Ask a North Korean

by Daniel Tudor

  Tell us about some of the different slang found around the country. What does this show us about North Korean society?

  DT: What is interesting from the response below is that slang now seems to be national. With bad roads and poor communication links, it was natural in the past that slang terms would arise and be used in localized areas. Today, with the rise of the mobile phone, shared slang spreads throughout the country. Many other sources also state that South Korean slang is very popular among the young now, due to the availability of South Korean drama shows and pop music on smuggled USB drives.

  Kim Cheol:

  In any society, language reflects the spirit of the times and concretely expresses the people’s sensibility in the quickest way. The most typical means is through slang, and North Korea is no different in that regard. However, the difference between North Korea and South Korea or other countries is that there is no Internet, so there is a clear difference in how slang is created and spread.

  A typical slang term from the “Arduous March” [famine] in the mid and late 1990s is kkotjebi (flowering swallow). This metaphorical term references North Korean children wandering in search of food, as a swallow looks for a warm place. Nojebi (old beggar), and Cheongjebi (young beggar) were also in use. After Kim Il Sung’s death in 1994, these terms spread along with food shortages.

  Nowadays North Korean language is changing in many diverse ways. Slang is more common than in the past, and the increasing numbers of mobile and landline phones is resulting in the creation and spread of slang words nationwide. In the past many words were only known in specific areas.

  One example is Son Ogong, an expression which can give you some insight into the daily lives of young people. You could say that a young person who doesn’t know this word must be a (foreign) spy, such is its popularity. It is originally the name of the red monkey from Journey to the West, a Chinese story that is also popular in North Korea as an animation.

  In North Korea, though, Son Ogong means something very different. Son Ogong is a word referring to the things a man looks for in a marriage partner. “Son” refers to a mobile phone, “O” to a motorcycle, and “Gong” to study.

  In other words, the ideal marriage partner for a North Korean man is a woman who can provide a mobile phone and a motorbike, and can put you through university. In North Korea, a phone costs about US$200–500 and a motorbike around $500–1200. This might not sound like a lot in South Korea, but to the North Korean middle class it is no small amount.

  Your social status is influenced by whether you have a phone or not, and possessing a motorcycle is a kind of display of financial power. Moreover, almost all students at top universities have mobile phones, so those who are relatively poor also feel the need to have one.

  Through such slang words, we can see the values of North Koreans. In the past, the word Gajaemi (a flounder fish) was used to refer to the ideal bride. “Ga” refers to family status, “Jae” to money, and “Mi” to beauty.

  As you can see, part of the definition of a perfect bride used to involve family and appearance, but these days it is all about material items, hence Son Ogong. This indirectly indicates that the underground economy is growing and the influence of the governmentled socialist economy on the lives of the people is decreasing.

  There is also a slang word, Seokki, which shows us the influence of North Korea’s long military service on people. Seokki means an old-fashioned person who habitually interferes in others’ lives and causes trouble, whilst being somewhat lacking themselves. This is a word often used by soldiers who have finished military service.

  After serving for 10 years, discharged soldiers become ignorant of ordinary social mores and struggle to adapt to civilian life. But much depends upon what kind of military service they did. Those who had regular contact with ordinary civilians during their military service are able to keep up with the changing times and thus can find stable jobs, engage in business, and face no problems in interpersonal relationships after they are discharged.

  But those who spent their twenties just taking orders from superiors and socializing with their military comrades face difficulties in their lives once they are discharged. Some become Seokki just a few years after returning to civilian life.

  Do North Koreans get to go on trips and holidays?

  DT: Recently, the government has started advertising holiday trips in newspapers. North Korea does have some very beautiful mountains, and decent beaches; but there aren’t that many people with the money and free time to be able to enjoy these things properly. Getting there is difficult, too—trains are a real challenge (as we shall see in a later essay), and roads are often unpaved or cracked.

  Jae Young Kim:

  We don’t get to travel much in North Korea, and during my time there I only went to two or three different places. I once visited relatives in Chongjin, a city in the northeast of the country, and once or twice went to a “revolutionary” town as part of a trip organized by my school. But like other North Koreans I got to explore through my television, learning about famous places like Pyongyang and Mt. Kumgang through a range of TV shows. I was always curious about these places and wanted to visit them, but I sadly never got the chance.

  One of the few times I went to another town was on a school trip and it is something that will always stick in my memory. The “revolutionary” town we were visiting was some three hours away from my school, so we had to travel by road to get there. However, our school didn’t have a bus and all they could get for the long drive was an old truck.

  I remember it was a truck that would have normally been used for delivering coal and the exhaust was really smoky. We had to sit in the back for six long hours to get to and from the town that day. When I came back home, my nose and my white clothes had become black from the coal dust and I felt really travel-sick. This kind of thing was normal growing up in North Korea, with the economic problems affecting everything from school trips to even simple things like trying to go out for a picnic. But despite the problems, we genuinely enjoyed our coal-truck trip.

  Moving from one city to another in North Korea is extremely inconvenient. Because of this, people do not often leave their home town unless there is an emergency. First of all, North Korea has pretty bad transport infrastructure; second, people don’t have much time for travel; and third, it is not easy to get permission from the government to move from one city to another.

  Some people do get to travel, though. My dad had a job that involved a lot of business trips, so he often visited big cities like Pyongyang, Sinuiju, Hamhung, and Nampo. However, these were all work trips and none were for pleasure, as far as I recall.

  As I mentioned, we don’t have much time for travel anyway. North Korea isn’t as free as the outside world so it’s a real privilege for anyone to go on holiday, assuming they can get enough time off work in the first place. However, occasionally the government does send a group of people who have worked really hard on special trips, but this only happens once or twice a year.

  These kind of trips are not the leisurely holidays that you might enjoy overseas with your friends or family, but instead are more like group tours that follow a government-approved itinerary. On these trips people usually go to North Korea’s main sites: Mt. Paekdu, Pyongyang, Mt. Chilbo, and Mt. Kumgang. Fortunately for those lucky enough to go on these holidays, the government pays for everything and all the facilities and services are provided for free.

  My friend used to work in Dol Kyuk Dae, a government office, and went on one of these special trips as a reward for her hard work. She told me she really enjoyed her trip, having the chance to go all over the country to see Mt. Paekdu, Mt. Kumgang, and even a hot springs spa in Kyungsung! The government paid for everything to give her a great holiday and she only needed to bring a little bit of money for herself.

  I know that there are some really fortunate people in North Korea who have enough time and money go to nearby beaches or valleys with friends or family. One hou
sehold in my town was quite rich and they used to rent a car to go the beach sometimes. But, this is not a common situation and most people just go to the closest valley or mountain when they have free time, quietly enjoying the environment or spending time fishing.

  I myself never got the chance to go to the beach in North Korea. I saw beaches on TV a lot but I didn’t have a chance to go in person because I lived so far away from the sea. Maybe that is why I love beaches now and enjoy eating seafood so much! I am happy that I can now go to the beach anytime I want and enjoy holidays by going on trips, things I didn’t get the chance to do in North Korea.

  Are there regional rivalries in North Korea?

  DT: If you took the average newspaper article on North Korea as a guide, you’d end up thinking that North Koreans are brainwashed robots who all think and act in the same way. It is bizarre to even have to point out that this is not true. One way of showing you it isn’t true is by drawing your attention to the fact that North Koreans have different regional rivalries and stereotypes.

  Je Son Lee:

  Regional rivalries exist in North Korea, but not to the extent of those in the United States or South Korea. Regional rivalries exist between Northerners and Southerners in the U.S. and between Gyeongsang and Jeolla residents, for example, in South Korea. Regionalism in North Korea is not that prevalent.

  But people do have names to call those from other provinces. It’s hard to tell whether people from other regions in North Korea have the same opinion. But I’ll tell you everything I know about the regionalism that existed in my hometown in North Korea.

  First, Pyongyang: The image of Pyongyangites is that they are lazy people who like to have fun in life. I think there’s some truth in this. I met many people from Pyongyang while I was in North Korea and most of them were more into enjoying themselves rather than working. People in rural areas are more honest about their feelings. Therefore, when they don’t feel like working or studying, they speak their mind and say that they want to take the day off.

  But people from Pyongyang aren’t direct and they won’t speak their mind. So, when they don’t feel like working, they don’t want to say it directly, probably because they don’t want to offend you. But they will find a way to get out of work earlier, anyway. I’m not saying this applies to all people in Pyongyang. But this is the notion most North Koreans have about people from Pyongyang.

  Second, people from Chagang Province: Again, I’m not saying this is true about everyone from Chagang Province, but people think that those from Chagang are more likely to be frauds than people from other regions. Back in my hometown, seven out of 10 people who were scammed, got scammed by those from Chagang Province. Chagang Province was not that far away from my province, but they spoke with a very different accent. People in my hometown sound very abrupt and stern. But people in Chagang Province speak very gently, which makes people feel comfortable. Thanks to this, those from Chagang Province find it easy to scam people from my province.

  In fact, I got scammed three times in North Korea, and all three times it was someone from Chagang who scammed me. Fortunately, I got my money back in the end, but it took lots of time and effort to catch them and get my money back. Since then, I have become more cautious toward people from Chagang Province. Of course, not everyone from Chagang Province is a crook, but I can’t help but be suspicious and have low opinions of those from Chagang Province.

  Third, people from Hwanghae Province: They’re the most innocent, naïve people in North Korea. There’s one legendary story: During the Japanese occupation, when some Hwanghae people were captured and being transported by a Japanese police officer, when he fell asleep on the way, they didn’t even dare to run away. Instead, they would try to wake him up by telling him, “Mr. Police Officer, we won’t get there in time. Please, wake up.”

  Next, people from Hamgyong provinces [north and south]: Women from Hamgyong tend to be more tough and aggressive than those from other regions. I think those are good qualities for women to survive in this world. But because of their nature, people don’t want to deal with women from Hamgyong. Back in my hometown, we had a neighbor from Hamgyong. People didn’t like her because she was loud and she would do anything to get her way. When she sensed that people started avoiding her, she tried to change her attitude and later, she became more accepted in my hometown. Still, most women from Hamgyong make good housewives since they’re tough and they work hard to support their families.

  Lastly, people from Ryanggang Province: Ryanggang Province is the most capitalist province in North Korea. Everything has a price there. People in Ryanggang must be very used to it, but to people in other regions this capitalist culture seems heartless. But surprisingly, Ryanggang people are the most giving people in North Korea. Ryanggang Province is where most kotjebi—homeless children who wander in search of food—settle, because people there are likely to give them more food out of generosity.

  Because of the viciously cold weather in Ryanggang, it isn’t the ideal place for farming or growing fruits. Yet, these kotjebi head to Ryanggang because people there are the biggest givers. In other provinces and regions, when kotjebi steal food, people are likely to chase after them, hit them, and take the food back. But in Ryanggang, they don’t. Most of the time, they’ll voluntarily feed them. My own mother even took kotjebi to our house and invited them to have dinner with us. She also shared some of our holiday foods with them. One of them stopped by our house later and thanked us. He told us that he stopped begging for food and began running small errands for people, and even started a family. Before, I didn’t understand why my mom would invite kotjebi to have dinner with us at our table. But after I met this guy, I changed my mind and realized that my mom had done the right thing and even changed the man’s life.

  What are North Korean trains like?

  DT: The longest train journey in Korea is probably Seoul–Busan, a trip which can be made in around three hours on the fast KTX train. However, as Je Son Lee explains, an equivalent journey in North Korea takes 24 hours—and that’s just when everything is working according to plan, which most of the time it isn’t. That old line about dictators making the trains run on time has not been true of the three Kims.

  Je Son Lee:

  First of all, few people can afford to take a train purely for leisure. Train fares are expensive for most people. There are other obstacles, too: You need to obtain a permit to travel from one city to another. You’re not allowed to simply hop on a train and travel to another city for sightseeing or because you just feel like doing it. You need to obtain a permit first. It takes a lot—and I mean a lot—of effort to get one, and if you’re applying to get a permit to travel to Pyongyang or towns near the Chinese border, you need to pay a lot more money in the form of bribes to officials.

  Most people travel to other towns for the weddings of relatives living in other parts of the country. But sometimes people lie about this. The government is highly likely to issue a permit if you state that the purpose of your trip is to attend the wedding of a relative. A bribe is still required, though.

  North Koreans who travel on trains may fall into three categories. The biggest are vendors, then people on business trips, and then travelers. However, just because you have a permit doesn’t necessarily mean that you can purchase a train ticket. In North Korea, there is only a limited number of seats you can buy at the price set by the government. For example, if there are 20 seats available, government officials take half of them and give them to people they know. Of the remainder, touts take five to seven of them in order to give them to people they know. Now, only three to five tickets are left for everyone else to purchase. At all times, there are more people trying to buy tickets than there are tickets available.

  Some people then pay over the odds to get a ticket. You have to reward the tout handsomely, and even still this is almost impossible unless you are well-connected with the people working at the ticket booth. Basically, it takes a lot of money, effort, and co
nnections to get on a train. Yet, there are some people who manage to get on without a permit or a ticket—they just bribe government officials on the train by shoving a large amount of cash in their pockets. Bribing these people is the most hassle-free way to travel.

  However, people working on the train regularly change shifts during each train ride. So you need to pay tips to the new employees every time the shift changes. It costs more money, but it guarantees comfort on the train. Usually, it is traders who choose to travel this way. Traders usually carry illegal goods such as drugs with them, so they have to hand out bribes. In return, their safety is guaranteed for the whole train ride. Since most crewmembers ask for a lot, ordinary travelers get permits and tickets through the regular process.

  As far as I can remember, people weren’t assigned seats until the year 2000. So, as long as you had a ticket, you could take any seat available, first-come, first-served. So as soon as the train pulled in, passengers would rush to get the best seats. There were more people coming in through the windows than the doors. Windows began to crack as too many people tried to climb through them while carrying big suitcases.

  During the summer, it was fine without windows. But in winter, your hands and feet would freeze, as the temperature drops well below zero in North Korea. Often, people lost their belongings and it was usually well-built people who got the best seats on the train. Thankfully, assigned seats means that we don’t have windowless trains now.

  When I was a little girl, I went on a train trip with my uncles. Before that trip, I never knew how difficult it was to guard my seat and belongings on the train. Thanks to my uncles, we managed to get good seats. But four adults had to take turns guarding our belongings when one of us wanted to use the bathroom.

  A train ride from Hyesan to Pyongyang usually takes 23 hours and 50 minutes, if the train leaves on time. But due to electricity shortages, it normally takes three to four days—and it could even take up to seven to 10 days. Once it took 20 days for the train to reach Pyongyang after it left Hyesan. Since passengers have to spend a lot of time together on the train, you end up becoming really good friends. Often, people make friends for life on the train.