Guy Delisle 'Pyongyang'

Finished reading a graphic book by 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Guy Delisle 'Pyongyang'.

A wry and witty comedy about the life in North Korea. Gives a glimpse of life in a totalitarian regime. It tells the story of the author who goes to Korea as an animation artist. It seems that North Koreans are interested in the foreign artists as a source of foreign exchange.

A few observations.

• Every visitor was given a bouquet  of flowers apparently as a gift and then the guide advises the guest to go to the highest place in the city for a view. There you see the hugh statute of Kim Il Sung and everybody is expect to place the flowers there. So you are duped into paying respects to the great leader
• Every visitor has to have a guide and cannot go anywhere literally without them
• People are constantly reminded of the Japanese and Korean war and the atrocities of Imperial Japan and USA
• Father and son Kims are present everywhere. On the walls, on the shirt pins, on the mountains, on the buildings and if you do not wear it, you are automatically a suspect.
• He did not see any handicap person during his two months of stay
• Entire highways are build to take foreigners to museums honoring the Kims.
• Kim Junior, ( now since deceased) had composed many songs and directed many movies.
• The neck tumor of Father Kim has been photo-shopped from him images
• The only Communist dynasty in the world is holding on to its power with a strong cult of the personality.