The founder of North Korea, first president Kim Il Sung, created the country's policy of JUCHE or "self-reliance," which has essentially cut off North Korea economically and diplomatically from the rest of the world even in times of great need such as famines.
Only military and government officials can own motor vehicles.
150-200,000 citizens live in prison camps, political prisoners account for 40% and whole families may be locked up, They are made to do 'hard labour' and many die from malnutrition- power phrased from USA today- source- amnesty international 2011.
North Koreans must abide by one of 28 approved haircuts. Unmarried women must have short hair, but married woman have many more options. The hair of young men should be less than 2 inches long, older men can go as long as 2¾ , according to a Taiwanese website WantChinaTimes.
All legal televisions are tuned to state-controlled domestic programming. The Internet does not exist other than a closed domestic network. Cellular 3G access is allowed to foreigner visitors. Few North Koreans know anything about world events apart from how they are described by North Korean propaganda.
The border between North Korea and South Korea is one of the most militarized in the world, according to the State Department. Pyongyang has about 1.2 million military personnel compared with 680,000 troops in South Korea, where 28,000 U.S. troops are also stationed. Nearly 6 million North Koreans are reservists in the worker/peasant guard, compulsory to the age of 60. (meaning if needed they can be called upon to join the army in times of war/ conflict).
The World Food Programme estimates that 6 million of North Korea's 25 million people are in need of food aid and one-third of children are chronically malnourished or stunted. Although ethnically the same- North Koreans born after 1950 are on avg, 2 inches shorter than South Koreans.
Nearly all property belongs to the state. A modern independent judicial system does not exist. Religious freedom does not exist.
Foreign investment in North Korea reached $1.4 billion in 2010, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. European and Chinese companies have opened casinos for tourists and invested in mines for copper, nickel, zinc, iron and gold. Mineral reserves are estimated to be worth $6 trillion, says South Korean state mining company Korea Resources.
North Korea has a network of informants who monitor and report to the authorities fellow citizens they suspect of criminal or subversive behaviour. Unauthorized access to non-state radio or TV broadcasts is severely punished.
From BBC article- 2011-
North Koreans are well educated and many speak good English, there are many English teachers working in the country and the son of the former leader was educated in the UK (university level)
Students say they admire other leaders like Mao and Stalin, but haven't heard of Mandela.
Presidents receive 'immortality' status, residents still refer to dead previous president as 'the president', The capital city Pyongyang has more than 50 statues of him (despite death in 1994).
About 3,000 people 'leave/ escape' North Korea into the south each year, they have to spend time in a special education programme to learn about life in the 21st century (South Korea is one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world- there are computers and cameras in the shopping areas to send images to friends and they are better connected by broadband than any other nation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mDoYbC3uGs Unreported World China & North Korea The Great Escape, Documentary 2009.
NK is not connected to the WWW, they have an internal intranet only. Mobile phone calls cannot contact outside world (legally).
Tourism is allowed but the areas they can see are limited and a guide must be present.
NK has named flowers after its 2 former presidents- "Kimjongilia" and the "Kimilsungia".
Haircuts-
from the guardian 2014-
The leader in 2015
Western education in Pyongyang- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur7IwW5NA0s BBC panorama programme- Educating North Korea
There are 500 male students, handpicked by the regime (most sons of current govt officials). They attend the university on the city edge and attend lectures in English- often from English/ American lecturers.
The uni was funded by Korean and US Christian charities (the practicing Christianity is illegal in NK)
A military school in North Korea- BBC video clip 2013
Undercover in NK- a BBC clip 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zDYrFE985g Youtube 30 minute BBC panorama programme from 2013.
Educational programme brings foreigners to North Korea- BBC article 2011
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