For The Fatherland

I learned how to love books when I moved here in the U.S. There were no distractions to keep me from reading books as how it was in the Philippines. My first book was Angels and Demons. I guess Dan Brown's stream-lined, fluid, and easy to understand writing style made me love books. From Dan Brown, to Shakespeare, to Palahniuk, I enjoyed the reading experience. However, I have grown tired of their genre. It just suddenly came to me that I wanted to read something more contemporary – something that's happening in our world now. I was reading an article that mentioned North Korea, and then I thought I never really knew something about the country, aside from it is the world's most oppressive country.

I have just finished Barbara Demick's Nothing to Envy. It became my window to the daily lives in North Korea. Under the Juche policy, the country is self-reliant, virtually sealing off international trade. With this ideology, the country remains poor and hungry. Despite the negative news we're hearing about the country, love still prevails in this desperate land. I have learned a lot of new information about North Korea because of this book.

It struck me how the country uses a lot of its resources to showcase elaborately its capital city Pyongyang to foreigners, while most of its citizens starve to death. By elaborate, the North Korean government would kick out a resident of Pyongyang if he/she looks thin, ugly or physically deformed just so to keep the capital city "looking perfect" to the eyes of foreigners. The roads are empty since car ownership is not allowed. Electricity doesn't exist in North Korea, except where the backbone of "The Fatherland" is, the military camps. And I really hate it that the regime is spending on nuclear weapons while the majority of the population starves. This is thievery at its best. People can't protest lest they be executed or sent to gulag camps. However, there are some things about North Korea that I think the Philippines could benefit from if it learns how to do it.

The North Korean government effectively uses the power of propaganda to lead (or fool) its citizens into supporting their endeavors. I don't know if the North Koreans are just gullible people, but I have never seen the Philippines using propaganda to gather support from the people. I think it will benefit from using it. Or is propaganda unique just in communist countries?

The satellite images at night show the saddening disparity between the divided Koreas. The South is teeming with prosperity, while the North is stuck frozen in darkness and in time. I am just really hoping for the best in Korea. I couldn't even say "two countries" because I believe the North and South are and should be one. I want to see in the earliest time in the future the historic reunification of Korea. Geez, that'll be like East and West Germany my grand-parents were telling me before. I have only been to Incheon International Airport in South Korea but just from there, I could already feel how wealthy the South is. I hope in the future the North could partake with this kind of wealth. With united people and not to mention an additional land, there will be a more prosperous and happy Korea!