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Three years in North Korea as a foreigner (2021)

mydiplomaticlife.com

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Re: Three years in North Korea as a foreigner (2021)

#151
post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://youtu.be/2BO83Ig-E8E?si=WK1Gp62Hbx0624Wx Documentary about getting s haircut in North Korea

You mean a shameless North Korean propaganda video with a ridiculously twisted version of history and reality?

Worth keeping in mind that NK has one of the most active / visible cyber teams on the planet, presumably including astro-turfing and propaganda.

Which means any conversation on the internet about NK is likely to be polluted with propaganda, even if none of the participants themselves are operatives - all it takes is someone unwittingly ingesting a bad fact once for that bad fact to get circulated.

Re: Three years in North Korea as a foreigner (2021)

#152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

North Korea can take you with whatever justification they feel like and return you as a vegetable. I know the mass games look cool and people like to go to weird places, please avoid North Korea

> North Korea can take you with whatever justification they feel like and return you as a vegetable. That’s most/all countries (or their embassies) you visit, no? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Jamal_Khash...

I feel a lot better about my chances in pretty much any other country than NK.

Re: Three years in North Korea as a foreigner (2021)

#153
post #6

Years ago, I was lucky enough to listen to a talk from an American who got to be a tourist in North Korea. Ever since then I've been fascinated with stories like this. North Korea is on my bucket list, but hopefully after the state loosens up.

Same. I want to also visit Iran in the next few years. I fully expect that 90% of what I think I know about these countries is CIA propaganda.

Re: Three years in North Korea as a foreigner (2021)

#154
post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Meanwhile instead of some fancy building, their embassy over here is... Well, a little more domestic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embassy_of_North_Korea,_London

It's like the mom and pop shop around the corner.

Except it's a house of horrors.

Re: Three years in North Korea as a foreigner (2021)

#155
post #20
post #9

The post never mentions a date, but this must have been around 2000-2004, since that is when the UK embassy was established. [1] Some things have probably changed since then. A fascinating read regardless. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embassy_of_the_United_Kingdom,...

I wonder who works in those embassies. Are there some British dudes just living there that go to the embassy every day for work? Where do they buy food? What do their residences look like? Do have spouses and children? Where do they work and go to school? Do they enjoy life there?

Why would anyone in their right mind accept a job like this? It's a lot like taking a job that requires you to live in a prison for several years.

Re: Three years in North Korea as a foreigner (2021)

#156
post #6

Years ago, I was lucky enough to listen to a talk from an American who got to be a tourist in North Korea. Ever since then I've been fascinated with stories like this. North Korea is on my bucket list, but hopefully after the state loosens up.

Na. To hell with North Korea completely.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Warmbier

Re: Three years in North Korea as a foreigner (2021)

#157

https://www.tema.ru/travel/north-korea-1/ Artemy Lebedev, a known Russian web designer, visited North Korea and posted his notes with pictures (in Russian, should not be an obstacle these days). There are three more sections with the selector below.

I find the interview with a North Korea specialist Lankov fascinating too (has English subs) https://youtu.be/C84bzu9wXC0?si=AsBKTh0gRyGsISms

Re: Three years in North Korea as a foreigner (2021)

#158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> North Korea can take you with whatever justification they feel like and return you as a vegetable. That’s most/all countries (or their embassies) you visit, no? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Jamal_Khash...

A big political enemy of the saudi family that been a pain in their ass (rightly so since they are an evil dictatorship) vs random student that just took a poster as a souvernir. Not the same thing. Anyone can be killed in North Korea. 99,99999999999% of people are not on the saudi familys enemy list.

Perhaps, but Saudi Arabia is pretty close to North Korea as far as my desire to ever visit the place. Both of them are extremely unappealing.

Re: Three years in North Korea as a foreigner (2021)

#159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which would completely invalidate the entire purpose of the SCIF, no? Unless it exists to feed fake info to the locals?

It's government. Security Theater/"Look, we're trying" is usually more important than reality.

It's weird. On the one hand governments are devious and brutal oppressors of freedom, on the other hand governments are calculating masters of subterfuge faking moon-landings and implanting microtransmitters by vaccination, on a third hand governments are money-wasting incompetent douches who can't even tie their shoes, and on a fourth hand governments are morally bankrupt and do everything to get re-elected. A strange beast, with four hands, no less!

Re: Three years in North Korea as a foreigner (2021)

#160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're interested in someone else's take on this: don't get a CISSP, and ISO 27001 is generally something a company gets, not a person.

True, it would be more toward security leadership in things like CISO roles or equivalent. Yet if one takes them, they will certainly help.

Again, just in case you're interested in a second take on this, no.
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