What is the truth about North Korea?

North Korea is a tiny country, lying between China and South Korea. It's population is about 2.5 cr. At least 30 lakh people live in its capital city, Pyongyang. It is being ruled by Kim family members since 1948. The first ruler was Kim Il Sung. He ruled up till 1994. He died of a heart attack and his responsibility was taken over by Kim Jong Il. Even he died of heart attack in December 2011. As such his heir and present ruler Kim Jong took over. Korea broke up into North and South Koreas, after Second World War in 1945. North Korea depends on trade.

Human Rights Forum has declared North Korea as one of the regressed countries in the world. According to its report...Kim Jong Un orders public hanging of those who oppose him and make the people his slaves. There are restrictions on transport so that they do run away from the country and obtain refuge abroad. Kim tortures those who have religious links with others in the country and abroad.

Criminals and political opponents are sent to concentration camps. These are the centres for murders, rapes, harassments, forcible abortions and sexual harassment. The lives of those who are confined here, end here. If one person commits a crime, his three generations will have to undergo punishment. The wrong doer, his heirs and their children, are all punished in the camps. This kind of confinement is found nowhere else in the world. Law-breakers are sent to these prison camps. Likewise, their children and the children born to them live wretched lives in these camps. The government itself has decided some 28 hairstyles for men and women in the country. People can choose any one of them. But the hairstyle of Kim Jong Un should not be seen on anyone's head. Amnesty International has announced that human rights suppression is going on here. There are at least two lakh people, living in six huge political prison camps, it said.

North Korea capital, Pyongyang appears to be the only developed city. It is beautiful though. Some 30 lakh people live here. Only those who are devoted to the government and government employees are allowed to live here. Women traffic inspectors control the traffic. The shops here sell everything, including foreign fashion clothing. A few of the people have access to the net. That too only to 30 web sites and not more. The government Information and Technology Department has created an own operating system called Red Star.

Only government employees are wealthy. Only they can afford designer clothes and visit restaurants. The conditions in rural areas are totally opposed to this. Day to day life is miserable. Power supply is at the lowest level. The whole country, including the capital city face the problem of power cuts. Pyongyang boasts of an underground metro, on tracks at the depth of 110 mt. It takes three and a half minutes to go to the platform on the escalator. The country still adheres to the regulations set by its previous rulers.

Every year, no one can celebrate birthdays on July 8th and December 17th. Because these are the days on which Kim Sung and Kim Jung Il expired. Kim Jong Un has made arrangements to place his father, Kim Jong Il's dead body in a glass casket and exhibit it. Every five years elections take place in the country. But there is only one name on the ballot paper and that is of Kim Jong Un's. North Korea calendar begins from the birthday of the first ruler, Kim Il Sung, on April 15th, 1912. As such, 2017 according to it, is the 106th year for them. Ganja cultivation, distribution and use is all legal here. But anyone who reads the bible, watches South Korean films or distributes pornographic videos is hanged to death.

There is a Kim Sung statue at every kilometre in the country. He has to be worshipped as God. People have to wear badges to show their devotion to this founder of the nation. Photographs of the statues of Kim rulers can be taken from the full front view. There is no permission to take pictures of the bust or from behind the statue. People should take permission to go from one place to the other in the country.

Wearing jeans made in Capitalistic America is banned here. Only three TV channels are available in the country. These too are allowed only for a limited schedule. Also, they have only news that is favourable to the government. Every house has a radio. Through them, only government approved programmes are broadcast. The country has roadways extending into 26,000 km and railway route within 5,200 km radius.

North Korea and Somalia have been declared as the most corrupt countries in the world, by 2015 Corruption Perception Index. Medical facilities are extremely limited. Education is somewhat better. Pyongyang also boasts of the world's biggest stadium, called Rungrado May Day stadium. The seating capacity of the stadium is 1.5 lakh.

The Korean People's Army (KPA) is the country's Army unit. While there are 11,06,000 soldiers in it, who are continuously working, 83,89,000 soldiers join the forces when the need arises.

The North and South Korean war took place between 1950 and 1953. In this war, America supported South Korea. China was the only country that backed North Korea. South Korea is the sixth biggest trade partner of America. For this reason, North Korea began opposing America. It started focussing on self-defence and as a part of this strategy, it is experimenting with and manufacturing nuclear missiles. America is miffed with all this. Rivalry between both these nations is brewing since long.

America wants economically well off China to talk to North Korea. But China is against this. China considers North Korea as a protective wall. If North Korea is reigned in and friendship begins between both the Koreas, there are chances of them uniting. China however does not like this. If both the Koreas unite, America being friendly with South Korea, can use its soil as its base. This will bring it closer to China. For its own ends, China is still helping North Korea in its missile experiments. Another issue exists. If Kim Jong Un is stripped off his power, the country would become unstable. Lakhs of people will go to China seeking refuge. This also is a headache to China.

Experts suggest that North Korea should give up its nuclear missiles programme or America should acknowledge North Korea as a nuclear power. Both these are impossible, at present. North Korea is in no position to give up its nuclear missiles. Going by the opinions of analysts and international experts, nuclear missiles are protecting North Korea. Otherwise, by now, America would have attacked North Korea, like it did in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and other nations. As North Korea has the missiles that could touch America, the world's most powerful nation is restricting itself to warnings and cautions. America has an anti-missile system. It can disable missiles that attack it. Even if North Korea attacks, the loss is limited in America. But if America counters the attack, North Korea will be ruined. America is not in a position to acknowledge the nuclear programme of North Korea. Japan and South Korea are America's trade partners and allies. Even though China is the biggest trade partner, it is not an ally of America. So there is no chance of America shaking hands with North Korea that is an enemy of Japan and South Korea and friendly with China.

China, Russia, South Korea and Japan are neighbours to North Korea. If America attacks it, there will be regional instability in this part of the world. Even Russia is openly backing North Korea, against America, because of this. It has invested heavily in fuel industry in North Korea. There were discussions between both the countries, on the expansion of railway network between both. North Korea has no friendly relations with any other country, except China and Russia. Though it has declared that 99 per cent of its population is literate, there is no means to verify this.

As soon as he gained power after his father's death, Kim Jong Un ordered the hangings of his own uncle, Jang Sang Tak and some political and army rivals. He encouraged the nuclear missile programmes. His principle is that no one should be as powerful as him, now or ever. South Korean defence analysts said that if anyone else is growing strong, he will immediately eliminate the person. They believe that Kim Jong was behind the murder of his brother, Kim Jang Nam, at Kaulalumpur, in February this year. All the repressive tactics that are prevalent in North Korea today, are inherited from his father and grandfather. Only Kim Jong is implementing them much more harshly. He is crazy about basket ball and is an ardent fan of Michael Jordan.