On Sunday, September 4, 2011, I played in the first ever ultimate Frisbee games and tournament in North Korea in Pyongyang. North Korea is as much a frontier to Americans as any place on Earth today. I believe like ping-pong diplomacy opened China before Nixon did, so will ultimate play a greater role in normalizing relations with North Korea than any traditional diplomacy. This interview talks about the emotions involved[…] Keep reading →

Some more comments on the lack of advertising in North Korea… The country has almost no advertising. You can drive for hours without seeing any billboards. What do you see instead? Green hills, mountains, streams, lakes, people working and walking from place to place. I found the countryside beautiful, if I didn’t pay attention the dilapidated buildings and roads. The country, of course, has problems, as the sources in my[…] Keep reading →

Continuing from yesterday… If you’re American or in a developed country, you’re probably overweight, though your grandparents and all earlier ancestors probably didn’t even know anyone overweight. You probably watch television nearly as much as you work, though your grandparents and all earlier ancestors didn’t have televisions. You may have little to no physical activity in your life, though your grandparents and all earlier ancestors were physically active every day.[…] Keep reading →

Continuing from yesterday… When I communicate the ideas from yesterday’s post to others, they tend to respond by pointing out the differences between their systems and ours, for example that we can choose what products we buy but they can’t choose their government, along with many other differences. Of course I know those differences. That’s why I began that post pointing out my theme that anyone can see differences, but[…] Keep reading →

In yesterday’s post on North Korean propaganda I wondered if they realized the pervasiveness of their propaganda. They seemed not to pay attention to it. Could they not notice it, like fish in water? Now I will explore two of the major themes of my writing on North Korea, based on major ways the visited affected me Seeing others reveals things about yourself and your culture — and the more[…] Keep reading →

Most of us rank its propaganda high on what we identify with North Korea. We saw and heard plenty while we were there, to the exclusion of nearly all other forms of public expression. For background, see the Wikipedia page or this essay. They give more background and pictures than I could, so I’ll stick with my observations. Today I want to comment at a high level on North Korea[…] Keep reading →

Following up from yesterday’s common questions about visiting North Korea, part 1… Is it legal to go to North Korea? I wrote more here, “How to get to North Korea and if you can legally“, but basically, with proper paperwork Americans can legally tour North Korea, according to the State Department, but it warns you you’re taking serious risks, you just have no legal recourse from the U.S. government because[…] Keep reading →