# Say I want to move to North Korea **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-i-want-to-move-to-north-korea/361085 "2006-06-17T18:45:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-i-want-to-move-to-north-korea/361085/41 "2011-03-09T07:18:54Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Thanks, Linty. About tragic life in North Korea, read _The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag_. > > For anyone considering moving into North Korea: remember that EVERYONE in the country is a slave to the government. Your freedom of movement is severely restricted to begin with and with no notice, the security apparatus can chuck you into a nightmare which, just maybe, you’ll get out of many years later. Seconded. I read it a few years ago. I didn’t know people were forced to live like that in this era. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-i-want-to-move-to-north-korea/361085/42 "2011-03-09T09:44:06Z")
> [@user\_hostile](#): > > [link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korean_famine). > > Whoosh. Counter-Whoosh. I like yer style **psychonaut**. Your cite is the 1990s North Korean famine? That makes your joke out of date by only what, 15 years? The country still has food shortages, but nothing on the level of what was experienced back then. And at any rate, foreign workers and toursists aren’t going to be directly affected by them. Read any travelogue by those who have been there and you’ll see that the North Koreans make a point of overstuffing their guests (probably in an effort to combat the lingering notions, held by people like you, that they’re all still starving to death). See the Vice video posted above for an example of this taken to ridiculous extremes. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-i-want-to-move-to-north-korea/361085/43 "2011-03-09T10:19:31Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > From the Mouth of Babes, the official DPRK website. > > [http://www.korea-dpr.com/faq.htm#3](http://www.korea-dpr.com/faq.htm#3) > > Can I emigrate to North Korea and live in North Korea? > > It’s possible only in very special situations and having honor/merits. You must send a request letter stating your reasons, together with your complete CV, copy of your passport and certificates to [korea@korea-dpr.com](mailto:korea@korea-dpr.com) > Most of those are lies though so I’m not sure how true no. 3 is. May I just say that their request for me to send them a copy (presumably a photocopy) of my passport just raises all sorts of red flags, signal flares, storm sirens, etc. inside my head. How about I send them a copy of my passport with all that identifying information or details that might help them make fake documents? Or how about _no._:dubious: I can think of a few places I’d rather spend time in other than North Korea. Afghanistan is beautiful this time of year, I’ve heard it said, and I bet Libya has some great beaches. EDIT: But not to be all thread-shitty, I hear that there aren’t many problems with congested traffic in Better Korea. Also, to be honest, I have to confess to a bit of fascination towards [the Ryugyong Hotel](https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Ryugyong_Hotel), which certainly is not an example of the Fabulous Leader compensating for anything _at all._ ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-i-want-to-move-to-north-korea/361085/44 "2011-03-09T13:29:25Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Didn’t the North Korean nurses position them in front of a portrait of the Kim Jong-Il (or his father) so that his image would be the first thing they saw once the bandages were removed? IIRC, it was both father and son. The praise for the dear leader didn’t surprise me as much as the hatred for the US, especially amongst the elderly. I can’t picture my grandmother saying anything like that. And if they were acting, they did a helluva job. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-i-want-to-move-to-north-korea/361085/45 "2011-03-09T13:42:37Z")
Treason? I don’t think so, however, that terrorist no-fly list you find yourself on might make travel by anything more advanced than a bicycle impossible in the future. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-i-want-to-move-to-north-korea/361085/46 "2011-03-09T14:10:41Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > May I just say that their request for me to send them a copy (presumably a photocopy) of my passport just raises all sorts of red flags, signal flares, storm sirens, etc. inside my head. How about I send them a copy of my passport with all that identifying information or details that might help them make fake documents? > > Or how about _no._:dubious: In that case, I’d advise you against all travel to Israel as well, as they’ve been known to clone tourists’ passports for use by their spies and special forces. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-i-want-to-move-to-north-korea/361085/47 "2011-03-09T15:21:33Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > I think they did. > > While I was watching it I was wondering just how much was genuine praise for _Dear Leader_ who gave them their eyesight and acting because I know that if someone just said, “Sweet, thanks doc” and walked out of there without crying and bowing they’d probably be disappeared. 1. I think they took them right over to the picture of Kim Jong Il after making sure they could see properly by waving their hands in front of them and so forth. 2. Pretty much all of their praise for Kim Jong Il is fake, I would guess. They just know they have to go nuts and praise him endlessly, so they do it. It’s embarrassing to watch grown adults behave like that. I feel bad for them, actually. Then again, I believe most were relatively wealthy and had government connections to even get the surgery in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-i-want-to-move-to-north-korea/361085/48 "2011-03-09T17:14:51Z")
It was scary to see them praise “Dear Leader” after they regained their sight though. I recall one woman being very enthusiastic about her joy at being able to work harder now in the salt mine for “Dear Leader” - and “salt mine” was really where she was working… ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-i-want-to-move-to-north-korea/361085/49 "2011-03-09T18:08:21Z")
I always wonder if the Dear Leader were to suddenly disappear if the North Koreans wouldn’t act like the Wicked Witches soldiers did after she got melted. They praise Dear Leader because they have to, the minute that regime falls they’ll be giddy. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-i-want-to-move-to-north-korea/361085/50 "2011-03-09T20:00:50Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Your cite is the 1990s North Korean famine? That makes your joke out of date by only what, 15 years? > > The country still has food shortages, but nothing on the level of what was experienced back then. And at any rate, foreign workers and toursists aren’t going to be directly affected by them. Read any travelogue by those who have been there and you’ll see that the North Koreans make a point of overstuffing their guests (probably in an effort to combat the lingering notions, held by people like you, that they’re all still starving to death). See the Vice video posted above for an example of this taken to ridiculous extremes. Whatever. Kind of caught of guard by the animus, though. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-i-want-to-move-to-north-korea/361085/51 "2011-03-09T21:26:47Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > In that case, I’d advise you against all travel to Israel as well, as they’ve been known to clone tourists’ passports for use by their spies and special forces. Fun times. Didn’t have any particular plans to go there in the near future in either case. Got a cite for that, BTW? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-i-want-to-move-to-north-korea/361085/52 "2011-03-09T22:03:03Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > In that case, I’d advise you against all travel to Israel as well, as they’ve been known to clone tourists’ passports for use by their spies and special forces. > [@Raguleader](#): > > Fun times. Didn’t have any particular plans to go there in the near future in either case. Got a cite for that, BTW? [2004 Israel-New Zealand Spy Scandal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Israel_%E2%80%93_New_Zealand_spy_scandal) > [@](#): > > On July 15, 2004, New Zealand imposed diplomatic sanctions against Israel and suspended high-level contacts between the two countries in July 2004 after two Israeli citizens, Uriel Zosha Kelman and Eli Cara, were convicted of passport fraud in Auckland. The New Zealand government said there was strong evidence that the two men were Mossad agents and Prime Minister Helen Clark said: > > ``` > "The New Zealand government views the act carried out by the Israeli intelligence agents as not only utterly unacceptable but also a breach of New Zealand sovereignty and international law." > > ``` > > On June 26, 2005 Foreign Minister Shalom sent a letter of apology to the New Zealand government… Diplomatic relations were fully re-established on August 30, 2005… [Abuse of Canadian passports](http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1ARTM0011418) > [@](#): > > Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians who live in both countries are the principal players in the affair. But Canada’s involvement is significant enough to have chilled diplomatic relations between Ottawa and Israel. It resulted in the recall “for consultations” late last week of Canada’s ambassador to Israel, an official signal of displeasure proposed by Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and sanctioned by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, both of whom, according to a senior Ottawa adviser, “are mightily pissed off” at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Jerusalem. > > Passports are the reason for Canada’s official ire: the fact that Meshal’s assailants were masquerading as a pair of Canadian tourists. While details remain unclear, it appears that the two men who attacked the Hamas leader had entered Jordan along with three male companions, all of them travelling on tourist visas stamped into forged or doctored Canadian passports. Despite Israeli denials, there is little doubt the five were part of a team sent into Jordan by Israel’s secret services - Mossad in all probability - to assassinate Meshal. - from Macleans magazine, 1997, quoted in the Canadian Encyclopedia. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-i-want-to-move-to-north-korea/361085.md?page=2)