Why It's Impossible to Escape North Korea: It's nearly impossible to believe that a country like North Korea exists in the modern world. Over 26 million people are trapped and essentially held hostage by a brutal one-party totalitarian dictatorship. Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of North Korea, is worshipped by millions as a deity. He rules with absolute power, using propaganda and an iron grip on information to control the population. This leaves the outside world to piece together the unbelievable harsh reality of life within North Korea's borders.
The history of Korea leading to the division into North and South is marked by both ancient traditions and modern geopolitical pressures. Originally a unified kingdom for over a millennium, Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910, leading to a harsh period of colonial rule until Japan's defeat in World War II in 1945.
Post-WWII, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into two zones of occupation with the Soviet Union taking control of the north and the United States taking the south.
In 1948, separate governments were established in each zone: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea led by Kim Il-Sung under Soviet influence, and the Republic of Korea supported by the United States. The Korean War from 1950 to 1953 followed with North Korea invading the South, aiming for reunification under communist rule. The conflict ended with an armistice in 1953, but no peace treaty was signed, leaving the two Koreas officially at war to this day.
But how did North Korea become known as the most oppressive dictatorship in modern history?
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