I'm a fairly frequent reader of NKZone as a site for informed comment and news about the DPRK. I think they politically tilt left and seem enamored of the "sunshine policy" which I vehemently oppose. That said, they have the following post about interviewing DPRK refugees. I found some of the answers truly shocking.
North Korea zone: Refugee Group Interview: North Korean Neocons!
7) Do the North Korean people still want re-unification with the South? What do most North Koreans think of the South Korean government and people?
Mixed bag of responses here. Of course their greater desire is for North Korea in its present form to disappear forever. Nearly all want to return to their hometowns in a free democratic North Korea.
As for re-unification and their feelings toward the South Korean government and people, the longer one has lived in South Korea the less favourably he considers re-unification and South Koreans. At first, after arriving in South Korea they are appreciative to be in a free and plentiful country and wish for immediate re-unification. However their initials feelings of gratitude eventually turn to disappointment and even resentment of their status in the eyes of South Koreans.
[It appears they very quickly see how absurd the regimes propaganda is. The shine wears off when their southern bretheren don't embrace them as openly as they'd like. I suspect the shine wears off for a number of reasons and their original expectations are not met.]
8) What do most North Korean people think of the Chinese government? The Chinese people?
At school, North Koreans are taught that the Chinese are brothers who helped (not saved) North Korea during the Korean War. Every North Korean I know passed through China on their way to South Korea and now all despise China's government and people. The government for hunting them down and repatriating them to North Korea and the people for showing no sympathy and offering no help to them. A couple of students have said they will never forgive China for her actions.
9) What do North Koreans think of the U.S. government? The American people?
Perhaps the most surprising responses here.
While taught from kindergarten to hate everything about the U.S. and its people, while in North Korea there is no deviating from that position. Class did make a difference in people's perceptions though.
Mrs. C., a journalist from Pyongyang before being sent to a rural area explained that those privileged few with knowledge of the outside world know that the U.S. isn't the great evil it's portrayed as being. Peasants and others do believe the propaganda and do date [sic] America intensely.
[seems our leftists have much in common with uneducated North Korean peasants. NB: I've interpreted the word above from "date" to "hate" as I doubt the students "date" America or Americans at all let alone intensely.]
Their perceptions change after arriving in South Korea. Many hope to study, visit or even migrate there and Americans are admired as a freedom loving people. Their interest level in the U.S. is very high and a 'must do' thing after arriving in South Korea is to find out what the U.S, is really like.
Every student genuinely admires George W. Bush firstly for his "axis of evil" comment, more recently for his comments describing Kim Jong-il as "dangerous" and the mention of concentration camps and for his vision of democracy. [Brendan writes: These are not my personal opinions of Bush: I am merely reporting as they were conveyed to me.] To North Koreans human rights is the issue of most importance to them: more than the nuclear issue and even the removal of the present regime. Their belief is that Bush, Rice and "the guy with the white moustache" [Brendan says this is a reference to John Bolton] are the only ones who are doing anything about human rights.
This is exactly the way Reagan's remarks were received by Soviet dissidents. Liberals freaked out then too and they were just as wrong. Let history judge them. Harshly.
North Korea zone: Refugee Group Interview: North Korean Neocons!
7) Do the North Korean people still want re-unification with the South? What do most North Koreans think of the South Korean government and people?
Mixed bag of responses here. Of course their greater desire is for North Korea in its present form to disappear forever. Nearly all want to return to their hometowns in a free democratic North Korea.
As for re-unification and their feelings toward the South Korean government and people, the longer one has lived in South Korea the less favourably he considers re-unification and South Koreans. At first, after arriving in South Korea they are appreciative to be in a free and plentiful country and wish for immediate re-unification. However their initials feelings of gratitude eventually turn to disappointment and even resentment of their status in the eyes of South Koreans.
[It appears they very quickly see how absurd the regimes propaganda is. The shine wears off when their southern bretheren don't embrace them as openly as they'd like. I suspect the shine wears off for a number of reasons and their original expectations are not met.]
8) What do most North Korean people think of the Chinese government? The Chinese people?
At school, North Koreans are taught that the Chinese are brothers who helped (not saved) North Korea during the Korean War. Every North Korean I know passed through China on their way to South Korea and now all despise China's government and people. The government for hunting them down and repatriating them to North Korea and the people for showing no sympathy and offering no help to them. A couple of students have said they will never forgive China for her actions.
9) What do North Koreans think of the U.S. government? The American people?
Perhaps the most surprising responses here.
While taught from kindergarten to hate everything about the U.S. and its people, while in North Korea there is no deviating from that position. Class did make a difference in people's perceptions though.
Mrs. C., a journalist from Pyongyang before being sent to a rural area explained that those privileged few with knowledge of the outside world know that the U.S. isn't the great evil it's portrayed as being. Peasants and others do believe the propaganda and do date [sic] America intensely.
[seems our leftists have much in common with uneducated North Korean peasants. NB: I've interpreted the word above from "date" to "hate" as I doubt the students "date" America or Americans at all let alone intensely.]
Their perceptions change after arriving in South Korea. Many hope to study, visit or even migrate there and Americans are admired as a freedom loving people. Their interest level in the U.S. is very high and a 'must do' thing after arriving in South Korea is to find out what the U.S, is really like.
Every student genuinely admires George W. Bush firstly for his "axis of evil" comment, more recently for his comments describing Kim Jong-il as "dangerous" and the mention of concentration camps and for his vision of democracy. [Brendan writes: These are not my personal opinions of Bush: I am merely reporting as they were conveyed to me.] To North Koreans human rights is the issue of most importance to them: more than the nuclear issue and even the removal of the present regime. Their belief is that Bush, Rice and "the guy with the white moustache" [Brendan says this is a reference to John Bolton] are the only ones who are doing anything about human rights.
This is exactly the way Reagan's remarks were received by Soviet dissidents. Liberals freaked out then too and they were just as wrong. Let history judge them. Harshly.
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