The Country I Saw

I once saw an article in a Western publication which slandered the DPRK, saying that it is short of something and there is a lack of something in it.

Correct understanding of the country is lacking in the article, I think.

To help others have a correct understanding of the DPRK, I am going to offer my brief opinion of what I saw the DPRK does not have.

What are those that the DPRK does not have?

Before anything else, it should be noted that there is no political unrest and social instability, everybody lives harmoniously and merrily free from anxiety and worry and they do not know such words as private ownership of the means of production, the jobless, school expenses, doctor`s fee and tax in the DPRK.

And what I feel whenever I visit the DPRK is that it is free from drug-related crimes, AIDS, human trafficking, mafia, pollution and other serious public nuisances which can be seen in any country of the world.

The reality of the DPRK provides a startling contrast to what I have heard in the West.

(The writer is a member of the Kim Il Sung-Kim Jong Il Foundation)