Three North Korean Documentaries

Actually, it's four North Korean documentaries, but one of them I watched a long time ago. Yet each of them opened my eyes to the plight of a people that are so secluded from the world, that we really know very little about them. One nickname for this place dubbed as the "largest prison in the world" is "The Hermit Kingdom",

The North Korean version of life (whether spoken out of fear or brainwashing or both) would be very contradictory to what our observations would be. But one thing is true, everything about their lives is controlled...where they work, where they can travel, what class they are in (working, intellectual or peasant), what is on TV, government radio piped into their kitchens that cannot be turned off and the absolutely forbidden possibility of leaving the country...even when over 3 million people died from famine in the 1990s and many are still starving today.

If you attempt escape, which is the subject of Seoul Train, and are caught, you are either sent to a concentration camp and worked to death, tortured or killed on the spot. But if you escape and leave family behind, this is the fate you have left them to. Also, China is violating human rights treaties that they have signed, repatriating refugees back to this fate that awaits them in North Korea. China will not simply let them pass through to Mongolia or South Korea where the refugees would be welcomed...no, they return them with full knowledge of what the refugees will receive...thus, they are not economic refugees, but rather political. By denying asylum China is violating their basic human rights. Seoul Train even captures video of the "MoFA 7" attempting to follow the legal procedure with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by filing paperwork to begin the process of being granted asylum. The seven people show the guards their paperwork at the gate, are forcibly and brutally arrested and later sent back to North Korea never to be heard from again.

Another documentary is National Geographic: Inside North Korea


I've liked Lisa Ling's work in the past, and this is a well done segment from the National Geographic Channel program. They did have to do most of their filming undercover though. And even while taking photos of The Great Leader's (Kim Jong-Il) statue, the photographer is chastised by the government "handler" for lying down on the ground to get the whole statue in the photo. Let's just say, the fanaticism for the dictator shown in these films is very disturbing. Ling points out that while watching this in person it hits her that for about 60 years this is the life these people have known and the utter godlike devotion to Kim Jong-Il may not come from just fear or praise...but having never known another way of life...it may be both. When Ling asks if The Great Leader ever does anything wrong, the family she is visiting genuinely look like they don't understand the question.


A State of Mind is the one I watched last night, and once again the sheer, unquestioning devotion to Kim Jong-Il is unnerving at best. This documentary follows two girls who perform in The Mass Games. I don't quite understand the purpose of these other than to stamp out individualism and celebrate the work of a collective group (thousands of people actually) performing together. Also, they commemorate great wars won, historical holidays, etc. If there is one misstep...it is obvious...so these performers (mostly gymnasts) spend hours everyday perfecting their routines. Again, all to the worship of Kim Jong-Il.

I intentionally don't watch the news very often, because I don't agree with the philosophy "If it bleeds, it leads". That's why I prefer to watch documentaries. [Also, they are not selective news stories controlled by ratings, government agendas , politics or advertising!] There are valiant people all over the world who are the unsung heroes that sacrificially lay down their lives for the hope and rescue of complete strangers.  Seoul Train and Inside North Korea follow the work of a few.Would I be willing to pick up and go to China to help a brutalized people escape through an Underground Railroad? Would I risk my life and possible my family's in order to work against such an injustice? Seems like these people are closer to living out the call of Jesus better than I ever will. Pray for people such as these. One soldier escapee described an "Unseen Hand" that helped him escape even though his fellow escapee died. Pray that the "Unseen Hand" will continue to give courage, hope and protection to those who seek what we take for granted...freedom!

Another documentary about North Korea: