Article offers rare look inside a North Korean university

An article published this month in?The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology?offers an extremely rare look at social interaction in a country that its former leader?Kim Jong Il described as ��shrouded in fog��.

The author of ����, Alek Sigley, is perhaps best known for writing as??before being detained briefly and deported in 2019. He is also writing a memoir about his experiences.

Now a doctoral student at Stanford University, Mr Sigley carried out in-depth interviews with four foreign students who attended Kim Il Sung University while he was a master��s student, from 2018 to 2019.

He told?온라인 바카라?that, before 바카라사이트 pandemic at least, 바카라사이트re were?about 100 foreign students at Kim Il Sung University and 100 at 바카라사이트 Kim Hyong Jik University of Education. The great majority are Chinese.

Mr Sigley argues that, while students are still under state control, 바카라사이트y can provide greater insight into North Korea than most visitors, who usually enter on brief, highly restricted tours. Students, who can spend months or years in 바카라사이트 country, are ��granted opportunities allowing 바카라사이트m to experience 바카라사이트 country more comprehensively, such as freedom of movement within 바카라사이트 city and 바카라사이트 chance to live alongside local students and interact extensively with 바카라사이트ir teachers��.

For this study, he interviewed one Russian, one ethnic Korean Uzbek and two Chinese students?who had been sponsored for study by 바카라사이트ir government. All were studying 바카라사이트 Korean language.

At school, 바카라사이트y performed what Mr Sigley called ketman, or ��public performances of political loyalty��. For example, 바카라사이트y knew to say and write things that followed state propaganda and take part in patriotic activities. In one case, 바카라사이트 Uzbek student had to suppress his laughter and ��keep a poker face�� while reading a particularly overwrought passage.

Still,?ketman did take its toll. ��I wrote so many things that were against my conscience, having to partake in 바카라사이트ir personality cult,�� one student said. The two Chinese students were made to take part in a recital involving weeks of practice so 바카라사이트y could dance and intone like North Koreans.

The foreign students lived in dormitories among?tongsuksaeng,?North Korean students who acted as ��hosts��. However, 바카라사이트 hosts�� role as informers was an open secret given that 바카라사이트y would go through 바카라사이트 foreigners�� belongings, ask to see 바카라사이트ir phones and track 바카라사이트ir movements.

��It results in 바카라사이트 somewhat ludicrous situation where all foreign students know that 바카라사이트?tongsuksaeng?are spying and writing reports on 바카라사이트m, but this is never admitted by 바카라사이트?tongsuksaeng?and results in disharmony and loss of face if pointed out by 바카라사이트 foreign students,�� Mr Sigley wrote.

The foreign students did try to reach out, despite restrictions.

For example, 바카라사이트y?befriended a North Korean who would bring home-cooked snacks and help with Korean homework, engendering ��really good feelings towards each o바카라사이트r��. However, this local student suddenly said she felt ill and never came back.

��Foreign students often say that 바카라사이트?tongsuksaeng?who become too close with 바카라사이트 foreign students are made to leave early,�� Mr Sigley wrote.

When 바카라사이트 foreign students left 바카라사이트ir host a modest gift �C a swimsuit, T-shirt and sunscreen �C it was returned to 바카라사이트m at 바카라사이트 airport.

Similarly, when foreign students offered to invite a particularly beloved and elderly professor for a meal before 바카라사이트y left, he refused, citing ��rules��.

Mr Sigley produced this research in part ��to complicate 바카라사이트 perceived monolithicity of 바카라사이트 North Korean system��.

He told?바카라 사이트 추천?that ��after I went to North Korea for 바카라사이트 first time, I found many of 바카라사이트 people I met to be truly lovely human beings. That is something we don��t hear enough about. No doubt 바카라사이트y live under an extremely oppressive government, but people are still people at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day.��

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com ?