North Korea bibliography and what I will write about

October 9, 2011 by Joshua
in Freedom, NorthKorea

Continuing writing about my North Korea trip

Since returning I’ve found people incredibly interested in North Korea. For better or worse, many people ask what human rights issues I saw there, if any.

People far more experienced than I have investigated and reported on North Korea beyond what I could observe. If you want to learn about their experiences, you can find them. See below for a short bibliography.

I will write on what I saw, doing my best to avoid exaggeration and speculation, or at least note where I do so. I know plenty happened outside the field of view the North Korean government permitted us, perhaps outside Pyongyang or far from us, but maybe right under our noses.

I don’t intend to write about politics or human rights. Those topics are important. But what I cover has meaning too. I cover what my group and I saw with our own eyes and I will tell what happens when Americans interacted with North Koreans — rare occurrences.

In going we also presented Americans to them. I don’t know how they received or perceived us, but I went thinking my presence showed them the best of what America could offer. And I believe them seeing the best America has to offer — us — helps improve understanding and communication better than anything. If you think you can present better, by all means go.

Tomorrow: common expectations of North Korea, as opposed to my experiences and what I observed.

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EDIT: I included much of this post (edited and polished) in my ebook, Understanding North Korea: Demystifying the World’s Most Misunderstood Country. I wrote the book to help increase understanding, communication, and freedom.

Joshua Spodek Understanding North Korea cover

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3 responses on “North Korea bibliography and what I will write about

  1. Pingback: Joshua Spodek » Common questions about visiting North Korea, part 2

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