North Korea, still incredibly secretive, is no longer a black box for the world. It appears the radical social experiment that began there in the 1940s is coming to an end. And behind it lie the destinies of countless lives. Renowned orientalist and publicist Andrei Lankov discusses how these lives were lived and what is happening in the country today.
'Private travel permits are issued for a valid reason—a funeral or wedding of a close relative, for example—or by official invitation. A standard travel permit specifies the holder's name, place of work, purpose of travel, destination, and expiration date.'
The author has visited North Korea numerous times and interacted with people from all walks of life. These are state security officers and smugglers, North Korean new rich and defectors, intellectuals (whose status is supposedly prestigious, but still dangerous) and drivers (whose status is both safe and still prestigious).
The book tells of technology (from exotic gas generator engines to the North Korean internet) and monuments to leaders, of houses and trains, of hunger and delicacies—of the daily lives of North Koreans, their worries, anxieties, and joys. It tells of how the DPRK is gradually and reluctantly opening up to the world.