Livin' in The DPRK

The picture on the left is a close up of a pin that everyone wears all the time. The only time you do not wear the pin is working in the fields, dirty construction etc. It is a picture of Kim Il Sung , the eternal President, The Great Leader. People are indoctrinated into the party at around 13 or 14 after starting to wear an " official" school uniform at 7 or 8. When they are " confirmed at 18" , they are given their pin ( it can be in the shape of a flag or a circle) and they are members for life. You are either in or out ( and you do not want to be out!). I asked our escort where I could buy one of these pins and she gave me a look that said ' Buddy, you are almost out'. The gentleman to our right with us was a our tour guide during our walk thru the  location sets for a movie studio located in Pyongyang. Like everything else it is owned by the government but puts out many good quality films throughout the year. The films are used to educate ( inculcate) the people of DPRK about their history but there has also been some films that are more artsy and do play more internationally. The gentleman , Mr. Kim, was a former  film director but is now retired and does these tours. He states that the current leader, Kim Jong Il is a film buff and has visited the studios 493 times ( they keep count!) and gives his directorial advice. He did question us about how we felt about being Americans and seeing all the anti-American propaganda around. He also asked if we had any relatives who participated in the " The Big One" ( i.e., Korean War). We did not. It seems he did tour some Americans once whose father could not join them in North Korea because he did participate in the war and did not feel he could go back. We had a general back and forth conversation about our respective world views and parted as friends. A very nice guy with great hair!

Pyongyang 5:45am tuesday June 15, 2010. Worker being ferried out to a dredging boat on the Daedong river. In the background is the Juche Tower ( the eternal light) which was a "gift" from the people of DPRK to President Kim Il Sung on his 70th birthday ( 1982). He authored the Juche Ideology which basically states " that man is the master of everything and decides everything''. It's basic principals are  1) Independence in politics, 2) economic self-sufficiency, and 3) self defense in national defense. These policies must reflect the will of the masses and fully employ them in revolution and construction and which must be suitable to the country. Also, the most important work of revolution and construction is to mold people ideologically as communists  and mobilize them to constructive action.
North Korea is the only true communist country still standing. We shall see how long that lasts. Below are some pictures of the tower including one taken at night from our hotel room as well as views of the city from the top of the tower. There is also a picture taken on an inset on the back wall adorned with 230 granite and gem stone blocks sent by political groups and individuals who adhere to The Juche ideology. The last picture is a beautiful statue signifying The Worker's Party of Korea. This one almost got us thrown out of the country because you are not suppose to take a picture of anything under maintenance. This is one of the few structures being maintained and I would have thought they would be proud that something is being done in this very poor country. Remember, you can double click on all pictures for a better view.