Reddit mentions of Dear Leader: My Escape from North Korea

I recommend Dear Leader: My Escape from North Korea if you're interested in this kind of story.

At the risk of biasing your study, I'd like to suggest anyone who doubts the value of literature read Dear Leader: My Escape from North Korea. It is by a man who was a highly acclaimed state poet in North Korea. Due to the restrictions on literature in that country, his job was basically to write pro-Kim and pro-Party propaganda. But as part of his assignment to write as if he were a foreigner praising the regime, he got to read literature from Outside, and it changed everything - EVERYTHING! If you doubt the value of literature, just imagine what you would be like if you lacked ALL INFLUENCE AND UNDERSTANDING of literature ... and realize that condition is not hypothetical for some people in this world. I pity the fool who says "No" to your last question -- O gawd, what a miserable life! The fact that I am suggesting a book in hopes of changing anyone's negative views on the value of literature is a bit meta, too, isn't it!

I don't think boots on the ground would be necessary. The powers in Pyongyang are teetering as it is. This is very eye-opening:


http://www.amazon.com/Dear-Leader-Escapee---Inside-North-ebook/dp/B00IBYRQ18/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407999363&sr=8-1&keywords=dear+leader+poet+spy+escapee+–+a+look+inside+north+korea