North Korean soldier kills two officers, defects to south

[RonRules]

I highly recommend this documentary. It explains how difficult it is to come out of the county. Not only that, who ever defects knows their family will be in a concentration camp for the rest of their lives:

[RonRules]

This is also very good and fresh out:

[blustreeak]

"Changing would be extremely hard on people should North Korea open up more. They briefly allowed exchanges between North and South Korea and as bad as things are in the North, the people from there were ready to return after their stays in the South because everything was so foreign to what they were accustomed to. EVen though they used to be one country, they diverged so much since the separation that they can no longer relate to each other much beyond calling themselves Koreans." -ZippyJuan

Changing was also extremely hard on the holocaust survivors because they were malnourished and sometimes so much good food killed them. From what I've read it seems many North Koreans live in what is essentially the same life as people being held in Nazi death camps. Yeah, maybe a regime change and more freedom would be a shock to their system so to speak, but their lives and their children's and grandchildren's lives would GREATLY improve. A move to a freerer society would be the best thing to ever happen to them and with the reports of the people who have escaped, it sounds like North Koreans want change, but can't say it because in their country people are treated worse than slaves with the military having perks like having their own whores so as to keep them loyal. Yeah, North Koreans may not be able to relate to free people, but to use that as a reason to state, "Changing would be extremely hard on them" is just flat ridiculous. I have to hear an explanation on this. Do you really believe after living in a free state for five years the North Koreans would be protesting in order to return to the old ways? Give me a BREAK! They are starving and many times being killed like dogs for looking at an official the wrong way.

[COpatriot]

The problem is the contrasting cultures. Since the split, the South has become very modern and westernized while much of the North really never left the 50s. The Kims have gone to great lengths to successfully filter out every possible outside influence. I had to laugh at people who were stupid enough to consider Ron Paul an "isolationist". If there's ever been an example of an isolationist country, it's North Korea. I don't think Ron Paul planned to turn us into North Korea.

[jcannon98188]

Anyone who flees repression, can't be anything other than a good guy. They're usually the most anti-authoritarian types of people out there.

You'd think that, but Marco Rubio.

[FreeHampshire]

Changing would be extremely hard on people should North Korea open up more. They briefly allowed exchanges between North and South Korea and as bad as things are in the North, the people from there were ready to return after their stays in the South because everything was so foreign to what they were accustomed to. EVen though they used to be one country, they diverged so much since the separation that they can no longer relate to each other much beyond calling themselves Koreans.

Not a single economists believes the North Korean model is sustainable. Even Kim Jung Un's brother said publicly that the North Koreans government believes their system will collapse within a few decades. It's either they have Capitalistic reforms or the nation will crash. There is no question about that. The reformation wouldn't be that difficult, and some smaller capitalistic market reforms were enacted last year. They seem to be successful so far.

Also, I have no clue what you're talking about this instance where North & South Koreans could freely interact with one another. There was a situation back in the Bush era where North Koreans could visit South Korean relatives. But they were all elderly and by no means were given a chance to move to the South. So you're statement is completely off and a bit odd to be honest with you.

[Vanilluxe]

Ironically NK can manufacture heavy artillery and weapons, but it can't feed its people. One interesting note is that North Korea invented Vinylon a fabric and celebrated that as a success of their "ingenuity".

[LibertyEagle]

Ironically NK can manufacture heavy artillery and weapons, but it can't feed its people. One interesting note is that North Korea invented Vinylon a fabric and celebrated that as a success of their "ingenuity".

How is it ironic? It's a communist shithole whose leaders value artillery and weapons more than its people.

[HOLLYWOOD]

South Korea has been heavily subsidized by the US Taxpayers for the past 62 years. All the US military bases/installations, weapons, 10,000s in US personnel, and very favorable trade agreements.

North Korea mostly on their own.

[Inkblots]

Adjusting to living in the free world is definitely a significant challenge for most North Korean defectors. I remember reading an interview with one who found it alarming and dangerous that South Korean newspapers criticized the president of the South. The idea of openly criticizing leaders was so foreign to him, he could hardly believe it was allowed. But despite the challenges they face, but the vast majority of refugees are happy they fled the Hermite Kingdom. Here's an interesting short video I found with some interviews with North Korean refugees:

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/n...er-north-korea