Showing results by author "Jieun Baek"

One of the least understood countries in the world, North Korea has long been known for its repressive regime. Yet it is far from being an impenetrable black box. Media flows covertly into the country, and fault lines are appearing in the government's sealed informational borders. Drawing on deeply personal interviews with North Korean defectors from all walks of life, ranging from propaganda artists to diplomats, Jieun Baek tells the story of North Korea's information underground.

Foreign media is trickling in to North Korea, making its people increasingly aware of the gap between Pyongyang’s propaganda and reality. In the short term, the regime is still well able to repress subversion, but this new awareness could be a long-term threat. Helping the flow of outside information may be the best way to help North Korea change from within.