North Korea - Faces of an Alienated Country

North Korea isolated from the rest of the world ruled by a dictator a country whose people suffer from International sanctions because their ruler instills Terror in the world we are traveling through the world's most secretive country our first morning in the capital of Kim jong-un's Empire about 3 million people live on the banks of the tong River it is a priv to live in pongyang the government controls who gets to move here and who doesn't we encountered the so-called motivational brigades cheering up the capital's workers on their morning commute we leave for our first Excursion into Korean everyday life immediate medely we learn that impromptu interviews are not allowed it's not just that we are not allowed to talk to anyone it is not permitted for North Koreans to come in contact with foreigners volleyball is the most popular recreational sport in the country our guides tell us tennis is another Trend they say finally they do permit us to talk to a player we ask him why the sport is important to him our people have to become fit to be able to defend ourselves against the Americans together we will defeat the enemies that is our People's First duty but is he really afraid that the US yeah we are not afraid we are prepared everywhere in the city there are huge portraits of the big leaders Kim ilung and his son Kim Jong Il the father of the Kim Clan's youngest dictator Kim [Music] Jong-un the Arch of Triumph is dedicated to Kim jong-un's grandfather the Eternal president we are welcomed by the official tourist guide Mrs Kim proudly tells us that this Arch is 5 m higher than its famous model in Paris up here you can see the text of our beloved song of Kim [Music] [Music] pongyang looks a lot like a Russian city but there is also a distinctive Chinese influence whatever the Kim family's youngest Offspring announces in his capital is not only law but also a promise our respected Marshall Kim un has called upon us to establish a global power in sports science and economy Sports is very popular at the moment and we aim to become even better at it our attendance lead us to another Gem of pongyang the Metro its stations are among the deepest in the world in the event of War they are supposed to provide shelter from air strikes sheltered or rather shielded is also what the population is from Independent Media the internet is banned in North Korea there is no free press the only source of information available are public newspapers which only spread propaganda the old Metro cars are from West Berlin model Dora was produced in the 1950s and 60s in 1997 they were sold to North Korea engraved into their windows are traces of the Youth of Berlin in the Metro commuters are constantly exposed to propaganda as well we're allowed to travel with them for one stop at y wng station we are told to get off again we're visiting the kindergarten kyong [Music] sang it is a privilege to be allowed to live in Pyongyang and it is an even greater privilege for your kids to attend an institution like this after all it's the future Elite of the country that is educated here [Music] we teach Sports because it strengthens the body and makes it healthy and resistant this is how these children will continue to make our country flourish in the [Music] future the little ones are taken care of from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. today they're drying snowmen stock still and disciplined nobody is disruptive [Music] suddenly there's a black out everybody remains surprisingly calm as this happens [Music] frequently 5-year-old Kam Kongs is the star of the kyongsang kindergarten Prelude in D Minor by Johan Sebastian Bach allegedly she has only had classes for one year those who have talent are being nurtured and shown [Music] off another highlight the kindergarten Orchestra is giving a special performance in 3/4 time in our honor the residents of pongyang are doing splendidly that is what they want to show us leisure activities keep them in good spirits as Kim Jong Il the current dictator's father had already realized bowling alleys ice rinks indoor pools all this is topped by the biggest water park in North Korea the munu water park workers from all over the country are being brought to Pyongyang to gaze in amazement at the achievements of the regime the intended message is what you see here everybody can have in the future if you work hard enough you will be doing just as well as the people in the capital a pipeline supplies the water park with seawat even though it is 25 mil from the [Music] coast as always our attendant try to keep a distance between the visitors and us [Music] after some discussion Mr ham chooses an interview partner for us I'm from the country and I'm visiting the capital with my delegation after many other stops we have come to this water park today I can sense the love of our respected Marshall Kim Jong-un here solely for our pleasure he has built this water park it moves me so much I can hardly put it into words praise that seems rehearsed for the leader and his love for the people that manifests itself in everything we are shown the restaurant the cafe and the hair salon these are our beautiful haircuts the Korean ladies can choose from at the salon we only use the best equipment because our respected Marshall wants our women and men to get nothing but the best 18 haircuts for women 10 haircuts for men if you wear one of these you show your loyalty to the regime externally too the regime of a dynasty that has created its own world with its own chronology even in 1997 the regime introduced a new calendar that starts with the birth of Kim ilung the country's founder thus in North Korea the year 2018 would be year 107 The Brave New World of pongyang even houses a riding club as far as no bless is concerned it Rivals Western premium Stables again we encounter groups of visitors from the countryside having come here to have a look and to Marvel based on our observation those who look on are common people while those on Horseback seem to be members of a higher social class this is the first and only Riding Club in our country but we are planning many more in other cities the horses are hanoverians from Germany and quarter horses from England how these noble animals came here despite the Embargo remains a mystery our respected Marshall has opened this Riding Club to provide each and every Korean with the possibility to ride the population of North Korea is estimated at around 25 million it is highly unlikely that all of them will ever get to ride this is probably more about keeping the idea of the ideal country alive in people's heads so she's he's on a visit by the love okay he's not from kyang he's from the uh Countryside which is the pan County in uh North H Province Miriam Riding Club is beyond his reach only the country's Elite ride here through dark pongyang we head back to the hotel we keep seeing uniforms with 1.3 million soldiers North Korea's Army is the fourth largest in the world there's no freedom of travel in North Korea those who want to travel need a permit especially in the capital going there on the spur of the moment isn't possible those who live here or at least can send their child to a boarding school have achieved quite a lot in Kim jong-un's system right next to the huge 1st of May Stadium there's a flagship project of North Korean Sports the Soccer Academy thousands of students each year are hoping for a place in this Elite School only about 30 children are selected per year for those Chosen Few it is maximum commitment and loyalty to the regime our great leader Kim Jong himself came up with the idea of founding this school in 2013 it opened and our respected Marshall Kim Jong-un has visited it several times as well schools like this one that are being watched by the leader enjoy preferential [Music] treatment kids here are between 7 and 12 not all of them are good enough to have a career in soccer afterwards loyalty to the regime is something they all learn however we visit one of the dormitories we are asked not to film any children in here yeah this is this room for boys little boys and they have bunk bed not like girls and older boys and what else so the bunk bed is more fun for boys little boys and more spacious so they have a little bit you know rough time here like playing around 10 boys in one bed under the watchful eye of the Kim Dynasty the assistant principal still remembers the visit of the current dictator we call it indoor indoor football area uh actually when our school was established that we didn't have a roof here it was plain you know and when our great Marshall gimz visited our school he came here and looked above and he told us it will be great to have a roof here then we can have students here can have a training when it's raining and when it's snowing it's not quite cold for little kids so we built a roof a roof for the students Kim Jong-un even sees about such small details the dictator is a caring father that is how he wants people to perceive him and they should learn that they owe him special thanks and absolute loyalty 5 hours of practice in the morning and 4 hours in the afternoon light snowfall is considered good weather so they are practicing [Music] outside a request to speak to some of the boys is denied at first yeah like I told you before we have to provide the students all the condition you know normal conditions like every day or the school doesn't want to break any you know like routines it's not good for routine aside the assistant principal makes an exception for us we allowed to ask one boy what he likes best about his school it's just great to be able to learn and practice at this school that the great leader built for us it fills me with great pride a totalitarian state leaves no room for protest or even spontaneity during childhood the next morning we are taken to the poong gang department store where food is being offered in addition to Everyday Commodities price tags are off limits those who can pay in the currency of the big Nemesis the USA in dollars the others have to pay large sums in North Korean one every citizen receives a certain amount of rice and cabbage for free everything else is expensive especially imported goods even pickled cucumbers in garlic the shortage is not evident but palpable everywhere we are told Apartments were usually unheated even in Pyongyang and often have no electricity we are driven to the city's first gym we are curious as to what will await us there the interior is luxurious but it is icy cold as well the energy shortage doesn't spare anybody Kim Jong-un himself has opened this gym red stickers commemorate the big day by indicating which of the machines he looked at during his visit I am a gym instructor and usually work on the second floor employees act as guests for us as there seem to be very few visitors [Music] here I we have to train our bodies well to strengthen socialism and to be prepared for the war against the United States there it is again the ubiquitous argument of a threat posed by the US that is injected in people from an early age every North Korean we learn has their apartment assigned to them by the state we suspect there are considerable differences between [Music] them in this apartment building in the best location we finally get to visit a private household of a selected family of course only Mrs Kim Miran is home everybody else is absent with her children her husband and her grandparents Mrs Kim inhabits incredible 2350 Square ft her grandfather is a professor who has been rewarded for his loyalty to the regime with this apartment the family does not pay any rent doubtlessly we will only hear positive things about life in North Korea Kim miran's husband played in the temporarily unified national soccer team of North and South Korea in the early '90s he was the only one on the unified team to score a goal souvenirs from his big performance in the Indonesian Capital Jakarta this is our kitchen kitchen and dining room the big water bucket reveals running water is not an everyday reality here either a can of Nescafe a real luxury it cost about $15 Us in North Korea which is more than 10% of an average monthly salary it's not only our attendance who monitor every word Mrs Kim says the so-called house manager is part of the surveillance State as well my husband and my grandparents were abroad many times yet every time they come back they say even though it might look beautiful and Sparkle more elsewhere our country is the best because it is the only place where you can live well and happily Mrs Kim and her family belong to the upper class someone like her has every reason to praise the regime many things are left unsaid or remain hidden to us as well as to North Koreans themselves on this trip we did not learn what is inside people's heads individuality is frowned upon every citizen has to unconditionally submit to the values of the Kim Dynasty at least outward that is the number one rule in this mysterious country

Channel: Get.factual

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Keywords: Documentary, Documentary series, Full Documentary, Nature, history, biography, biographical documentary, wildlife, wildlife film, wildlife documentary, science documentary, nature documentary, get factual, get.factual, getfactual, get factual documentary, documentary, history documentary, documentaries, North Korea, hidden, hidden country, secret, secret society, Dictatorships, Alienated, secret world, everyday life, Kim Jong Un, north korea, north korea documentary, korea

Id: 9DRqmxOC6NU

Length: 21min 55sec (1315 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 10 2024