👉go to video settings ⚙️ to select your preferred subtitle language - [Narrator] We're in
Beijing, the capital of China. This is where we're sent
to start the process. In order to go to North Korea, we have to sign up through an
agency for a sightseeing trip in one of the most restricted
countries on the planet. To be eligible to participate, it is obligatory to complete this form and accept a whole list of restrictions. Some of which are completely absurd. Entering the country with
a bible is forbidden. Wearing a t-shirt with political or obscene slogans is forbidden. Bringing books in Korean or
about North Korea is forbidden. And above all, it is
forbidden to be a journalist. We've had to become invisible online before we sent our request. We are flying with Air Koryo, the North Korean state-owned airline. No foreign newspapers are available, only the official press
boasting about the great leader, Kim Jong-un's latest missile tests. There are no blockbusters on the screens. Just propaganda videos on a loop. After an hour and a half,
we fly over Pyongyang. The capital of a closed country, led by a 34 year old dictator who's been terrifying the
world for several months. Already, our camera is causing problems. - Yes?
- Please don't take pictures. Please don't take pictures. - [Journalist] Okay, okay. (gentle music) - [Narrator] We are part of
a group of about 20 tourists. All nationalities are
accepted except South Koreans, who are the regime's worst enemies. Through the window, we discover
the new face of the country. Kim Jong-un has not only built missiles, modern skyscrapers have also appeared. For 10 days we will be
guided around the country. There is no question of
traveling around ourselves. Our trip will be monitored very closely. - The regulation is do not taking photos of military or military installations. Number two is if you have
some images of our leaders and then please keep it
whole, don't tear it, don't throw out and don't drop it. If you do not, it's kind of
insult for Korean people, the final thing is the
foreigners cannot go out far away from the hotel
unaccompanied by your guide. So it's forbidden. - [Narrator] We arrive at our hotel, the only one to welcome foreign tourists, to find our first surprise. - [Narrator] Every year,
5,000 Western tourists visit North Korea. But the authorities have become
more and more suspicious. It was during an organized
trip like this one that the American student, Otto Warmbier, was arrested in January 2016, accused of stealing a propaganda poster from this same hotel. Two months later, he appeared, terrorized, head down, in court. A trial worthy of Stalin,
with a show of contrition in front of the cameras. (sniffling) - I entirely beg you,
the people and government of the DPR Korea for your forgiveness. Please. I have made the worst mistake of my life. (clock ticking) - [Narrator] Otto Warmbier
was finally sent back to the United States, but in a coma. North Korean authorities claim
he was affected by botulism, a rare disease, while in prison. His parents accuse his
jailers of torturing him. The autopsy was inconclusive and his death remains a mystery. What we do know, however,
is that he disobeyed the guides who were accompanying him, which could have led to his arrest. - [Narrator] It's impossible to know what is on the mysterious 5th floor. But we have been warned
that crossing this line would put us in danger. It's the country full of
both fantasies and anxieties. North Korea is one of the most savage dictatorships in the world. Its leader, Kim Jong-un,
is a head of state who is both mysterious and whimsical. He cultivates a certain
secrecy around himself and never gives any interviews. But he feeds his people with
stories of his exploits. Since he arrived in power five years ago, his country has never been so close to becoming a nuclear power. Nothing can stop him. Not even Donald Trump. - If it is forced to defend
itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to
totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide
mission for himself. - [Narrator] During our
stay, we will discover what the regime wants to show foreigners. Gigantic monuments glorifying
great leaders of the country. And a society obeying orders. (speaking foreign language) An undercover report
where it can be dangerous to get the camera out. - [Narrator] We will plunge into a country that is drowning in propaganda, where everything is done to
prepare the population for war. (speaking foreign language) - We succeeded in launching the H bomb and we will defend our
country from the U.S. - [Narrator] The inhabitants
are indoctrinated. Kim Jong-un's missiles
are displayed everywhere. The target, the great American Satan. - So there's two today? - There's two today. The U.S. Army is our biggest enemy. - [Narrator] Here they
sing the dictator's praises in the streets, in the countryside. - [Children In Unison] Yes! - [Narrator] And even
in the primary schools. - [Narrator] We also went to the place where Kim Jong-un grew up, in Switzerland where nobody knew his true identity. - There were one or two guys sometimes, following him or you know, but we thought, okay, maybe
it's part of the family. Now-a-days we think,
okay this might have been his bodyguards maybe. - [Narrator] Finally, we
investigated in Malaysia, where Kim Jong-un most likely ordered the assassination of his own brother. - It definitely took a
lot of planning, yeah. And it's not something
that is done overnight. The execution has to be
perfect for this kind of thing. And I think the execution was perfect. - [Narrator] Journey
into Kim Jong-un's Korea. The number one enemy of
America and its allies. - [Woman] Do you consider
that Kim Jong-un is a madman? - Of course not. He is very smart, realistic. Extremely pragmatic person. And probably the greatest Machiavellian currently in decoration. (dramatic music) (solemn music) - [Narrator] In December 2011, after the death of Kim Jong Il, the man who had led
North Korea for 17 years, the world discovered the man he had chosen as his successor, his
third son, Kim Jong-un. A chubby young man, 28 years old, who cried in front of his father's body. (crowd sobbing) State television captured the distress of the North Korean people. (crowd screaming) In the snow, hundreds of thousands of people cried and wailed. Outrageous scenes of grief, filmed close up by cameras of the regime. Kim Jong-un accompanied the hearse with the highest
dignitaries of the country. That day, many underestimated him. They thought he was too young, and undoubtedly too weak to take power. But the new dictator would
quickly silence his critics. Andrei Lankov is one of the world's leading experts in North Korea. He has written many
books about Kim Jong-un, his father and his grandfather. - You have the coffin and
you have eight people. Eight people who are
walking next to the coffin. Kim Jong-un is number
one, who is after him? It's his uncle, Jang Song-thaek. At the time, the single most important, most influential official in the country. For about a year, he was to remain Kim Jung-un's closest advisor. Then, during a cabinet meeting, the secret police broke in,
and in front of cameras, actually arrested him
and dragged him away. And next day, the main
official newspaper declared that he was a traitor and was executed. - [Narrator] Kim Jong-un
showed no weakness. In the following months, he eliminated all of the most powerful
members of the regime. - Kim Jung-un and seven people. Of these people, five were to disappear or lose their jobs. Two of them are known to be dead. The fate of the remaining
three is not clear but they are almost
definitely have been purged. It's cruel, yes. But if you look at
history of any monarchy, pre-modern monarchy, you will see a lot of similar situations. It's very dangerous to be an advisor or regent to a young king. (people cheering) - [Narrator] The country bows down. Kim Jong-un showed that he would go to any lengths to stay in power. And with propaganda that played scenes of soldiers overjoyed at
having a new leader on a loop, Un sent a message: it was
better not to get in his way. (festive music) (gentle music) The first step in a trip to North Korea is to pay tribute to the
country's former great leaders. Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il,
the grandfather and father of the current leader, Kim Jong-un. Every day, thousands of
people come to bow down before the huge statues in their image. They were built after their deaths. We have to buy flowers and place them in front of the monuments. It is obligatory for tourists. However, we are forbidden
from taking pictures. We film discreetly. - You can lay flowers. Off your sunglasses. Lay flower and come back to the line. You get one bow. - [Narrator] After we have bowed, we were allowed to film the statues. But again, there are
instructions to follow. Several guides accompany
us the entire time. (indistinct chatter and laughing) Mr. Kang, their head,
checks that the images of the great leaders are not cut off, as this, according to him,
would be disrespectful. - [Mr. Kang] Ah. Okay. Like that? Okay. - [Guide] The statue
is a pace of 20 meters. During their lifetime Kim Il Sung is taller than general. So the statue is different. - Very hard to see.
- And then the pedalstone is a base of three meters long or total of 23 meters. - After, they would make
another statue of Kim Jung-un? - No, no, no.
- No? - [Guide] Now we go statue
of (speaks faintly). - Why?
- Kim Jong-un, he doesn't like it. - He doesn't like statues? - [Guide] He doesn't like
this, painting and his statue. - Okay. Why, you do know why? - [Guide] Because he's really humble. - [Man] Okay. - [Guide] He likes normal life. - [Narrator] Kim Jong-un,
a normal president. The next part of the visit
will prove the opposite. In a neighboring bookstore, there are shelves filled with his books. In every language. At the age of 34, in addition
to his career as dictator, Kim Jong-un, has already taken the time to write a dozen books. - [Narrator] As well as the
books, there are records. Every one, a song to the
father of the Nation. - [Narrator] Kim Jong-un, like his father and grandfather before him, is entitled to the daily
honors of propaganda. The great leader is also a great horseman. He also drives a tank, a submarine, and an airliner. - [Narrator] Kim Jong-un is
also the friend of the elderly. A man who makes children
quiver with emotion. And women cry with love. Un, a demigod worshiped by his people. However, everything led
to believe that his style would be different from
that of his predecessors. He was educated partly in
Europe, far from North Korea. Kim Jong-un's childhood
remains somewhat mysterious. He was born in 1983, though
the date is uncertain. Here he is with his
mother, a former dancer, the second wife of his
father, Kim Jong Il. As a teenager he was sent
to continue his studies, at the other end of the earth in the small town of
Liebefeld, Switzerland. The country is one of the few to maintain diplomatic
relations with North Korea. Moreover, the education there
is reputed to be excellent. - This morning I read newspapers and on the first page you can see is my friend that I used
to go to school with. And this was the exact
school where, you know, he was walking around, so... - [Narrator] Nikola
Kovacevic knew the young Un from first year of the local high school. - He wasn't really special in any way. He used to run around. He used to be very open actually. I do remember him talking
high German quite well. - [Narrator] At the time, only
the Swiss authorities knew that they were housing
the family of a dictator. Un moved to the country
with his brother and sister. Here is their entry
document to the country. The three children kept the first names, but their surname, Kim,
was changed to Pak. So Kim Jong-un was called Pak Houn. His true identity was never
revealed during his stay. Even his friends didn't suspect anything. - I remember the first time I saw him. They were mentioning that we
will have a new class member and he's apparently from North Korea. And I do exactly remember they told me he's the son of the ambassador. - [Narrator] Later, the Swiss
newspaper, Sonntagszeitung, ordered an anthropometric
study comparing the face of the young boy and the current dictator. There's no doubt that it's the same man, a few years older and a few kilos heavier. In Switzerland, he could
not arouse any suspicions. Even if his life didn't always resemble that of an ambassador's son. - There were one or two guys, sometimes following him or you know. But we thought, okay, maybe
it's part of the family. We were not really even
asking who are these guys. We just kind of accepted them, they were sometimes joining
us for a basket game. Now-a-days we think,
okay, this might have been his bodyguards, maybe. So, right now we are at the exact place where Un used to live. That was his apartment. So this was his entrance, so he used to walk in and
walk out, go to school. - [Narrator] The apartment
has since been resold. Photos of the interior have been released. This is where the young Kim Jong-un lived. Nothing luxurious for the
son of a head of state, but the teenager did have some privileges. - He was, by that I really
meant, without parents. He was having his apartment
and the other apartment was maybe for his workers or help, you know people that used to care for him. He was having cooks or maybe other people who used to serve him even, maybe. He was having a room filled
with basketball stuff where Michael Jordan shirts or you know, the original NBA basketball was inside. NBA is maybe, was back
then the most popular sport in the United States, right? So I think... Un cannot like NBA and hate, or not like the United
States on the other hand. - [Narrator] After two years
spent in the greatest secrecy, Un disappeared overnight. Repatriated to his homeland. It would seem that he
didn't learn anything from the democracy lessons on
the Swiss school curriculum. On the other hand, he returned passionate about Western culture. And it showed. (applauding) In July 2012, a few months
after his accession to power, Un appeared as his father
and grandfather never had. He attends a concert in Pyongyang,
accompanied by his wife. In North Korea, the first ladies had always remained invisible until then. ("Gonna Fly Now") On stage, the orchestra plays
the music from the film Rocky. In the background, images
of Sylvester Stallone crushing his Soviet enemy. The highlight of the show: Mickey, Minnie, the seven dwarves and Winnie the Pooh. Symbols that couldn't be more American. (audience applauds) - [Narrator] Two years
later, he publicly proclaims his passion for U.S. basketball. He invites Dennis Rodman, the NBA star, to Pyongyang for his birthday. ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪ ♪ Happy birthday, dear marshal ♪ ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪ (audience applauds) - [Narrator] As well as basketball,
Kim Jong-un brought back other souvenirs of his
experience in Europe. Under his rule, North Korea changed. He introduced some economic liberalization which brought money into the country. In Pyongyang, modern buildings were built. American-style towers now overlook the statues of the great leaders. Kim Jong-un also unveiled some typically Swiss
installations, ski slopes. And other entertainment venues. (cheerful music) - [Narrator] Theme parks have opened and also amusement arcades, bowling alleys and bars. Even if it is only the
most privileged who go. Our guides are proud to show us that life is happy in their country. But it is impossible
to know what daily life really looks like for North Koreans. We are forbidden from talking to them. Okay. (upbeat drum music) - [Narrator] To find out
what is hiding behind the dances and the outward smiles, we have to go to a neighboring country. Where speaking isn't a crime. We're in Seoul, the capital
of the biggest enemy of North Korea, South Korea. In the country, there
are 30,000 North Koreans who've fled the neighboring dictatorship to seek refuge here. - [Narrator] Choi Soo Yang, 26, secretly left Pyongyang in 2014, two years after Kim Jong-un took power. She tells us that nothing has changed. She has taken part in
several television shows that report on life in the North. On the air, along with the hosts, she mocks Kim Jong-un's politics. - [Narrator] In Seoul, Soo Yang discovered an environment she'd never dreamed of, a world which is highly-connected instead of cut off from everything. (singing in foreign language) - [Narrator] In the
North, only a small group of extremely rich individuals
can drive their own vehicles. Just one injustice among so many others. However, Soo Yang believed in Kim Jong-un. His signs of openness and
taste for western culture let her dream of big changes to come. A dream which didn't last. - [Narrator] Kim Jong-un eliminates anyone who gets in his way. In North Korea and even abroad. Borders don't get in the way
of the officials in Pyongyang. We are in Kuala Lumpur,
the capital of Malaysia. It was here that one of the
most memorable assassinations of recent years took place. Kim Jong-un is reported to have had his own brother, Kim Jong Nam, killed. Nam was the first son
of his dictator father. However, it wasn't him who
was chosen to take power. (dramatic music) In 2003, he was exiled
from his family and country for trying to enter Japan
with a fake passport. After that, he lived
between Macau and Malaysia. On the 13th of February last year, he was getting ready to take a flight at the international airport. He can be seen on these
video surveillance images in a gray suit jacket
with a bag on his back. The journalist, Timothy
Achariam investigated the case. - He looked like he was a traveler, any normal traveler
going to board a flight. When he looks up at the board,
he's looking for his flight. It's probably about 10
seconds he looks at the board and then he heads over to the
kiosk counter to check in, the self check-in. (solemn music) He came to this counter,
this exact counter to check in for his flight. And as he was checking
in, he was very busy so he didn't know what
was going on around him. Doan, the Vietnamese girl,
she came from the back and she went over his head from the back and pushed the glove to his head. Then you can see him doing a double-take, like he moved back a bit. And there's the other girl, Siti Aisyah, from the side to distract him. While this was all going on and then coolly, Siti
Aisyah went off this way, and Huong went off that way. (solemn music) - [Narrator] The scene is
filmed by two different cameras. Here we can see the young woman who runs her hand over
his face, from behind. Then her and her companion
calmly leave the crime scene. According to the journalist, that day the two women weren't alone. - Only, allegedly, there
were four North Koreans sitting at that cafe right there. They must have been sitting at that table, as you can see that
table facing directly us. It was reported and is alleged that they were sitting
there and monitoring, and then immediately after it happened they had gotten up and left. - [Narrator] Kim Jong Nam
doesn't know at this point that he's been poisoned. The chemical doesn't act immediately and after the attack, he
doesn't appear weakened. The doctors later discover
that he had inhaled VX nerve agent, an extremely
powerful neurotoxin. A single dose and death is certain. Worried, Kim Jong Nam goes straight away to an information desk. He is then taken to the police. On these images, we see
him reenact the scene. The policemen take him to
the airport's medical center. He starts to feel unwell. A passerby takes this photo of him. He is lying on a stretcher
waiting to be taken to hospital. He dies in the ambulance. - It definitely took a
lot of planning, yeah. And it's not something
that is done overnight. It's a lot of planning,
a lot of execution, the execution has to be
perfect for this kind of thing. And I think the execution was perfect. - [Narrator] For this perfect
murder, everything points to North Korea which is
one of the only countries to possess the VX poison. The four men who were watching the scene managed to get away. But the two women who carried
out the attack were arrested. One of them chose a big-shot Malay lawyer to defend her, Dato' Naran Singh. He claims it's all a plot, assuring that his client does not have the profile of a professional killer. - She is a very pretty woman, you know. Anybody would be cover acting like this. And then, she is very outgoing. Outgoing, very outgoing lady. - [Journalist] She was on TV? - Yeah, yeah, she has been. Several shows in Vietnam. - [Journalist] So she
really wanted to be famous? - Yeah, any woman. - [Narrator] Slightly
questionable arguments from the lawyer, but according to him, this explains that the young woman didn't know what she was doing. - What happened, they started
doing video prank in Vietnam. And she was invited to come to Malaysia to do this video pranks. That was the reason she was here. One other thing she did that day was to get a shooting,
get a movie shooting for a prank video. There was seven people who were with her, who directed her to go and do this act. And she's merely innocent
in doing the act. That's what we are looking at. - [Narrator] The young woman
says that her and her companion had been trained for several months, carrying out real hidden camera stunts. It's going to be hard
to convince the court of such an unlikely story. They both risk the death penalty. Regardless of their fate, everything points to Kim Jong-un being the person who
ordered the assassination. In the center of Kuala Lumpur, we have a meeting with Axel Hwang, a friend of the victim. According to him, Nam
knew he was in danger. - He always sit here. Wife sit here. So he like here because there glass here. Okay, glass protect. And then the security, two bodyguards, always sitting here. - [Narrator] He was always
accompanied by his bodyguards. However, the day of his
assassination he was alone. This is not surprising for his friend. - The bodies of this
community so terrible. I have to talk to them. Kim Nam was a very good
financial condition until Jang Song-Taek was alive. - [Narrator] Remember Kim Jong-un's uncle? The one he had assassinated
just after he arrived in power. - Jang Song-Taek was
killed by Kim Jong-un, after that, all the
pipeline money, pipeline, you know, supply is stopped. So he got some suffering for the money. Financial problems. - [Narrator] No more money
meant no more bodyguards. Kim Jong Nam became an easy target. Yet he still criticized his brother and the regime in Pyongyang. According to his friend,
his fate was sealed. - In 2012, already Kim
Jong-un tried to kill, no doubt already, trying
to kill Kim Jong Nam. In North Korea, internally Kim Jong-un have one big problem is Kim Jong Nam because his blood is not original blood. You understand? So, Kim Il Sung here, Kim Jong Il here, but next one is who? Kim Jong Nam. Why? Because elder son, elder son. That's why he finally,
he decide to kill him. - [Narrator] After the
assassination of Kim Jong Nam, Kim Jong-un laid low. From then on, he was the only one left with claim to the Kim legacy. At the same time, the
dictator protected himself from his enemies outside
by launching missiles and developing his nuclear weapons. Nobody can touch him,
that's what he hammers home in propaganda clips like these, broadcast on state television. (explosion booms) During our visit, the regime
conducted a nuclear test. This military success
is displayed everywhere. Newspapers are shown, behind
glass, in the streets. On the front page that day, the regime is threatening its enemies, South Korea and the United
States, with nuclear war. - [Narrator] Our guides
take us to the countryside. We take roads which are completely empty. Sometimes we see large blocks of stone, intended to block tanks
in case of an invasion. Our destination for the day is a farm. - It has 1,857 farmers here. The total population of this
area is about 3,423 people and also it has over 1,000 families. - [Narrator] Inside the farm is a statue depicting the abundance of the country. It was built in 1997, during a famine that caused hundreds of thousands
of deaths in the country. - [Narrator] During our
visit, it's impossible to see the workers close up. Everything is done so we don't meet. - [Journalist] This is a farm,
but they are not farmers. (laughing) - [Guide] It's too hot,
they are in the shadow. - [Journalist] Okay, okay. - [Narrator] We can't see the farmers. On the other hand, we can hear what is broadcast all
day over the loudspeakers that are placed all around the farm. (speaking foreign language) - [Journalist] What are
those speakers saying? - We succeeded in launching the H bomb. New kind of H bomb. So, we will produce more developed H bomb and we will defend our
country from the U.S. Or something like that. - [Narrator] The missiles are everywhere. At the farm but also at the
stamp museum that we visit. - [Narrator] It's the same
when we go to a primary school. - Our school is well-known throughout the country as number one. We've done a lot of things to realize as we've shown here of the demands and agreement of the
highest quality education. This is where we have the camera system. We have made all classrooms
on the television. We are directing and
controlling all additional here. For example, as you also can see, how many children are absent today here and those who are not in their classrooms. - [Narrator] In this school,
where both pupils and teachers are closely watched, we are shown a model of education, Kim Jong-un-style. The children who play
perfectly at football. Perfectly at table tennis. Little girls who perfectly master their dance steps or gymnastics. - [Children In Unison] Yes! - [Narrator] And who sing, with a smile, in their English lessons. ♪ Touch your head ♪ ♪ Touch your head ♪ ♪ Touch your hand ♪ ♪ Touch your hand ♪ ♪ Touch your leg ♪ ♪ Touch your leg ♪ - [Narrator] The highlight of the visit: the show by the children
who not only have to excel in class and at sports, but also in music. (gentle music) (cheerful music) (soft music) (singing in foreign language) (cheering and applauding) - [Narrator] But behind the smiles which never leave the children's lips, the propaganda is always present. It's a young boy's turn
to sing in front of us. - [Narrator] The great leader at the heart of their education. Even in the science classroom. - [Guide] This at the middle school, our school children are learning
the material called nature. These two places show the places where the satellites were launched. Man-made satellites for weather. - [Narrator] Weather
satellites which look a lot like Kim Jong-un's missiles. In the corridors, the posters are less ambiguous, always missiles. - [Narrator] And the children's education goes beyond the confines of the school. Later, we are taken to visit one of the most popular
museums in the country, The Museum of American War
Atrocities in the Sinchon region. A huge building built at
the request of Kim Jong-un in 2015 to pay tribute to the victims of a massacre during the Korean War, which let to a total of
three million deaths, of which two million were civilians, from the North and the South. As usual, everything is done so that we do not meet any North Koreans. Our guides wait for local visitors to come out of the museum before we go in. - The Marshal Kim Jong-un said, we don't have to forget all of our peoples misery in life at that time. So we have to renovate
and newly built new museum and the new generation have to know that, of our peoples miserable and then the U.S. army's brutal behavior. - [Narrator] The museum
describes how the American army attacked the population of the region for nearly two months in 1950. According to the North Koreans, over 35,000 people were killed. However, according to
independent historians, if there was indeed a massacre, we do not know the
precise number of victims nor who was responsible for the killings. It's impossible to know if the facts reported here are accurate. The photos, paintings and reconstructions spare no gory details. Everything is accompanied
by dramatic music and the cries of children
from the loudspeakers. - They hold back the lady's two hands and they put the stick, wooden
stick, between their legs. They loose dogs to bite people. How brutal they are,
they cut her breasts down and then they pour gasoline to her body and they set the fire. The U.S. army, they bind
a rope into the whole body of the newborn baby. And they use, as a football. And they kill them. - [Journalist] Do the
children visit this museum? - Yeah, children, primary,
secondary and adults. - [Journalist] That's very harsh and powerful pictures for our children. - Even children, you know, they're... When they see that picture, they say, we will always fight
against the U.S. army. Should we move? - [Narrator] Visiting
this museum is obligatory for all school children in the country, from the age of nursery school. The United States accuse North Korea of spreading propaganda
about the massacre. According to Washington, the accusations against the
American army are false. We ask our guide. - [Journalist] Did the United States recognize this massacre? - [Narrator] She does not
appreciate the question, at all. - Ok, question. What about you think of all these scenes? Is it real, you think it's real? Or is this liar, it's
bullshit, or it is real. What do you think? - [Journalist] And what
about your opinion? - My opinion, I hate them. - Today, still today? - Still today. They are still U.S. army. You know, U.S. army is our
biggest enemy of this country. - [Narrator] We leave the museum but our guides want to
maintain the ambiance. - It rains because of sadness of Koreans. Yeah?
(journalist chuckles) We are now going to the DMZ now, the military demarcation line. In the Korean peninsula, 10 million people are separated in two, North and South. So today, we are here, very
place where it happened. It is the symbol of our national tragedy, so the rain is coming because it's crying, the sky is crying. - [Narrator] The DMZ is
the demilitarized zone between the North and South. An armistice was signed in 1953 but the two countries are
still officially at war. An estimated 700,000 North Korean soldiers are gathered at the border. Faced with 400,000 South Koreans, assisted by approximately
30,000 Americans. - [Journalist] They're American soldiers. - [Man] Yes sir. You're an American, no? - [Guide] Enemies! - [Journalist] What is your feeling to see American soldiers here? - [Woman] Really to revenge them. - [Journalist] Revenge them? - [Narrator] We're taken to the room where the armistice was signed. But the language is far from peaceful. - If the U.S. provoke Korean war again, then we will smash them
and then we will make nobody sign on the surrender document. - [Narrator] And from their perspective, who better than Marshal Kim
Jong-un to stand up to them. His portrait, as a military
leader, is everywhere. - Right now, they are doing military exercises in
South Korean territory. - [Journalist] So are
you scared about that? - Never.
- Never. - Because our military
build up is really strong. We have the nuclear, we have H bomb, we have all kinds of military service. You know, weapons. So we are never scared. Our people want to fight against U.S. - [Narrator] Is Kim Jong-un really ready to start a war with the Americans? We return to the other side
of the border in South Korea to meet with Andrei Lankov, who knows the story of
the Kim dynasty by heart. He is in no doubt that the young dictator is just applying a calculated
and thought-out strategy. - [Woman] Do you consider
that Kim Jong-un is a madman? - Of course not. He is a very smart, realistic, extremely pragmatic person. Probably the greatest Machiavellian currently in decoration. To studyists, he is a survivor. He is a master of survival. He saw what has happened
to many other regimes, which the United States
and other Western powers breaked it together. I'm talking about Libya. I'm talking about Iraq. I'm talking about Taliban Afghanistan. He doesn't want to go that way and he understands that the
only way to survive for him is to keep nuclear weapons. Because he assumes that no country would ever attack a nuclear North Korea. - [Narrator] According to Andrei Lankov, Kim Jong-un would be unstoppable. No more resistance, either
at home or from abroad. Even so, some still try to fight him. An hour and a half from Seoul, we have a meeting with Lee Min-bok. He's a North Korean refugee. He escaped to South Korea
a little over 20 years ago. He tells us that it was a leaflet against the Pyongyang regime
that convinced him to flee. - [Narrator] Mr. Lee is one
North Korea's biggest enemies. There is a price on his head. - [Narrator] In the bags are
slogans against the regime. Pages of the Bible which are
forbidden in North Korea, and anti-Kim Jong-un films on USB keys. Two men are with him, from
the South Korean police. - [Narrator] After two hours on the road, we reach our destination,
in the middle of nowhere. North Korea is within
reach of the balloons. - [Narrator] His wife helps
to prepare the delivery. The mechanism is simple:
each bag filled with leaflets is linked to an alarm clock. When it goes off, the bag opens. - [Narrator] Lee Min-bok
inflates a dozen balloons. His work is financed by an
evangelical South Korean mission. The wind carries them over North Korea. - [Narrator] It's hard to know what impact these balloons have on the
North Korean population. Most likely, it's fairly
minimal especially since it is very dangerous to be
caught on the other side of the border with a tract
denouncing the regime. It's the last day of
our trip in North Korea. (people cheering) - [Narrator] During our whole
stay, besides our guides, we have only seen any North
Koreans from far away. Everything is organized
to limit the contact between them and us, the foreigners. They're not allowed to leave the country and they can't communicate
with the outside world. - Is it possible to send email. - Send email, possible. - Yeah, where is it? - Which country? - France. - France?
- Yeah. - [Narrator] We film discreetly. - For my mom. Okay, I have to? - Country name. - Okay, France? - [Narrator] The internet network is practically non-existent
in North Korea. Around 0.5% of the population have access and only the richest
and the most powerful. But it is still being monitored. - [Journalist] So there is internet here? - Eh, nothing. - Nothing?
- Nothing, only email. (speaking foreign language) - Not Google.
- Huh? - Google, no? Google, no? - Okay, okay. Okay, can I? I can? - [Woman] Okay. - [Narrator] A simple email, scrutinized by the hotel employee. - [Narrator] The text will be read before being sent, no doubt. - Send, no?
- Yeah, send. - [Woman] I send. - You send. - [Man] And it's okay? - Okay.
- It's okay. (speaking foreign language) - I send.
- Okay. - [Narrator] And the huge
majority of North Koreans don't even have access
to this little window to the outside world. (singing in foreign language) Today is a national holiday. Dances are organized
everywhere in the streets. Our guides take us to
the center of Pyongyang, where the biggest event is to take place. To get there we take the subway where we are allowed to
film on the condition that we don't speak to anyone. We can only briefly see the North Koreans who are submerged in propaganda. Posters to the glory of the party. Portraits of the great
leaders on the walls. In the carriages. And even on the pins that nearly
all of the passengers wear. (singing in foreign language) The grand finale of the day, and our journey in the country, is the celebrations of citizens who say they are just like any others. It was Kim Jong-un, himself,
who developed tourism when he arrived in power. He recently declared that he
wants two million foreigners to visit the country each
year between now and 2020. 20 times more than currently. No doubt to show them
the same things we saw. A society that is uniform,
synchronized and smiling. But above all, one which is subservient. (applauding) When the music stops, the
square empties in a few seconds. The citizens were probably just actors. Here, even on a day of celebration, it remains a society under control.
