Life in North Korea - a remarkable BBC report

Sue Lloyd-Roberts has produced some remarkable reports for television over the years. Few can be as impressive as the ones available on BBC Our World and BBC Newsnight tracking her time in North Korea. She tries to gain an insight into the daily existence of people in North Korea and, despite the constant presence of government minders and security officials, she discovers private markets which for many can be the difference between a meagre life and starvation. The North Korean authorities refuse to acknowledge the existence of these markets but they are the inevitable result of the complete failure of the state planning system. She meets some North Korean defectors who are still coming to terms with the ultimate culture shock.

These video reports are remarkable and will make ideal teaching resources when discussing economic systems, living standards and markets.

Here are some links to Sue Lloyd-Roberts’ reports

Glimpses of real North Korean life behind the facade Sampling North Korea’s version of the internet N Korean defectors on the ultimate culture shock