

His face is so dirty that we cannot tell when he last washed his face.

People are sleeping in the square where Kim Il Sung’s portrait is displayed.

One little girl is lying down on the railroad tracks with great hunger.

The boy playing with a syringe looks like he is hungry.

One little Flower Swallow is looking at the people who are having eggs and corn.

The boy is very tired from hunger so he is trying to fall asleep.

We can see that the boy is picking some food from the bin and puts that in the plastic bag.

There is a boy who lost his all toes from frostbite. It looks really dangerous when he breaks the Soju bottle.

A North Korean who escaped from North Korea said there are too many Flower Swallows so residents can’t take care of them.

(subtitle — there are too many Flower Swallows so residents can’t take care of them. )

Jungang Ilbo, got these scenes exclusively.

(sub — same)

The 10-minute video is about the hungry children in the Chunjin and SuSeong management office which takes care of escapees.

(sub — SuSeong management office)

The officer who belongs to a border garrison recorded this video. Then, Japan N-TV obtained it and offered it to Jungang Ilbo.

(sub — The officer who belongs to a border garrison recorded this video.)

Most videos that were flown out were recorded by small and usually hidden cameras, but this one features that it was recorded with courage.

(sub — it’s different from ones by hidden cameras)

The person from N-TV said the North Korean officer said he wanted to reveal that the North Koreans have had tough economy for more than 10 years, so he handed over this video.

(sub — He wanted to reveal that the North Koreans have had a tough economy for more than 10 years.)

It’s Sung Yu-Mi for Junang Ilbo.