I was born in Pyongyang, North Korea. My father was a party official and our family was orginally well-off in North Korea. At about the age of 17 (in the year 2006) my father was in trouble and being sent to labour camp. I and mother and my younger sister flee to China by passing the North Korea-China border. We were then "bought" by 3 Chinese men and became their wives. I married to a Chinese man in the rural area of Shandong. He was 20 years older than me. I got a temporary right of residence after about a year.

I give birth to a son in the second year of marriage. My husband died last year. I then left our son to his family and went to the city nearby. Shortly after I leaved China to Macau and now working in a night club in Macau.

I shall send the proof to moderator

EDIT : For the proof, I think that the moderator may have some difficulty to verify it. I have provided to the moderator my China identity card (of course in Chinese) which shows that I am ethnics Korea (朝鮮). However, the identity card cannot verify I am from the North and I have not any other documents in possession to prove that. I can only say that it is not common and usual for a South Korean to emigrate to China. May be the moderator can at least verify what I said here and you can choose to believe the rest or not.

Comments: 902 • Responses: 105  • Date: 

brownboy13209 karma

I have provided to the moderator my China identity card (of course in Chinese) which shows that I am ethnics Korea (朝鮮). However, the identity card cannot verify I am from the North and I have not any other documents in possession to prove that.

This is correct. The proof provided is a national id card that says, "Ethnic Korea" according to google translate. We can't verify anything more than that.

stonewallbanyan32 karma

You can tell where the person was born from the first several digits of China identity card. OP should have a Jinan number..first six digits should be 370100

brownboy1332 karma

In the interest of privacy, I can't disclose this information.

njskorea42 karma

Actually, I have no objection for the mod to disclose the first six digits of the Identity card number.

stack_cats99 karma

What is the most beautiful part of the N. Korea?

njskorea262 karma

Th tidiness and free of pollution.

CrabCow23 karma

I am interested in learning more. The pictures that I personally have seen give me the impression that there is pollution throughout the cities. Are there not as many factories in N. Korea as I previously thought?

njskorea56 karma

There are not much factories in North Korea, except in a few cities, which Pyongyang the political center is not one of those cities. Pollution in those cities packed with factories may be serious.

WesternNinja52 karma

She lived in China, so "free of pollution" may be relative.

njskorea36 karma

You may be right, relatively North Korea was very clean from pollution. But even in absolute term Pyongyang was a very clean city free from pollution.

JustAnotherSimian84 karma

How much planning did it take to actually get out?

Did you ever feel like someone was going to come after you?

If you didn't manage to escape, what do you think would have happened to you?

what do you think of the western world when you escaped? What do you think of North Koreans now that you're out?

Thanks for the AMA, I think you're very brave.

njskorea153 karma

Not much planning. My mother got contact with some "middlemen" (or facilitators as you may call them) through some indirected channel and they would arrange. As I understand, they would bribe the border officials of North Korea side. I did not feel like someone was going to come after us. At the Chinese side there were simply not much guards there and upon we entered China, we were picked up by the middlemen very soon and then everythings were arranged by them.

There was dangerous that we would also be thrown in the labour camp if we did not went away.

The world outside North Korea is sure more colourful and gorgeous. I think North Korea really need some kind of reform to change the present situation.

FurryFeets22 karma

Can you expand on the colourfulness and what reforms you think would be advantageous?

njskorea61 karma

More colourful and rich in living and more freedom. North Korea needs reform in all aspects.

dclaxton71 karma

does the general population of North Korea know how bad their country is compared to the rest of the world?

njskorea138 karma

I would say that the general population do know the country is backward in economcy as compared to most other countries in the world but the majority of general population do not think North Korea is very bad as compared to the rest of the world.

suba_scuit68 karma

You say you were "Middle and upper class"... Can you explain the some of the differences in living quality, privileges and opportunites between upper and lower classes?

njskorea129 karma

My father was just a junior party official. However,we have government supplied housing and foods and commodities. Free education. At least, we did not need to worry about our livings. I understand some people living in the rural areas were not such fortunate. If my father was not in trouble, it would be very likely that I would have university education and be assigned to a government job thereafter.

54uenostation68 karma

Why was your father in trouble? Do you still worry about him?

njskorea151 karma

I don't really know. He was very nervous by that time and my mom said he did not want to speak the details. (Actually he said little about his work in home.) One day we heard from his closed friend (not from formal offical channel) that he was kept under custody and he urged my mom to think about going away with us. So we did as he said.

I later understand from my mom that he was accused by the party of being one of the member of a group accepting bribes and doing somethings harmful to the country and was put into the labour camp.

I have never heard about my father any more after leaving the country.

mallamange54 karma

first of all thank you very much for doing this. I have so many questions, you dont have to answer them all.

  1. You said you learnt english in North Korea. How is this justified by the government when they look at the USA as the enemy.(not that english=usa, but just curious)

  2. What did you and the family do for fun ? did you take family vacations ? and where did you go if you did ?

  3. Were you ever able to learn what happened to your father ? this must be so terrible, I cant even begin to understand how traumatic this must have been.

  4. How did you manage to get out of North Korea ? did you have any help ?

  5. When growing up , what did you think about other countries ? which ones did you learn about ?

njskorea87 karma

  1. English is of great usage for the country. For example, translation of English language books and literature and news to learn modern science and technology, interpretating, tour guides, doing business with English speaking countries, just say a few.

  2. We rarely took vacations. We went to parks and amusement playgrounds in summer and skating in winter. We also went to visit relatives living in other cities or the rural areas from time to time.

  3. For those being threw into the labour camp, rarely can any come out.

  4. My mom contact the middlemen (or you can called them facilitator or trafficker) through some indirect channel and they arranged all the things. It was not as dangerous as you think so as I understood bribes was an effective mean to clear the dangerous.

  5. We had lesson on geography and we knew a little bit about other countries. Of course all the teaching were official version. Different from what you may think, we were not taught all the other countries were evil.

nikatnight23 karma

What were you taught about the politicians in Beijing? In Washington?

How would the average Korean feel about the average American?

njskorea68 karma

We knew the name of the head of China and United States. Apart from that little were taught.

The average North Korean do not hate Amercian as most of the Amercian may think so.

mallamange12 karma

Thank you for your answers.

we were not taught all the other countries were evil.

This gives me hope.

Are you in touch with any of your friends while growing up ?

njskorea30 karma

Yes, I had classmates and friends, just a normal girl.

mallamange8 karma

I realize that, but what I was asking was if you are STILL in touch with any of your friends, is there a way to stay in touch with them ? post, email etc etc .. or is this something too risky ?

njskorea25 karma

No, I do not have any contact with any of my former friends in North Korea. I simply have no way to do that.

TomRizzle2 karma

Thanks for your responses. In a previous answer you said that people are restricted to only North Korean news, in this one you say that English is used to translate foreign news and science... Do people have access to foreign information or not?

njskorea8 karma

Not for the general people. For the party and government and the senior officials and the research institutions.

SoggyWheaties47 karma

What do you think of Dennis Rodman visiting North Korea?

njskorea242 karma

He can change nothing and his tour was just for his own fun.

Doompriest26 karma

What are some "fun" things you can do in North Korea that is not common in the rest of the world?

njskorea75 karma

Joking with Kim Jung-Un and being taken as a VIP.

Doompriest13 karma

What kind of jokes, do you think, would crack Kim Jung-Un up?

x_glo28 karma

"How many political prisoners does it take to change a light bulb?"

njskorea45 karma

To correct you, there was no political prisoner in North Korea, only criminals. That is what they taught.

Reed__Rankin9 karma

Thought criminals

njskorea22 karma

Not thought criminals. The party never knew what is inside your thought (or brian), only when you express the thought they would know that. And when you express the thought you do some conduct, such as writing in word or talking in speech. It is the conduct, not your thought, that is not allowed. That is their logic. :(

Nosferch040 karma

Do people believe the things about birds speaking in Korean on Kim-Jong-Il's day of birth or the thing about finding a unicorn in one of the mountains? Or does everyone just go along with it?

njskorea97 karma

I don't think the people believe in those things and most of us just go along with it. We were taught there was no god or miracle from the very young.

Nosferch029 karma

Taught by who? I was under the impression that the standard line of instruction was that the leader was divine. Thank you so much for doing this, by the way.

njskorea78 karma

Marxist are atheist. We learned Marxism from the primary school.

Let said it in this way. We Korean all know the legend of our famous ancestor Jumong and never have any and will any Korean query the legend. However, do you think that most of the Korean believe in that or just go along with it?

Nosferch028 karma

Honestly? I have no idea. I can never tell when people truly believe such things or merely purport to, that's why I asked.

So in the primary school, what sorts of things did they tell you about Kim-Jong-Il?

njskorea61 karma

They had told about the legend of Kim Jong-Il his Kim Il-Sung. However, the most important are not the legend. The most important was how Kim Il-sung kicked out the invasion of Japanese and the United States and how heroic was him and how he saved the country and Kim Jong-Il was his son and successor.

Nosferch015 karma

Interesting. What about news? Are there papers, radio stations, tv? Did everything come from within the country or did you have access to foreign media?

Did you talk about government or politics at all with people? I mean I guess you were pretty young, but did people talk about those things in general? What did people talk about?

What did you do for fun?

njskorea51 karma

There are news and radio and television and there are foreign news, but of course all are in the official version. There is no foreign media and only some senior party officials and their family have access to a few foreign magazines, mostly from China.

The people seldom talked about government or politics with people outside the family. We were told by parents not to talk anythings disrespectful to the country or the supreme leader as we did not know the actual background of the people we are talking to. In general the people were just talked about daily living.

Apart from school, we went to parks and amusement playgrounds and would visit relatives and friends nearby or sometimes in other cities or rural areas.

The life is of different style to the rest of the world and to those in China.

pogiface36 karma

What type of entertainment industry are you in? Are you happy working there?

njskorea77 karma

I am working in a night club. I am happy working here as I can make good money.

touchmystuffIkillyou37 karma

When you say "work in a nightclub", what do you do there? What kind of night club?

njskorea171 karma

I sell my body for money. I am a prostitute.

simcity319 karma

Will you return back to China to your children?

Do you plan to get married again?

Are you fluent in Mandarin, so maybe you'll find another Chinese husband?

njskorea65 karma

I do not know. I do not wish to return back to Shandong indeed.

So far as I can find a man who love me. I don't know.

Cannot say fluent in Mandarin. If there is choice I do not prefer to find another Chinese husband.

rabsi130 karma

In a lot of photos of Kim Jong Un with North Korean families they are shown crying. Are they crying in fear or are they actually crying with happiness as the official caption says?

njskorea80 karma

Crying in happiness. We were taught to praise the supreme leader since the kindergarten and that was indoctrinated in our heart. Further, there are really some North Korean living in happiness, especially in Pyongyang.

Odesia29 karma

Do you keep in touch with your mother, sister and son? How are they doing?

njskorea71 karma

Yes, I have contacted with them.

My mother is not as fortunate as me and my sister. She was sold by the trafficker to a poor man living in Jilin, who was 48 (my mother was 38 at that time). He is not very good to her and she has worked hard. She gives birth to a daughter and a son for the man and not yet get an identity card.

My sister married to a man who was 31 (she was a year younger than me) in Shaanxi. She also gives birth to a daughter and a son. Her husband is fine to her and she feels ok to the present living. She was given an identity card about the same time I got an identity card.

My son is taking care by his grandmother and uncle and is fine. He will be getting to primary school in the coming September.

royaleavecdufromage52 karma

Jesus Christ, your whole family was auctioned off. I'm so sorry.

njskorea60 karma

As I know there are only 2 means for a girl or woman to pay off the debt/costs of fleeing from North Korea to China. One is being sold as wife of man living in rural area (as it is more difficult for men living in rural area to find a wife) and another is working as prostitute.

EricGMW28 karma

She gives birth to a daughter and a son for the man

That's a thought-provoking turn-of-phrase... not with the man, but for the man... which is exactly what it was, I suppose...

I know you said you have contact with them, but what emotional connection, if any, do you have or feel with your new brother and sister, and your new niece and nephew?

njskorea36 karma

There is simply no emotional connection in my mind that they are my brother and sister. I have only seen the photos of them and never meet or talked with them. Further, it seems that that man is not good to my mother and my mother is not happy in her present living. I don't think my mother really wishes to call them "brother and sister".

The situation is somewhat different for my sister. She is happy with her daughter and son and with her present living. I am grateful to share her happiness.

ChrisHernandez28 karma

What is something you miss about north Korea?

njskorea114 karma

My home and my father.

SirCuntsalot28 karma

Do you hope for a unified Korea someday?

njskorea77 karma

Yes, but I think that date would be far far away.

balanced_view17 karma

What do you think might be some of the first steps to achieve that?

njskorea60 karma

I don't know, really. I think that is only possible if United States agree to have China exercising ulimate influence on the united Korea. I don't mean China would insist on Korea be united under communist rule but China would request a Sino-Korean relationship similar to the one pre-1895.

balanced_view20 karma

Thanks for your response. By the way I'm very sorry to hear the loss of your husband. How do you like Macau? My brother in law works there. It must be very different to DPRK. Did you realise how different China is to DPRK before you left?

EDIT: I missed the bit about being bought as a wife

njskorea38 karma

Yes, I do realize how China is different to North Korea before I left. Though the information was not much, most of North Korean know somethings about China.

I like Macau, it is a colourful and rich city.

balanced_view11 karma

That's interesting. I have read a lot about North Korea, but I really cannot imagine how difficult life must have been. Anyway I'm glad you got out and I wish you a happy life!

njskorea38 karma

I have not said life is difficult to all the people in North Korea. Instead I had said that life for those in Pyongyang and for those family of party and government officials are not difficult.

oBLACKIECHANoo18 karma

"I'm sorry to hear the loss of your husband" She was forced in to marrying him and was essentially a slave. There is nothing to be sorry about.

njskorea80 karma

Yes, I do not really feel any sorry or sad. Like it or not, I would say that it is fortunate that I am still young.

arglye1234511 karma

Do you miss your son?

njskorea75 karma

Yes, I miss him. But at the same time I do not wish he being my burden as I am still young.

QUEEF_PUDDING27 karma

Sorry if this is inappropriate, but, were you taught sexual education in school?

Do north Koreans use birth contraceptives?

njskorea36 karma

Yes, we were taught sex education in secondary school. Birth contraceptives, mostly pills and condom from China, are not uncommon.

Vandoren33325 karma

As person who was born in USSR I want to ask,do you have underground culture?I mean we have some artists and writers who were against regime,for example Solshenizin.When I see on your country it's really looks like time machine to USSR.

njskorea30 karma

I think the North Korean regime is much success than the USSR and China regime. In the 17 years I was in North Korea, I never heard about anyone talking about any underground culture or know any underground culture myself.

Mayafoe24 karma

Thank you so much for answering these questions, I also think you are very brave. I have a silly question: do North Koreans like to drink alcohol?

edit- spelling and I think she's great

njskorea79 karma

yes, North Koreans drink wine. It is not a Muslim country.

CornFlakeJake24 karma

  1. How did you get introduced to reddit?
  2. Were you taught anything negative about capitalism?
  3. How was the rest of the world viewed? Especially America, China, Russia, England, and third world countries?

njskorea71 karma

  1. Told by an American.

  2. Yes, we were taught capitalism is evil and bad. However, I now feel money is good.

  3. Every countries have its own characteristics. Though there are a lot of unfairness in all these countries a person always has a chance to get upward by his/her own effort, whilst in North Korea it is more difficult to do that.

xgrhaj23 karma

中国和你想象的一样吗?

njskorea32 karma

说真的, 比想像中更加好及进步

xgrhaj13 karma

主要有哪些区别,比如?

njskorea17 karma

生活水準及自由度很高

Meatmehalfway23 karma

Why Macau? Do you like it there?

njskorea56 karma

It is easy to earn money and is not difficult for a girl or woman from China to get a work in the entertainment industy in Macau. There are also agents throughout (of course informal) which can introduce and arrange a girl or woman to work in Macau.

The money I can make here is good and the living is also not bad.

Meatmehalfway26 karma

Have you had much interaction with Americans in Macau? What do you think of them? Be honest....

njskorea68 karma

Yes, I have interaction with Amercians in Macau. Most of them are fine and kind just like other people. However, many Amercians tend to have much interest in those from North Korea.

Meatmehalfway33 karma

That is because the news media in America makes us Americans believe that North Korea is a serious threat to us. Of course, many of us don't believe these things they say just as many in North Korea don't believe what their news media says.

njskorea56 karma

Yes, you exactly have the point.

jfsurbano123 karma

Many of my South Korean friends expressed their hatred for North Korea because they are "dirty", they "speak weird" and many other words of discrimination. What do you feel about South Korean people? Do North Koreans discriminate against South Koreans too?

njskorea103 karma

South Koreans are arrogant and rude.

elverloho22 karma

I've seen many Western tourists go to North Korea and later describe that tour guides want them to take local women as wives. What is that about? Do the tour guides just want their friends to marry a Western tourist so they can leave North Korea? Or is it a scam? If a Western man marries a North Korean woman, does the man have to "buy" the woman from the state like in Cuba?

njskorea31 karma

I don't know what is the situation now. However, I understand that marry with westerners and leaving the country are not encouraged and not easy a few years ago.

TheRealCman21 karma

Is the living situations as bad as portrayed in the media?

What do you think of Kim Jong Un as a leader? And would his brother be any better?

Do you regret you decision of leaving?

EDIT: And have you seen this

njskorea48 karma

For those who were poor, yes. And for those who were well-off, no.

I think he is more a symbolic figure than a supreme leader who have absolute authority. I think he can never get the powers and respectness as his grandfather or even his father. Even it is his brother who come to the post, the situation would be the same more or less.

No. I never regret the decision of leaving. I would say that we must leave at that time.

RandomGeneratedName21 karma

This might be an odd question, but do you know much these people paid to 'buy' you? I'm sorry about the situation with your family being effectively auctioned off, but I'm curious to see how much they feel a person is worth.

njskorea29 karma

Yes, as I was a virgin and was young, my husband paid a lot to buy me. He said it was RMB50,000.00. On the other hand, my mother said his husband only paid RMB15,000.00 for her.

Nik0011729 karma

$8,100 USD for her, $2,450 for her mom.

njskorea16 karma

And for your information. I was in a rather rich coastal province whilst my mother is in a rather poor north-eastern province. My late husband said that the money was just about a year of his family's income and only a part of the savings, but my mother said his husband told her RMB15,000.00 was already all his savings.

royaleavecdufromage19 karma

What was it like getting married to someone you didn't know? I imagine that must have been very difficult for you.

njskorea77 karma

Sure very difficult. I even felt disgusting when he was on top of me. I felt I was just a prostitute.

However, I knew that I had to accept that. I was depending on him. I did not wish to be sent back to North Korea. Though difficult and disgusting, I understood it would be much better than a life in the labour camp in North Korea. And even not ending in labour camp, I understood a life back in North Korea would not be better than that I was facing.

Shawn_Henry18 karma

How do Chinese nationals view North Korean defectors?

njskorea51 karma

Most of the Chinese nationals are to certain extent sympathized or at less not hostile with the North Korean refugees. However, the Chinese government is not very welcome to the North Korean refugees, for diplomatic, political and economic reasons.

abbazabbbbbbba17 karma

How's your family back home doing since you left?

njskorea42 karma

You mean the family in North Korea, right?

I have never heard about my father after I leaved. My mother neither have any information on him. As for the grandmother and uncle and aunt, I know from my mother that they were just fine and what had happened to my family had not brought much trouble to them. Personally I have not any contact with them.

nikatnight12 karma

What about your sister and mother?

and child? Do you feel connected to that child?

njskorea33 karma

My mother was sold to a man in Liaoning province. He was 48 and my mom was 38 at that time. She gives birth to a daughter and a son for him. He is not very bad to my mother. And my mother is unfortunately that she not yet get an identity card.

My sister married to a man in Shaanxi province. She also gives birth to a daugther and a son. My sister said her husband was pretty good to her and she feel ok for the present living. She got an identity card about the same time I got my identity card.

I feel connected to my son. However, I do not wish he being a burden to me as I am still young.

sleepyj9103 karma

Can you describe what it means to be bought as a wife in China? Are you a slave? Is it necessary to get married to stay there? Did you have to pretend to love your husband for your own wellbeing?

njskorea16 karma

Bought by a man and marry him and be a member of his family. I cannot say it is like slave. In theory I was a wife and a family member. However, I felt like a sex slave and had to satisty the request of my husband whenever he wished, or he would bad to me. I had to do the homework, as a wife, and assist in farming. I had to take care of his father. I gave birth to a son for him. What I did not need to do was pretending to love him.

Yes, it is a necessary to get married to get an identity card in China. It is their policy that they would only allow North Korean girls and women who get married to stay.

reptomin2 karma

I thought they took three generations, like even if your cousin escaped you'd be sent to a camp.

njskorea3 karma

May be so far as your cousin is not also a party or military member and does not have any connection with the upper ranks.

jflexrex17 karma

What knowledge did you have of conditions in working camps? How much do these living conditions vary from those that you grew up in?

njskorea48 karma

Hard and long hours work, very poor conditions, continued "re-education", even worse than a prison.

Of course the labour camp is liked a hell and as compared the living conditions of that I grew up was liked a heaven, or a heaven without freedom.

Seranade13 karma

[deleted]

njskorea31 karma

I indeed do not know much inside the labour camps, just as most general population of North Korea. We just know there are just like a hell and most of those entered the labour camp never come out again.

pankoman10 karma

Do normal North Koreans think that some people deserve to go to labour camps?

njskorea26 karma

Some really think that only the bad and trouble people go to labour camps.

vrphotosguy5516 karma

Would you like to visit the US? Are you allowed to leave China? Do you feel free in China?

njskorea47 karma

Yes, I am sure wish to visit US. I am allowed to leave China though at this momemt I not yet got a China passport. I need a special entry to enter Macau.

I feel free in China. You have every freedom in China (even in talking politics and criticizing the government and the party), save as the freedom to engage in politics.

Pinwurm16 karma

Can you explain the details of how you left North Korea?

How did you spend the night before you left?
How did you spend your first day in China?

njskorea21 karma

My mother got contact with the middlemen and they arranged us to escape (escape means only travel by car, noone really following us) to the border city. There we were told to cross the border at a particular time in the evening (I think that the middlemen had bribed the border guards and the border guards just turned their blind eyes at a particular time). The middleman told and directed us just to walk straight forward in a particular direction (as directed by the falling sun) after crossing the border. We followed his directions and cross the border (through walking on the frozen river) and just a few hundred meters away into the Chinese territory there was another middleman waiting for us. He took us to a nearby town and we stayed there for some days to wait for others to take us to the man who bought us. After about a week my mother leaved first. And then in less than a week it was me. A man took me by car straight to Shandong to the man who bought me.

You mean before leaving Pyongyang or North Korea? The night leaving Pyongyang just nervously thinking and could not sleep. I slept well in the night before leaving North Korea. For the first day in China we just stayed in a house seeing television as we were told not to go outside the house.

VeejoMorgenstein15 karma

How do the people of North Korea seem to feel about Kim Jong-Un?

njskorea57 karma

I don't know. I no longer have any contact with anyone inside North Korea so that I cannot answer what do the people now feel about him. When I leaved North Korea, he was still a no-body.

Grizblod13 karma

Is there any form of religion or is all forms of spiritual worship forbiden?

njskorea36 karma

I just say not forbidden if you practise any religion in private, but there was no church or organized religious worship or anything like that.

backlash199211 karma

I really admire you, you must have gone through hell. I wanted to ask you, is there anything someone like me. (Living in Canada.) Can do to help someone in North Korea?

njskorea27 karma

I do not think anyone outside North Korea can really do anything to help those inside North Korea. May be the only thing you can do for North Korean is to petition to your government to accept more refugees from North Korea.

nuwan3211 karma

Do you plan on travelling anywhere else and seeing the rest of the world?

Also how rare is it to see a car or vehicle on the streets in NK? Do people want cars and cant afford them, or do they simply not buy them?

Are there any big businesses or companies, or is all the money directed toward the government?

njskorea22 karma

I would like to travelling around the seeing the rest of the world if there is chance.

Not very rare to see a car on the streets of Pyongyang, but nearly all were own by the government and being used by middle or senior party and military officials and their family. A common North Korean is simply not possible to buy a car.

There were not much businesses or companies in Pyongyang. Nearly all the commercial and money are controlled by the government.

404ClueNotFound10 karma

How could Kim Jong-Un make the country a better place to live? And what, in your opinion, would it take to convince him to try?

njskorea35 karma

May be he should corporate more with China and go with the China-way of reform.

imaylie10 karma

When you arrived to China was there anything you saw that impacted you and made you feel as if you missed out on a lot of things being in North Korea?

njskorea33 karma

When I knew that I was sold to a man after arrived China and when I saw the man, I did have the feeling as if I missed out the whole world.

theothersteve79 karma

What do North Koreans think of Russia? Western Europe?

What do you, personally, think the USA should do about North Korea?

Did you have a favorite cartoon or book growing up?

Thanks for this AMA.

njskorea18 karma

Russian are bad, as bad as American.

For western Europe I don't think North Koreans have much comments on that.

Personally I do not know wht USA should do. May be USA should try softer mean to influence North Korea.

No, I did not have any favorite cartoon or book.

keyilan8 karma

In Macau, do you know many other North Koreans?

Where is your hukou registered?

njskorea12 karma

Not many, I just know 5 other North Koreans in Macau.

My hukou is at Jinan.

verytroo7 karma

Doesn't China send back all North Koreans who manage to pass through the border? How easy or difficult is for somebody who manages to flee, to get settled in China with a job, identity cards and work rights?

njskorea40 karma

No, China does not send back all North Koreans who manage to pass through the border. China does admit some North Korean refugees as residents. As I know there are campaigns to "clear" the North Korean refugees in the north-eastern provinces near North Korea once or two time a year but the local officials never mean that. For those North Korean refugees who married and lived in other provinces, the Chinese policy was to admit most of them. What said in this new is true http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/IG20Ad01.html

It is not difficult for North Korean girls and women to manage to flee and settled in China, so far as you know what you have to pay for. For girls and women, you would require either to work as prostitute to pay off the debt/costs, or being "sell" to a man, all in rural China where the men are somewhat more difficult to get a wife. As I understand China has a policy, though not an openly one, to issue identity card to the North Korean girls and women who get marry and give birth to a child in China.

For men the situation is different. I understand that it is difficult for a North Korean male refugees to be issued an identity card.

verytroo12 karma

Thanks for answering. I find it sad that prostitution (or being sold) is the easier way for a girl/woman to settle down.

njskorea31 karma

That is the reality, like it or not. I did not know that when I was leaving North Korea but my mom sure knew that.

4wardobserver6 karma

I wonder how much China's one child policy has to do with NK women to settle in China.

njskorea7 karma

The Chinese girls have more choice and they, no matter from urban or rural areas, usually prefer marrying to a man living and having a right to reside in city. For many peasants and the poor and the disabled they simply cannot find a wife. We the North Korean girls and women are just there to meet the need of Chinese men and society.

davidkiraly7 karma

Is there any 'small' crime in North Korea? Things like beatings, muggings and such? Is there a police force or is everything done by the military?

njskorea8 karma

Sure had those types of "small" crimes and they were handled by police. Not everything done by the military.

usrevenge6 karma

Proof?

when and where did you learn english? and how long did it take you?

njskorea22 karma

I learn Chinese and English in the secondary school.

yompk9 karma

I must applaud you on your English; It is better than most of my coworkers (I work at an English hogwan in SK) What English speaking countries have you lived in?

njskorea25 karma

I would say that in average the students in North Korea learned more effectively than those in South Korea, since we have less distraction and more time in learning.

dirtymaggot2 karma

조선말이나 중국어로 말해봐라! Prove you can speak one or the other!

njskorea8 karma

对不起, 我的计算机不能​​输入韩文

ajeong922 karma

고등중학교에서 이정도 영어 배우기도 힘들텐데? 혹시 외국어학교나오셨나요?

njskorea15 karma

Not exactly a language school, but there are a few special secondary schools in Pyongyang that have more concentrated education in languages and I was in one of them.

pankoman6 karma

Living in North Korea, were you aware of prison camps? If not, do you believe they exist?

In documentaries I've seen, N Koreans regularly blame America for their powercuts. Was this a show for the cameras, or do the common people generally blame America for their government's poor economic policy?

Did you ever hear anyone say anything bad about a party official, and if so was any action taken?

Were you ever aware of any organized resistance?

njskorea6 karma

I knew there was labour camps for the criminals.

Yes, I also shared the same feeling when I was in North Korea that it was the US embargo that responsible for the the poor economy.

No, noone talked about politics and government in North Korea.

I never awared or knew there was any organized resistance in North Korea.

Sweep045 karma

Was your father aware of what your mother and you would be doing when leaving Korea? Did he say anything about it?

How many North Korean people have you met in China?

njskorea13 karma

May be he knew, I don't know. We really had no chance to speak to him before we leaved.

There was another girl like me in the village I was living. Apart from her I had not met any other North Korean in China.

Th3Stranger4 karma

Are normal people in Korea ever "happy"?

Do they smile or laugh?

Do people ever go out to have fun, to restaurants for example?

njskorea14 karma

It depended on what you mean by "normal people".

For most of those living in Pyongyang and for the party and government officials and their family, I would say they (or we) did smile and laugh. And the life was just fine, though difficult to say happy or not. For those non-party and government officials living in the rural areas, I understand that situation was much different.

People do sometimes went out for fun. There were parks and amusement playground around and sometimes went to visit their relatives in other cities or rural areas. However, people in North Korea seldom went to restaurants as there were not much restaurants in North Korea, even in Pyongyang.

gokusun3 karma

Are you gorgeous?

njskorea41 karma

Not bad, I would say.

gokusun7 karma

On a more serious note. Does a NK have any type of pop culture? Like their reiteration of back street boys?

njskorea13 karma

I didn't notice their was any pop culture in North Korea. But the situation may be different now.

Opium_War_victim3 karma

山东那儿?

njskorea3 karma

济南郊区

Steampunk_Moustache2 karma

How many North Koreans do you think actually believe the government's propaganda? How many of them actually care about the Kims?

njskorea3 karma

I think only a minority believe in that and only very few do actually care about the Kims. Many support the Kims for their own benefit,, not for the Kims.

CompsciTry2 karma

Are you ever in any form of danger once you've escaped North Korea?

Will any North Korean officials try to bring you back?

What will they most likely say about you in North Korea?

Do you have any contacts in North Korea anymore?

Thank you so much on doing this AMA. Your english is very good too.

njskorea8 karma

Not really any dangerous. I understand bribes did most of the things and everythings were well arranged by the middlemen.

If I was brought back by North Korean officials, they sure would throw me into the labour camp.

No, I personally do not have any contact with anyone in North Korea anymore. My mom seems to still have some contacts, though I do not really know.

butcher992 karma

They do not send the father to thee camps. The entire extended family will go and never get out.

njskorea5 karma

When we leaved, they not yet sent my father to the labour camp, just kept him under custody.

andruca2 karma

So you were just bought? What the flying fuck. Did you actually like the guy after a while, or you were just hoping he died?

njskorea20 karma

Or you may say that he helped to pay up the debt or costs for leaving North Korea.

I never and ever like that guy. I neither wish or hope that he would die soon. However, I do not feel sad when he passed away.

andruca-1 karma

What about the kid? Its your kid after all too right? Also, did you kill him?

njskorea1 karma

My son is fine. He is taking care by his grandmother and uncle and aunt. He will go to primary school in the coming September.

I did not kill my husband. He smoked too much and had lung cancer.

Raven_Rise2 karma

Have you read "Escape from Camp 14?" Can you relate to it?

njskorea1 karma

No, I have never read that.

brogues12 karma

Did you use cannabis when you were living in North Korea? I have heard it is completely legal there.

njskorea3 karma

I had never seen or heard any people doing that in North Korea. May be it is because I was not living in the poorest part of North Korea.

404ClueNotFound2 karma

Have you heard of the American defector Robert Jenkins? What do you think of him and others like him?

njskorea10 karma

I do not have any comments on that.

stonewallbanyan1 karma

Thousands of South Koreans live in Beijing and even Shandong. Why do you say south Koreans don't emigrate to China?

njskorea8 karma

I know some South Koreans are living and working and doing business in Shandong, but not emigrate to China. Working and doing business is one thing and emigrate is another thing. Note China do not allow double nationality. When a South Korean wish to get a Chinese citizenship, he or she has to surrender his or her South Korean citizenship.

mariuolo1 karma

What kind of man was your husband?

Are you still at risk of being sent back to NK?

Do you think you will move to South Korea or elsewhere in the future?

njskorea10 karma

He was a farmer and was a rude man. He was traditional Chinese man and was controllable and took all the charge in the family. He was not very good to me.

No, I get a Chinese identity card and has the right of residence in China.

I wish to go to Europe or western countries in future.

ajeong92-2 karma

we can't just believe everything this OP says. she gave out the china ID as proof, something about being an ethnic korean. The thing is, the vast majority (pretty much all) of ethnic koreans in china have been living there for many generations (like the numerous other ethnic groups in china), and have nothing to do with north korea. To those who don't undertand, this is like some third generation US immigrant claiming to be a modern-day refugee and cannot be legitimate proof. It's also highly unlikely that her ID card is even valid; just because a defector marries a chinese man doesn't make her eligible for right of abode.

njskorea4 karma

No, China do admit North Korean refugees. What said in this news is true http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/IG20Ad01.html

I can give you a few other link to news if you can read Chinese.

njskorea3 karma

No, you are wrong. There are not much ethnic Koreans living in China for generations. As I know most of the ethnic Korean who have been in China for generations are living in north-eastern Jilan and Shenyang province and there are not much Koreans living in other provinces of China.

ajeong921 karma

i never said that they weren't a minority. i simply implied that the "majority of" the ethnic koreans (who are a minority group) in china have been there at least 3~4 generations. either way, though, they still don't have much to do with north korean defectors. and btw, there doesn't appear to be a shenyang province (shenyang is in liaoning province). 조선족의 숫자가 절대적으로 많다는게아니라, 조선족 대다수가 적어도 3~4세대동안 살았다고한거였어요. 저도 조선족이 소수민족이라는건 압니다. 흑룡강성에도 많이 살죠?

njskorea3 karma

Yes, should be Liaoning province. And you are right that Heilongjiang also have some Koreans living there.

I was not living in the north-eastern provinces when I was in China. I was living in Shandong.

dirtymaggot-5 karma

어떻게 영어를 배우셨어요? 조선말로 대답해주세요. reddit는 거짓말이 싫어요.

이건 사실이라면 처음이겠어요!

njskorea7 karma

I had education in Chinese and English in the secondary school. We were amongst the so-called "middle or upper" class in the North Korea before.

dirtymaggot-5 karma

이제 그걸 조선말로 써주세요...

njskorea8 karma

Don't test me on Korean, I just don't know how to type Korean on my keyboard

Discreeto-9 karma

Does Kim Jong-un have a micropenis?

njskorea18 karma

I never had sex with him so I do not know. Though I had hearsay he had sex with many girls and women, I am not amongst one of those girls.