[ The World Times ] Jangmadang is changing the perceptions of the North Korea Dictatorship

North Korean millennials are becoming more familiar with the idea of free market and democracy even as the North Korean black market grows more influential. The North Korean government is still controlling its people, but it can't block the Korean Wave and Hollywood films that are coming through Jangmadang, the country's largest black market. 

 

Jangmadang was created in the 1990s, when the North Korean government could no longer provide food for its people. During this period, about 2 million North Koreans suffered from the devastating famine, while some others started their own businesses to find a new way to survive.

 

Capitalism started to grow in North Korea as a result of business owners making corn moodles from corn and tofu from soybeans. Although running a business without the government's permission was against the idea of the state's policy, the North Korean government did not initially control Jangmadang, mainly because the North Korean government could not take care of its people, due to a limited budget. Jangmadang was a big help to many North Korean citizens living in the communist society that couldn't support them.

 

In addition, the efforts of entrepreneurs provided some support to many North Korean citizens by assisting the domestic economy through trading with foreign countries around the border. North Korean people could start smuggling different products into the country, such as South Korean dramas, K-pop albums, and Hollywood films, as the government did not control them. 

 

According to Park Yeon-mi, a human rights activist who defected North Korea at the age of 13, the mother of one of her friends was executed for possessing a Hollywood film, which was illegal to watch. Quite a few North Koreans were harshly punished by the communist government simply for watching foreign films or media that could potentially change their perceptions of their dictator and country. Despite the government's control, North Korean citizens did not stop them from gaining access to South Korean media and Hollywood films. As a result, the idea of freedom grew quickly in the North.

 

Lee Mi-na, a North Korean defector attending Korea University, stated in an interview that making changes starts with getting information about the outside world and finding out what areas need to be improved. "By watching South Korean news, I came to the realization that democracy and freedom are worth fighting for. Jangmadang is a great way for North Korean millennials to explore foreign cultures," Lee said. By interacting with foreigners and exploring foreign cultures, she hopes her home country can achieve freedom of expression, just like its neighboring country. 

 

*perception n. 지각, 자각 / our perception of reality

                       통찰력(=insight) / She showed great perception in her assessment of the family situation.

                       인식(하여 갖게 된 생각) / a campaign to change public perception of the police.

*dictatorship n. 독재국가, 독재정부, 독재(권)

*millennial ad. 천년간의, 천년 왕국의 / Korea is an independent country with several millennial history. 

                   n. 밀레니엄세대, 신세대 

                   / And whether you call them "echo boomers," "Generation Y" or "millennial," they already make up nearly one-third                         of the U.S. population, and already spend $170 billion a year of their own and their parent's money.

*devastating ad. 대단히 파괴적인, 엄청난 손상을 가하는

                          엄청나게 충격적인

                          대단히 인상적인