Japanese Undercover Reporter Reveals Secret Footage of North Korea

[isinuyasha.livejournal.com]

The video below shows a german news reportage about North Korea. The translation is below the cut, I apologize in advance in case there are any mistakes, I made it in a hurry. I think the video speaks for itself, though.

(I uploaded the video myself because the original news side didn't let me embed it, you can find the original site in the source)
Also, DailyMotion is being a pain about embedding, try watching it here:
Watch it here

The winter was hard enough, -10° degrees. This 18 year old boy is trying to warm himself on a coal-burning stove. The many begging children of Pjöngjangbuk sleep out in the open, they don't have a home. Their shoes have holes, their clothes are torn.
Here on the market they try to survive somehow: 'Please give us money, only 300 Won, we're so hungry.'

The pictures are blurry, the sound hard to hear. This footage was taken with a hidden camera; it shows us so far unknown facts about the sealed off country, North Korea.

'Don't you want to give this girl some of your potato? She's hungry and needs something to eat.'
'No, I'm not sharing, I'd rather eat it myself.'
''Don't you feel sorry for her?'
No answer.

It's thanks to the japanese journalist Ishimaru Jiro that we can now view such shocking footage. Over many years he established a secret network in North Korea. He gave cameras to his informants and asked them to capture the daily life in the communistic country.

Ishimaru: 'Only few journalist are allowed into the country but when we are, we're constantly being watched. The regime only wants to show us the sunny side of life, but what's really happening in the country? For example, what about the many begging children?'

Kim Dong Jeul and Guk Hwan Ho are the names of the two undercover informants who are filming these scenes. We can publish their names but we aren't allowed to show their faces or voices. If someone caught them they would have to go to labour camps.
They are traveling throughout North Korea with cameras hidden in their jackets.

They encounter another begging child at the train station of Pjöngjangbuk:

'Don't you have a home?'
'No I live in the streets, my father died. My mother married another man.'
'How old are you?'
'I'm 8 years old. My mother left me alone, she fled to her parents. Since she's away I have to sleep outside.'

The supply situation in North Korea hasn't been this bad since 15 years ago. A tough winter, destroyed harvest, money shortage.

At the train station they meet more homeless people; they are searching for coal that's been dropped from wagons.

'I'm 46 years old. I worked in a coal mine before, but it didn't belong to the country. When they found out about that they took my house and threw me out onto the street. I was married but we broke up. They are all dead by now.'
The men are crying.

Ishimaru: 'The economic situation of many families is disastrous. To survive, many parents have to break up; everyone has to fend for themselves. That explains why many children are homeless and begging on the streets. In the beginning they stick together but due to the extreme poverty the families break apart. This has been normal life in NK for many years.'

Even the biggest family in North Korea, the army, suffers from starvation. The military has its own fields but even those aren't enough to feed the 1.2 million soldiers. Meanwhile even farmers have to give portions of their harvest to the army.

'Do you get enough food in the military?'
'Well, it's okay.'

'You're looking a bit frail though.'
'Life in the military is hard and...to be honest I'm embarrassed to talk about the bad food. I don't feel well saying things like that; it's as if I'm betraying my seniors (boss). It would be perfect if we had enough rice and corn. My troop has 100 men, many of them are starving, half of them are undernourished.'

Ishimaru: 'The malnutrition amongst the military is enormous. Even normal citizens can provide better for themselves. The military has to depend on the government. When the government is saving money the soldiers feel it first.'

These soldiers are hungry as well. This footage was taken secretly not many weeks ago in front of a hospital. Some are doubled over from starvation and exhaustion.
Film maker Ishimaru thinks these scenes show North Koreas real life.
The regime supposedly shortened the daily rations. One soldiers has to get by with 160g corn a day. Not enough to survive.

Here, in Pjöngjang, you can only guess what is happening. North Koreas capital presents itself in a perfect light.
The elite, the privileged, the bureaucrats...they are looked after. If you have money you can afford many things, even in NK.

A walk through the weekly market. Eggs, pork, noodle soup from South Korea, fresh fruits, coffee from switzerland. Many goods get through China into North Korea. That country is seen as closest ally.

'Here, 20 bread rolls. I can sell it to you very cheap. You won't find them cheaper anywhere.'

Ishimaru: 'Many have a wrong image of NK in mind. The most important thing is this: There is currently enough food in the country. But not enough people have access to it. The government can distribute the food neither evenly nor fairly. It has lost its ability to do so.'

The army has build a massive tunnel system inside the mountains on the border of Pjöngjang, there are bunker in case of attack.
But now the homeless people have retreated into these places. A roof, a bit of hay to sleep on, some pots, a place to cook...this woman doesn't have much more.

'I don't have a home. I'm here with my grandchildren. My daughter hasn't visited me in a long time, nobody knows where she is.'

Poverty almost everywhere. North Korea, a country that can't feed its population. In the following year North Korea will celebrate the 100th birthday of its founder.

It's supposed to be a great celebration. For the regime and its shareholders.


Source: Tagesschau
(Translation by me.)

I was hesitant about posting this but I hope many will be interested in the topic.

Comments

[woohyun.livejournal.com]

[t-domination.livejournal.com]

:(

[dorkiilove.livejournal.com]

don't they have forced labor camps where they send people off to the mines and stuff?

i would assume some of its based off of the rocks they mine

[earthequality.livejournal.com]

Every time I hear or see things like this about NK, it makes me so sad. I wish I could do so much for these people. ;-;

[ari-meh.livejournal.com]

just... heartbreaking ; - ;

[rubyls.livejournal.com]

christ i teared up just reading this. wish i could do something, but sending aid doesn't even guarantee anything. :/

[erbalurbal.livejournal.com]

I just watched a documentary about North Korea recently and lot of people, even kids, have cataracts because they are malnourished. I think it said they have the highest percentage of blind people in the world. :(

[scarletfbl.livejournal.com]

Yes, I was watching that doc. that Lisa Ling did where they allowed foreigners into the country (under severe restrictions and constant watch) to perform the cataract surgeries. People don't even know that they're being helped by the outside.

[scarletfbl.livejournal.com]

I don't know where the turning point would be for people to overthrow this horrible regime, or even if North Koreans would have have the strength and resources to do it. I feel so sorry for NK citizens.

[spin.livejournal.com]

Basically what I was thinking. Even if citizens start to rebel, they would be shut down instantly and the government would make sure the idea doesn't spread. I can't imagine that no one has tried, either.

[rennehollic.livejournal.com]

every time I see something like this I just wish I could do something for those people. it's with things like this that makes me think and ashamed for thinking "and I complain about my hair being dry?"

[weerainbow.livejournal.com]

:( one of the worst things in this world is when there's enough food in a country to feed everyone and yet so many people are starving. north korea is in a shocking state, the more i hear the more sad i get and the more i pray that the situation will change...and the sooner the better!

[schticklet.livejournal.com]

Suddenly, I feel like a horrible person.

And on an insensitive note, I'm also hungry now.

[adropofcitrus.livejournal.com]

I feel sick watching this. I hope Kim Il Sung is burning in hell and his son soon after.

[pleasewantme.livejournal.com]

;_;

[violetrosie.livejournal.com]

This is so, so wrong. I feel awful.

And I think it's good that we post these kinds of articles here, just so maybe everyone can be a little more aware.

[yangguifei17.livejournal.com]

welcome to China circa 1966. and we all know how that turned out. :(

what really interests me is whether or not this video is getting air time in South Korea. i'll have to ask my family later tonight.

[lightspeedsquid.livejournal.com]

so, so awful. it seems like nothing ever gets better there.

[changod.livejournal.com]

I cant watch the video but only to see the picture and read some comments and have a vision about NK I cant even imagine how horrible is. I feel helpless :(
I wish someday these people can live free and happy.
About the presindent... that bastard.

[saintedmal.livejournal.com]

This makes me sad. ):

[chloe1910.livejournal.com]

so sad ;_;

[taecmyheart.livejournal.com]

living as a privileged us citizen, i can't imagine what nk people have to deal with... :(

[oncloud999.livejournal.com]

There used to be a documentary on Youtube called Children of the Secret State, I can only find part 4/5 now... but it was very eye opening for me.

[sayufied.livejournal.com]

OP thank you so much bb for posting it!!!

But I can't view the vid, can anyone post the link please <3 ?!

[isinuyasha.livejournal.com]

You're welcome :)

Many seem to have that problem, I myself have problems viewing it although it's there when I edit the post. You can watch it in the source but here it should work as well:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xl2p6p_nk_news

[donutism.livejournal.com]

Pictures like these breaks my heart. ;~;

[pinky-fairy10.livejournal.com]

why can't i see the video? T_T

[isinuyasha.livejournal.com]

Neither can I somehow, although it's there when I edit the post...so I just posted the link, DailyMotion is being weird^^

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

thanks for sharing OP
and your translation is really good, just read through it and im impressed. mine would be a completely fail lol

[isinuyasha.livejournal.com]

thank you :D I'm glad it's not filled with mistakes :)