Inside North Korea: few foreigners are allowed into Communist North Korea. On a rare visit by a Westerner, our JS reporter found a land in which many people are quietly suffering.

At 7 a.m. sharp, the day begins with a crackling noise from the city's loudspeakers. Patriotic speeches and war songs, with titles like "Little Tank Rushes Forward," fill the streets. Such propaganda provides the daily wake-up call for the citizens of Najin, North Korea. At 7:15, the city's electricity is turned on, if there is enough fuel that day.

Gu, 13, says she likes the morning music. "It gives me energy and a sense of purpose, and reminds me of what I need to do to help make my country great."

Gu is in the fifth grade at Rasin Primary School, one of the best schools in the city. To attend Rasin, kids must earn top grades; 700 hard-working students are enrolled there.

"Every month we must take an exam and then are ranked in our class according to the exam scores," says Gu. "There is a big board where the results of the exam are posted, and we have our pictures posted with our rank for everyone to see. I am in the highest level."

School begins at 8 a.m. Students line up in the front yard to exercise and parade in unison. After these morning drills, the kids march single file into class. The building's halls are lined with murals depicting the military history of North Korea. Many paintings show Korean soldiers smashing the heads of their enemies, most of whom are American and Japanese soldiers.

In class, the students study math, science, languages, history, citizenship, and literature until noon.

From 2 to 6 p.m., they take part in mandatory school activities, such as sports and the performing arts. Soccer and chorus are the most popular activities among the kids.

"When I grow up, I want to be a professional soccer player," says 12-year-old Rhee, echoing the wish of many boys here. "But in case I do not qualify, I am studying hard to be an engineer, like my father."

At Rasin, students perform well and the image of North Korea they portray is a pleasant one. However, this is just one picture of life inside North Korea.

Food Shortages

In this Communist country, where the government tightly controls all aspects of life, conditions are extremely difficult. An estimated 2 million North Koreans have died of starvation since the early 1990s. A combination of natural disasters, including floods and drought, economic sanctions (trade restrictions) by the United States and other countries, and disastrous government policies have led to this deprivation.

Most North Koreans, who consume very little protein or fat, suffer from dietary deficiencies. Fresh vegetables and fruit are scarce, and meat, fish, and eggs are luxuries. According to the United Nations World Food Programme, the average 7-year-old North Korean boy is 8 inches shorter and about 22 pounds lighter than a boy of the same age in South Korea.

The Korean War 

From 1910 until the end of World War II, the Korean Peninsula was a Japanese colony. After Japan's defeat in 1945, Korea was divided. The Soviet Union controlled the North, and the U.S. occupied the South. Separate governments were formed in 1948. Since then, North Korea has had only two leaders, Kim Il Sung, who died in 1994, and his son, Kim Jong Il, the current leader.

In 1950, North Korean troops invaded South Korea. U.S. and United Nations forces defended South Korea against the North and its Communist allies--the Soviet Union and China. After three years of fighting, a truce (cease-fire) was declared. No permanent peace treaty has ever been signed.

Today, the U.S. is concerned about North Korea's development of nuclear weapons. In 2003, the Bush administration opened a dialogue with North Korea and its neighbors in an effort to pressure the country to halt its weapons program. Since then, North Korean officials have sent mixed signals about their willingness to participate in the talks.

Few Cars

On the streets of Najin, the feeling is one of desolation. When government loudspeakers are not broadcasting speeches and patriotic music, an eerie silence falls over the city. Since few people can afford cars, goods are typically transported on carts pulled by oxen or by people.

Electricity is available only from 7:15 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. The rest of the time, darkness envelops the city, and almost no one goes outside. Winters are long and very cold, with no fuel for heating except wood.

Many young teens, forced to help support their families, cannot attend school. At a factory in Sunbong, an industrial zone just north of Najin, girls spend long days stitching garments. Most make $2 to $3 (U.S.) a month. The legal working age is 15, but some girls in the factory appear to be much younger.

Limited Freedom

It is difficult to know how most North Korean teens feel about their lives. Foreign visitors to the country must have government escorts with them at all times, and are allowed to visit only areas that the government wants them to see. Foreigners are not permitted to talk with ordinary North Koreans.

Speaking against the government is strictly forbidden. According to many human-rights organizations, the North Korean government is holding about 200,000 political prisoners in camps, where forced labor practices and torture are common.

At Rasin, students routinely perform for foreign visitors and government officials. Their voices are sweet as they sing songs about Kim Jong Il. And their smiles are enhanced by bright lipstick. Yet a visitor can't help but notice how tiny and frail they seem when compared with kids in the U.S.

Despite the patriotism these young people display, it seems clear that many North Koreans are barely surviving.

Words to Know

* Communist: a type of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single party holds power.

* propaganda: the communication of information to large numbers of people, especially by constant repetition and by withholding certain facts, in order to promote a cause or influence beliefs.

Your Turn

THINK ABOUT IT

1. Describe life in the city of Najin.

2. Why doesn't the North Korean government allow citizens to speak freely? What might they say about their lives?

NORTH KOREA

The Korean Peninsula is divided into two countries: North Korea and South Korea. The Communist North invaded the South in 1950, starting the Korean War. The U.S. and other United Nations member nations sent troops to push back North Korean military forces. A truce ended the fighting in 1953 and created a Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas (see map).

The U.S. has accused North Korea of possessing nuclear weapons. This map shows suspected weapons sites.

FACTS TO KNOW

OFFICIAL NAME: Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

AREA: 46,541 sq mi, slightly smaller than Mississippi.

POPULATION: 22,800,000; 60% urban.

GOVERNMENT: Communist dictatorship, headed by General Secretary Kim Jong Il. Citizens are not allowed to oppose the rule of the Communist Party, which is called the Korean Workers' Party.

ECONOMY: North Korea's economy is dependent on heavy industry, including iron, steel, and machinery. The government owns nearly all factories and farms. Rice is the chief crop. Minerals include coal, iron ore, lead, and magnesium.

PER-CAPITA GDP *: $1,300 (compared with $17,800 in South Korea).

RELIGION: North Korea's government discourages religion.

LITERACY: Males, 99%; females, 99%.

LIFE EXPECTANCY: Males, 61 years; females, 66 years.

QUESTIONS

1. North Korea borders which three countries? --

2. What is North Korea's capital city? --

3. What is the approximate latitude and longitude of its capital city? -- [degrees]N,--[degrees]E

4. What body of water separates Japan and the tip of South Korea? --

5. What river forms most of North Korea's northern boundary? --

6. San Francisco, California, is located at 38[degrees]N latitude. Which North Korean city is just south of that latitude? --

7. What mountain range is in the central part of North Korea? --

8. What is the distance in miles between Pyongyang, North Korea, and Seoul, South Korea? --

9. How many nuclear facilities are located west of 126[degrees]E longitude? --

10. South Korea's per-capita GDP is almost how many times larger than that of North Korea? --

1. China, Russia, and South Korea

2. Pyongyang

3. 39[degrees]N, 126[degrees]E

4. Korea Strait 

5. Yalu River 

6. Kaesong

7. Nangnim Mountains

8. 120-130 miles

9. three

10. 14

* OBJECTIVE

Students should understand

* how the policies of Kim Jong Il and the nation's Communist government affect North Koreans' everyday lives.

* WORDS TO KNOW

mandatory: required * deficiencies: short ages; inadequate supplies

* TEACHING STRATEGY

Ask students: "Have you heard anything in the news lately about North Korea? If so, what?

* BACKGROUND

North Korea has a long history of tensions with its neighbors, notably South Korea, as well as the U.S. In 2002, President George W. Bush denounced North Korea as part of an "Axis of Evil," along with Iraq and Iran. The Bush administration and other UN member nations are concerned that North Korea is creating nuclear weapons. Experts differ on the number of weapons that have already been developed.

* CRITICAL THINKING

MAKING INFERENCES: Why has North Korea had only two leaders since 1948? (Information and behavior are tightly controlled, and the nation's political system does not permit elections or other democratic institutions.)

MAKING COMPARISONS: What about your life is similar to that of the children at Rasin Primary School? What is different? What circumstances have created the differences in your lives? (Answers will vary.)

* ACTIVITY

GATHERING DATA: Have students, individually or in small groups, spend a week checking newspapers and other news venues for stories on North Korea. Then have them share what they learned, discussing whether the information changed or reinforced what they learned from the JS article.

STANDARDS

SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8

* Power, authority, and governance: How North Korea's Communist government, led by Kim Jong Il, controls nearly all aspects of public life.

* Global connections: How tensions between North Korea and the U.S. are increasing over North Korea's refusal to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

RESOURCES

PRINT

* Miller, Debra, North Korea (Gale Group, 2004). Grades 7-8.

* Granfield, Lynn, Korea: Veterans Tell Their Stories of the Korean War/950-/953 (Houghton Mifflin, 2003). Grades 6-8.

WEB SITES

* Democratic People's Republic of Korea (official site) korea-dpr.com

* North Korea--A Country Study lcweb2.kc.gov/frd/cs/kptoc.html

* Write the letter of the correct answer on the line provided.

--1. Who is the current leader of North Korea?

A. Kim Jong Il

B. Roh Muh-hyun

C. Kim II Sung

2. Which of the following are examples of North Korean propaganda?

A. Artwork depicting North Koreans killing American soldiers.

B. Recordings of patriotic songs and speeches broadcast on loudspeakers.

C. Both A and B are correct.

--3. Why is it difficult for foreign visitors to know the personal opinions of the North Korean people?

A. No Westerners speak the Korean language.

B. The government does not allow foreigners and ordinary North Koreans to interact.

C. All North Koreans distrust Westerners.

--4. Why do most North Koreans suffer from dietary deficiencies?

A. The World Food Programme forbids food donations into the country.

B. Drought, sanctions, and bad government policies have resulted in food shortages.

C. The tsunami disaster in December destroyed many North Korean farms.

--5. Why are there strained relations between the governments of North Korea and the U.S.?

A. The U.S. is concerned about North Korea's development of nuclear weapons.

B. North Korea refuses to allow food and medical donations to enter the country.

C. Both A and B are correct.

1.A

2. C

3. B

4. B

5. A

C. Howerton in Najin, Democratic People's Republic of Korea