What is Digg?74 Comments
- gingerbreadMan, on 06/10/2008, -6/+68Do any of the above dumb-asses know the difference between North Korea and South Korea
South Korea is a normal Asian country with fast internet and fun gadgets. Kind of like a copy of Japan
North Korea is a Government-controlled police state where there are no rights and people cannot leave or enter, unless allowed by the government, which is run by the infamous Kim-Jon Il (you may know him from the Team America).
God I hope the population isn't really this ignorant...
edit: please read people :(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_korea - cdigioia, on 06/10/2008, -1/+43North Korea is crazy, I went on a day tour about a month ago.
Yes, there are tours - even as an American - expensive ones that depart from Beijing, or cheap ones from S. Korea that are just 1-3 days to a N. Korean mountain retreat, or a day tour to the city of Kaesong. I went to Kaesong for $200. Everything is organized, with many N. Korean "guides" that don't do any guiding, just stand watch and make sure you don't go anywhere non-approved.
Photos are not allowed except approved sites, and specifically - no photos of soldiers, civilians, or any buildings not in the official tour (only historical buildings then). Only digital cameras allowed, as all photos were (hurriedly) reviewed upon passing through “immigration”. We weren’t allowed to talk to any N. Koreans. When we waited outside a restaurant, they closed the street about 100yards in either direction, and made all N. Koreans walk on the opposite side (4-lane street).
Soldiers everywhere, the younger ones looked malnourished. Everyone (almost) is short, like the older generation of S. Koreans. All the street lights were missing or burnt out (outside of the special industrial area – if you don’t know what I’m talking about, Google it) No cars, there for hours and maybe saw 10 cars, all military or government. Everyone governmental or military wore a red pin featuring the smiling face of Kim Jung Ill's father. Everyone had a bicycle, all the same model that looked from the 1950s or 1960s.
Oddly enough, it was very peaceful/idyllic though. I suppose the low, low crime rate (I imagine – given the hardcore government, and Korean culture), and, also I think Korean culture – despite being poor, everyone dressed respectably. And of course, no engine noises anywhere, or stereos, etc.
While there I found a page out of a N. Korea novel – about how Kim Jung Ill had visited a man to compliment him on how well he conserved gasoline and maintained his car. The man was so happy Kim Jung Ill visited him, and even paid him a compliment! Sounds like a ***** awesome story, but unfortunately I only have 2 pages of it.
Amazingly restrictive tour. It was interesting though, being in N. Korea, in the midst of 200 tourists. It looked like Disneyland at times.
Random thoughts, but thought I’d share (or copy & paste) given the subject. - NYGiantsNYYanks, on 06/10/2008, -8/+34North Korea is a pain in the ass.
- superyounan1, on 06/10/2008, -1/+23enjoy your first hardy meal my friend, your first cellular call, your first music download, and your first vote. S. Korea is a place you can be proud to call home
- CDRrules, on 06/10/2008, -1/+23South Korea may be similar to Japan, but don't tell them that you think they are a 'copy of Japan'. They are a bit on the nationalistic side, and the fact that they've been invaded by Japan in WW2 and before reinforces their dislike. That said, I hope your post informed some previously ignorant people.
- JackSchittt, on 06/10/2008, -2/+19You guys should read up on Kim Jong Il's cult of personality. Some funny *****.
2 Rainbows and a swallow foretold his birth.
He makes multiple holes-in-one every time he plays golf
He doesn't piss or *****.
He is an "internet expert" (whatever that's supposed to be).
It's just one of those things that I never get tired of reading. - PPCG4, on 06/10/2008, -1/+16They have NO internet. North Koreans aren't allowed any contact with the outside world. One guy was publicly executed for making a long distance call.
- BobSlefty, on 06/10/2008, -1/+16the north koreans don't just limit themselves to other koreans either. between 1977 and 1983, they went on kidnapping raids along the japanese coastline, abducting dozens of japanese, including a 13 year old girl, megumi yokota. the north koreans have brazenly admitted to 13 of these abductions and claim that with the repatriation, by 2004, of 5 of them, that the matter had been resolved... they also claim that megumi yokota killed herself in 1994 and kindly returned her ashes.
anyone interested can see more info here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korean_abductio ...
and as a personal message for user cwazidorse, I'd simply like to say that if stupidity were a sin, you'd be a very bad little boy indeed... - christor, on 06/10/2008, -0/+14I highly, highly recommend this series of videos documenting a trip inside North Korea:
http://www.vbs.tv/video.php?id=1438428757
Kind of a gonzo journalism piece - in the style of a very strange travel documentary. It is very much as you describe.
Digg it, too, so more will see it: http://digg.com/travel_places/THE_VICE_GUIDE_TO_NO ... - andsalvatierra, on 06/10/2008, -0/+14North Korea is a vastly different country from South Korea; the man was kidnapped but not by his own countrymen.
- dksupremacy, on 06/10/2008, -0/+12I notice you were one of the dumb-asses he was speaking to, you should care, unless you like staying ignorant and being called a dumbass
- Brodels, on 06/10/2008, -0/+9but South Korea's got Seoul.
- inactive, on 06/10/2008, -1/+9This digg article is the final proof to me that this site has become far too mainstream. The amount of ignorance that is seen in the comments is appalling, and quite frankly, scary. These ignorant people symbolize the typical voter and with their almost complete lack of knowledge of foreign issues, it isn't surprising that our countries are lead by idiots. Honestly, what happened digg? In 2006, the community was actually decently smart, and most people here at least know what North Korea is, but the ignorance of some of the commentators here shows how much of a fall the community has had.
- luke16, on 06/10/2008, -1/+9Useful information that has been paragraphed and well written on Digg?
Well who da funk it!
I do actually want to go to Seoul some time in the future though. - dsmx, on 06/10/2008, -0/+8In other surprise news the sun came up this morning.
- paulhickey, on 06/10/2008, -1/+7Copy Of Japan? As a Korean that offends me. Your other points were alright, but you should watch what you say about the Orient. Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans aren't the same, nor are they copies of each other. They are separate nations, with distinct differences, with different, albiet intertwined, histories. If Korea is a copy of Japan, then all western nations are merely copies of each other.
A statement like that just demonstrates Ethno-centrism - hoopy22, on 06/10/2008, -1/+6Another sad thought, if North Korea ever gets out from under the Jong Ill oppression, the people are going to be major whacked in the head. They have basically been denied the last 60 - 70 years of world history. No concept of current world culture, etc. Sad indeed, but what ya gonna do, they have 40,000 artillery pieces aimed at Seoul, and have since the end of the Korean War.
- HookmasterCH47, on 06/10/2008, -3/+8Kim Jong Ill is sweet, have you ever heard about his crazy golf skills?
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/200 ... - Jauladeoro, on 08/27/2008, -1/+5I can't judge his situation, not having been in his shoes - but it's hard for me to imagine abandoning my spouse and children for freedom. Who knows what will become of them. They could be tortured, interrogated, jailed, punished - who knows? ... Even if the government doesn't do anything bad to them, he will be enjoying freedom for the rest of his days, and his family will not. Is he really happier now?
- hmunkey, on 06/10/2008, -0/+4I watched this documentary about N. Korea in which a doctor snuck cameras in to film reactions of citizens after he restored their eyesight after years. The first thing the patients did when they could see again was praise Kim Jong Il and say they would kill westerners with their vision.
Brainwashed. - albatross5000, on 06/10/2008, -1/+4Bizarre. So he married and had kids while he was in North Korea, "who he had hoped would follow him - and have been arrested since his escape"... but he's "Overwhelmed with joy" because his brother is still alive in South Korea. What about the wife and kids that he "hoped would follow him" who are now in the most brutal prison system in the world? Insanity.
- Monk22, on 06/10/2008, -0/+3YOU CHECK YOUR TCP/IP SETTINGS?
YOU WANT THIS DOG? - lennybird, on 06/10/2008, -0/+3http://current.com/items/76375442_three_days_in_no ... - Three days in North Korea.
Perhaps the definition of 1984? - Coven, on 06/10/2008, -1/+4and now to Ollie Williams with the Black-u-weather forecast...Ollie?
- thereisnostate, on 06/10/2008, -2/+4Why would he want to flee a socialist utopia..
- npk9, on 06/10/2008, -4/+6The real question is will S. Korea take him back. Unfortunately, most times S. Korea will not take back people who have escaped N. Korea - and if they do they are mostly shunned by the S. Korean community as fear that they were converted into a spy of some sort. A lot of escapees end up in Thailand or South Eastern countries as they were smuggled and awaiting status from the S. Korean government.
- Monk22, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2"He is an "internet expert" (whatever that's supposed to be)."
he does apparently have the largest porn collection in the world. so those two might be related. - kcfreels, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2If this doesn't prove to people that the NK press is a complete mouthpiece of the leadership....
They even lie about their Golf Game! No honor at all... - LvsSocer, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2Except that the The Korean war still isn't over... it's in the middle of a cease fire.
- pensel, on 06/10/2008, -1/+2Through what venue did you grab a visit?
I've wanted to visit since I started high school. The last real Stalinist state has me so utterly fascinated. - lpxxfaintxx2, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Where the ***** did you hear that? I'm South Korean, and most of us will be happy to take any North Korean. It's just being compassionate.
- JackSchittt, on 06/10/2008, -1/+2They probably won't, at least not any time in the near future unless it's through military intervention, which is highly unlikely.
Kim Jong Il's successor has probably already been selected, and it's very likely that whoever takes over once Il passes away will simply continue with the same policies that have been in place for the past 50 or so years.
There's, what, 23 million people in that country? If they were ever exposed to the outside world, the culture shock alone would spark a humanitarian crisis that I'm not sure the region could handle. - inactive, on 06/10/2008, -2/+3Yeah, abandoning your family is never cool. No matter what the situation, but especially with this one. Sounds like he ripped a page out of McCain's playbook.
- Nosferax, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Not to play nerd but Korea became a japanese protectorate after the russo-japanese war in 1905. Japan also got half of Sakahlin (sp?) island, Formosa and the southern tip of Manchuria at the same time.
- uminatsu, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Millions are starved to death, if that is what free healthcare means...
- inajeep, on 06/10/2008, -1/+2We came from the UK too but had a war with them just the same. We are all friendly now but it a couple of hundred years. Japan has been invading/raping/killing countries around them for hundreds if not thousands of years.
- brstilson, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1They already have nuclear weapons. Why do you think we haven't invaded them?
- fakesmiles, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1SWIMMIN' HOLE!
- fordhamwt, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1I'm not saying I know all, so correct me if I'm wrong. :)
- inactive, on 06/10/2008, -1/+2Answer = because.
- TheMachine1, on 06/10/2008, -1/+2Radio's in NK have been engineered to get only a few stations. Thus blocking external transmissions is easier. I know that its easy to drive by anyone house or car and determine what frequency a radio is tune to with the right equipment. Is it possible to build a cheap shortwave radio that can not easily be detected? Get some Christian fanatics to fund the project and we might just get an information pipeline into NK.
- JackSchittt, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1Is it bigger than the Vatican's? ;)
- slvrbullet87, on 06/10/2008, -1/+2Free OF healthcare, there is a difference
- fordhamwt, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1He did not escape North Korea, He escaped captivity. He is a South Korean. They don't take North Korean defectors, but that is not the case here.
- cdigioia, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1http://wikitravel.org/en/Kaesong#Get_in
More specifically than that link, I don't know though, as a Korean friend set it up online for us. - NYGiantsNYYanks, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Hahaha touche
- Monk22, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1the pope was too busy shuffling around priests so they could continue to molest little boys so he didnt have much time for collecting.
- Clodhopper, on 06/10/2008, -1/+2You're dumb.
- TheMachine1, on 06/10/2008, -1/+1Thats the kind of inhuman dilemma that a totalitarian system puts people in. Like in "1984" where the lead character refuses to share the chocolate bar with his starving family.
-
Show 51 - 74 of 74 discussions
The Digg Toolbar for Firefox lets you Digg, submit content, and keep track of Digg even when you're not on the Digg site. Download the official 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is