Lafayette Students Talk About Life in North Korea

[unreal.livejournal.com]

For college students, studies abroad are usually limited to semesters in England and France.

For 17 Lafayette College students, part of their summer was spent participating in a for-credit study abroad program -- in China, North Korea and South Korea.

Professors and students who took the tour from July 30 to Aug. 15 talked about their experiences during a session for their course, Interconnections in Northeast Asia, at the Kirby Hall of Civil Rights Friday afternoon.

The big question: Why North Korea?


As Paul Barclay, an associate professor of history who went on the trip, stated: North Korea is known for famine, human rights violations and nuclear proliferation.

"We wanted to study North Korea as a region with South Korea and China," said Seo-Hyun Park, assistant professor of government and law, who also went on the trip. "We wanted to find other ways to study North Korea that what we just hear on the news."

Lafayette is the first American college or university to offer a for-credit study abroad program in North Korea. The program was organized in conjunction with the Pyongyang Project, a nonprofit organization based in Beijing.

Traveling to North Korea is not like heading to Disneyworld.

Park said that students were briefed by the State Department since the country, known for its political and economic instability, is on a list of those Americans should stay away from, including Cuba, Egypt, Libya and Haiti.

"Travel by U.S. citizens is not routine," she said. "You can be subject to long-term arrest and detention."

What also makes it rough is that Americans, due to the Korean War, are not really welcomed.

All three countries have museums dedicated to the war and also at least seem to pin the blame on the region's struggles because of American intervention, especially North Korea.

The students, though, got to see a much different kind of country.
With photos of their trip flashing on the screen behind them, students showed pictures of climbing the Great Wall of China, going near the Forbidden City, meeting students from Peking University, taking an overnight train trip from Beijing, boating the Yalu River, attending a gymnastics festival and playing beach volleyball with the North Koreans.

Christina Cucinotta, Class of 2014, said that she expected security to be tighter. But she found security guards on a customs check more interested about her pictures of climbing the Great Wall.

Brendan Fahey, Class of 2013, talked about taking a swim and having a picnic with a North Korean police officer.

Melissa Drennan, Class of 2012, said, though, that the volleyball game on Nampo Beach was really the ice breaker.

"I thought these people were trained to hate us," she said. "But they were excited to see us play. They cheered us on. It was really a great experience."

Source: easton patch

Comments

[hellafun.livejournal.com]

it's great to know that the people of North Korea in a different light from what they are usually portrayed as, I think it was a good idea for Lafayette to establish a foreign exchange program that included North Korea despite it's infamy.

[dorawa.livejournal.com]

this makes me sad for some reason.

[hopeandmemory.livejournal.com]

it's kind of cool that they did this. i mean, they're probably only seeing a side of the country that the government wants them to see, because of course they keep really close tabs on foreigners, but it's really interesting that lafayette offers this opportunity to its students.

just one thing:

Traveling to North Korea is not like heading to Disneyworld.

no shit, sherlock.

[umetraehi.livejournal.com]

I know I think it is interesting that its offered but how much can you really learn about north korea when what your given is hand fed by the gov't? Overall though If i had the chance I'd probably go

[dalpaengee.livejournal.com]

I learned a lot, actually. With this program (I went through the same program, but I don't go to this college, so it was a different group), you have a lot of opportunities to talk with locals, take pictures of anything you want, and you can see many different landscapes and towns through the bus windows while traveling between cities. Some of it is cookie cutter answers to questions that you know you're going to get, but those little interactions with the actual people is what gives you something special that you would never expect to get while visiting the DPRK.

[umetraehi.livejournal.com]

Thats really interesting I would have thought that you would only be able to talk to the people they want you too so it would be all cookie cutter answers. That would be interesting to be able to actually talk to the actual citizens

[dalpaengee.livejournal.com]

Our guides were actually really straightforward, too. Questions about Kim Ilsung and Kim Jungil definitely get the kind of brainwashed answers that you expect, but they were refreshingly honest about everything else, from the stories of how they met their girlfriends to their favorite American movies. The interactions with normal citizens were priceless, too. I met an old granny on the beach that thought my painted toenails were so weird nd we laughed about it together for a while haha

[k0dama.livejournal.com]

... I didn't know Americans are allowed in North Korea.
I guess the US just doesn't support direct routes to North Korea, kind of like how if you want to go to Cuba you have to go through Mexico or something.

[dalpaengee.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you have to go through China by plane

[royalantares.livejournal.com]

I know many wouldn't want to go (myself included) but I think it would be very interesting and enlightening. What you see of NK is either from the viewpoint of the foreign media or very restricted and controlled info from NK's government. Being there you can see it from NK's point of view, less filtered than from the outside. That being said, I'm too paranoid to ever go.

[dalpaengee.livejournal.com]

Pyongyang Project \o/
I went this summer too, but not with this particular group.
It was a crazily amazing experience, surprisingly genuine, and I would go again in a heartbeat.

[dalpaengee.livejournal.com]

If anyone wants to see my pictures from this summer's June delegation trip with The Pyongyang Project, click here (https://picasaweb.google.com/116857830615156048985/DPRKThePyongyangProjectJune2011?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKq2pPnilpizMg&feat=directlink)! And ask any questions, etc.

[islandgurl84.livejournal.com]

thank you for sharing your pixies. i found it interesting. life seems so normal in those places.

[dalpaengee.livejournal.com]

of course! and yes, life seemed very normal. the people there are just living their lives, just like we do. of course, some seemed poorer than others and we didn't see the really poor parts of the country, but those people we did see did everything that people here do (little kids laughing together, people riding the subway, college kids studying and playing sports together, etc.)

[acornmama.livejournal.com]

The pictures were beautiful.

[fluttering.livejournal.com]

Your pictures were really cool to see. Did you keep a blog? I'd love to hear more about your summer. :)

[lil-rach-angel.livejournal.com]

Wow, great to see the pictures. Though it's interesting as you'd mention there would be lots of people at certain points, but with the exception of the metro it's really empty. Even with the backgrounds of various city places. Just luck of the draw for when you decided to take photos? Also, my odd, random question, but I'm curious how the ladies were advised to dress when coming over. Beyond weather if so. How long was the trip? Man, I kind of envy your experience. Just seems like it would be mindblowing.

[dalpaengee.livejournal.com]

The times I saw the most people were definitely while traveling on the bus (seeing farmers work or people in Pyongyang traveling to and from work), so I wasn't taking as many pictures then. We also saw kids practicing for the Mass Games, which is probably when we saw the most people gathered in one place. But yeah, a lot of the time, there weren't large crowds anywhere, but still a good number of people walking around.

As for what clothes to wear, there weren't really any guidelines, though most of us in the group brought more conservative clothes to begin with. Not crazy conservative, but nothing super showy, nothing showing a crazy amount of skin. Shorts and t-shirts were fine, as were flip-flops, etc. We had a talk over lunch while still in China about proper behavior, but there were no set rules. All we did was quickly go over some word differences between South Korean language and North Korean language and then some general stuff like "don't be offensive when asking questions, phrase them in a polite way." We were never told not to ask certain types of questions, as long as we were polite, so we were able to ask about things like the lack of food and stuff.

It was quite warm at the time of the year (though sometimes a tad chilly), and we were there for a total of 6 days, with a few days in China before and after, still with the program (group discussions, documentary screenings, etc.).

[lil-rach-angel.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the response!

[geniebsmart.livejournal.com]

Very interesting indeed. I think this is good :)

[lil-rach-angel.livejournal.com]

This would be something I'd want to go on if I was still in college while my folks would be trying desperately to convince me otherwise :p. Just seems so interesting considering how secluded it is.

[rosamajalis.livejournal.com]

This seems really interesting. Its sad that my campus just recently axed it's Korean language/culture program, so there is no chance I'll ever be able to do something like this. I've always been fascinated by the different sides of North Korea.

[sirhin.livejournal.com]

I love this! It's a refreshing take on North Korea. ^^ I also can't help but think why didn't my uni offer the same program - I would have JUMPED at the opportunity.