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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)

#131

Post by 77pt77 »

bigstrat2003 wrote: post #129
77pt77 wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> nothing is technically stopping you from walking into a SCIF with a phone most of the time That is ridiculous. I've been to multiple embassies as a nobody and no electronics were allowed and this was strictly enforced.

I agree it's ridiculous (though not in the way you meant), but he is telling the truth. I don't doubt that there are facilities which are watched as closely as you describe, but not all are. I have worked in a SCIF where the only thing stopping me from bringing in a phone was the fact that I said I wouldn't, and I keep my word.

I've been to tiny embassies and I was thoroughly searched and anything remotely looking like an electronic device was temporarily confiscated.

They usually make a big deal out of it.

This in embassies between friendly nations!

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

#132

Post by bigstrat2003 »

77pt77 wrote: post #131
bigstrat2003 wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree it's ridiculous (though not in the way you meant), but he is telling the truth. I don't doubt that there are facilities which are watched as closely as you describe, but not all are. I have worked in a SCIF where the only thing stopping me from bringing in a phone was the fact that I said I wouldn't, and I keep my word.

I've been to tiny embassies and I was thoroughly searched and anything remotely looking like an electronic device was temporarily confiscated. They usually make a big deal out of it. This in embassies between friendly nations!

Again, I don't doubt that some facilities do have that level of scrutiny. I'm simply saying that not all do.

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

#133

Post by mathsmath »

77pt77 wrote: post #119
mathsmath wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even in the US, nothing is technically stopping you from walking into a SCIF with a phone most of the time. We used the honor system. I would almost automatically assume that any SCIF in a foreign country was compromised to some degree.

> nothing is technically stopping you from walking into a SCIF with a phone most of the time That is ridiculous. I've been to multiple embassies as a nobody and no electronics were allowed and this was strictly enforced.

I added “most of the time” to match my experience. If the entire building is a SCIF, I’ve usually left my phone in the car. If it’s just a room in a building, they usually have lockers outside and use the honor system.

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

#134

Post by hereme888 »

gre wrote: post #108
why_at wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Curious if anyone knows of any more recent descriptions about what life is like in North Korea, like in the last 5-10 years. Most things I've read including this article are decades old. How much have things changed there in terms of technology, food security etc?

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?

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

#135

Post by SuperNinKenDo »

waterTanuki wrote: post #110

> There were a handful of shops that catered for foreigners. All transactions had to be in Euros as possession of local currency by foreigners was forbidden This stood out to me in the article, as most countries incentivize foreign visitors to use local currencies to boost its strength. However, NK seems to have long ago come to terms it's currency will never hold value, so perhaps they instill this rule to boost the…

Another aspect of it could be that this retards foreigners' capacity to sneak into shops they're not supposed to be in and buy things they're not supposed to buy. Not sure though, as apparently many shops are run pseudo-privately and I imagine any shopkeeper would be happy to accept some foreign currency.

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

#136

Post by [deleted] »

bigstrat2003 wrote: post #132
77pt77 wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been to tiny embassies and I was thoroughly searched and anything remotely looking like an electronic device was temporarily confiscated. They usually make a big deal out of it. This in embassies between friendly nations!

Again, I don't doubt that some facilities do have that level of scrutiny. I'm simply saying that not all do.

[deleted]

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

#137

Post by tptacek »

unixhero wrote: post #123
M5x7wI3CmbEem10 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

may I ask if you have any career advice?

Unless you have broken software and hardware since the 1990s or 1980s, and then gotten a degree in management or engineering, my path is hard to replicate. But I certainly can offer some advice: 1. Be hardcore and really interested in security. Read everything. Deep diving into networks, software, vulnerability, risk management. 2. Get a CISSP certifiaction, then maybe an ISO 27001 cert and then also something juicy…

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.

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

#138

Post by tptacek »

kstrauser wrote: post #77
smcl wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am sorry but if you travel somewhere like Iran or North Korea you are doing so explicitly against the advice of most governments. Every single person visiting these places is told that they need to keep their shit together, otherwise the consequences could be dire for them or for those they come into contact with.

Iran doesn't chill my blood in the same way imagining being in North Korea does. I have no desire to go there. I wouldn't go if offered. It still strikes me as a more or less rational country that stridently disagrees with my own country's politics (and my own), not a boot stamping on a human face — forever.

Iran is a bucket list country for me. The politics are a disaster, obviously, but it's an amazing, deep culture. The government of Iran is a disaster, but it's a real, functioning country, in ways North Korea isn't.

Ironically, Iran is probably much more dangerous than North Korea is (not least because you apparently basically can't do anything in North Korea), at least for an American. But like, if you want Korean culture, fly to Seoul and rent a car. I don't know how you get Iran's culture without actually going there.

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

#139

Post by tptacek »

geoffreymcgill wrote: post #95
smcl wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly I’d still like to visit both (particularly Iran) and I know people who have. But there is definitely advice you need to heed in both places (tbh in all places…)

I've been to both and can report a positive experience. The DPRK trip was fascinating. The thing I remember most about Iran is how friendly everyone was to us.

If you've been to South Korea (and I haven't, only have a bunch of friends who have), was there anything fascinating about North Korea that you couldn't have gotten from South Korea and that didn't hinge on how messed up North Korea is? Genuinely curious.

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

#140

Post by jhoechtl »

Stratoscope wrote: post #69

I posted my story a few times about picking up a North Korean shortwave broadcast on my car radio while driving to work at Adobe in San Jose around 2022. Rather than re-tell it again, here it is: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38634348

For anyone wondering, the Voice of Korea broadcasts daily on shortwave Worldwide and can be received even inside a house, given your WiFi and Led lights do not produce excessive interference.

For frequencies https://shortwavedb.org/cgi-bin/shortwave.cgi? and search for Country North Korea

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