What do North Koreans think about their leaders?
Currently, a new project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, is trying to poll North Koreans who live in North Korea.
Although a NGO surveyed 20 men and 16 women between the ages of 28 and 80, but the figures came from a variety of backgrounds, with jobs including doctor, laborer, homemaker, factory worker and company president, and they lived across the country. The findings are modest, but they’re pretty insightful, especially in Korea, because North Korea is not a free and open society.
RESULT
The most important and impressive survey result showed, which had been released last month, were on the public distribution system that is supposed to supply basic food items to citizens but which broke down during the devastating famine of the mid-1990s. It found that none of the respondents thought the system provided what they want for a good life.
Key Findings
- North Koreans know they do not live in a socialist paradise.
- North Koreans no longer rely on the Public Distribution System for sustenance.
- North Koreans express the most animosity toward the government when it undercuts their entrepreneurial activities.
Additional Reading
- The second in our five-part series “No Laughing Matter: North Koreans’ Discontent and Daring Jokes.”
- Commentary “Samples of Convenience: The Merits of Conducting Surveys Inside North Korea.”
- Commentary “Dissatisfaction But No Evidence of a Pyongyang Spring.”
Video: blob:www.washingtonpost.com
FACT
Area | ||
---|---|---|
• | Total | 120,540 km2 (98th) 46,528 sq mi |
• | Water (%) | 4.87 |
Population | ||
• | 2013 estimate | 24,895,000 (48th) |
• | 2011 census | 24,052,231 |
• | Density | 198.3/km2 (63rd) 513.8/sq mi |
GDP (PPP) | 2011 estimate | |
• | Total | $40 billion |
• | Per capita | $1,800 |
GDP (nominal) | 2013 estimate | |
• | Total | $15,4 billion |
• | Per capita | $621 |
Source: Wikipedia