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Australian Documents Life 'Inside the Strangest Nation on Earth'

2 points by dreamweapon 12y ago

MrZongle2 12y ago
To smuggle in the devices he needed, he made them look like normal consumer items. He disguised his USB radio and TV receivers as regular USB drives, putting them into sealed plastic bags so they would look like he just bought them at the airport's duty free shop. He turned his old Fuji photo-camera into a radio and brought a MP3 player that could also record and receive AM and FM radio signals. Am I alone in thinking that this guy was an idiot for pulling such a stunt, simply to document life in North Korea -- a country that imprisons and executes individuals for the most minor of politically incorrect transgressions? If smuggling in a device masquerading as another device doesn't scream "I'm a spy, arrest and interrogate me", to such folks, I don't know what does.
- dreamweapon 12y ago
  It's called "altruism," per the usual definition. Clearly he thought the benefits of (better) exposing the realities of the DPRK regime (better, that is, than Western media outlets appear to have ever attempted) was worth the risk to his own person. Whether this is "idiotic" or not depends on your personal values. But he definitely had a lot more balls, and by any objective measure, he's doing something a lot more interesting and useful with his life than the vast majority of those posting to this site.
  - MrZongle2 12y ago
    It's called "altruism," per the usual definition. Nope. It's called "naiveté" at the very least. Whose life did he improve by doing this? Was anybody's impression of North Korea changed to the point where it will affect international relations? Nope. He entered the DPRK as a tourist, was kept on the short tourist leash by his minders, and recorded little more than North Korean government-mandated social media. By doing so, he merely confirmed the reports others have already provided. "Altruism" would be capturing images and stories from prison camps, off-leash and with a clear humanitarian mission. This guy was just a fool.
    - dreamweapon 12y ago
      This guy was just a fool. If you say so, than I guess he is, MrZongle2. But if you think someone could have done better then feel free to infiltrate the Hermit Kingdom yourself, and report back to us. Just sniping away from the safety of HN isn't helping anyone.

2 points by dreamweapon 12y ago

To smuggle in the devices he needed, he made them look like normal consumer items. He disguised his USB radio and TV receivers as regular USB drives, putting them into sealed plastic bags so they would look like he just bought them at the airport's duty free shop. He turned his old Fuji photo-camera into a radio and brought a MP3 player that could also record and receive AM and FM radio signals. Am I alone in thinking that this guy was an idiot for pulling such a stunt, simply to document life in North Korea -- a country that imprisons and executes individuals for the most minor of politically incorrect transgressions? If smuggling in a device masquerading as another device doesn't scream "I'm a spy, arrest and interrogate me", to such folks, I don't know what does.

dreamweapon 12y ago
It's called "altruism," per the usual definition. Clearly he thought the benefits of (better) exposing the realities of the DPRK regime (better, that is, than Western media outlets appear to have ever attempted) was worth the risk to his own person. Whether this is "idiotic" or not depends on your personal values. But he definitely had a lot more balls, and by any objective measure, he's doing something a lot more interesting and useful with his life than the vast majority of those posting to this site.
- MrZongle2 12y ago
  It's called "altruism," per the usual definition. Nope. It's called "naiveté" at the very least. Whose life did he improve by doing this? Was anybody's impression of North Korea changed to the point where it will affect international relations? Nope. He entered the DPRK as a tourist, was kept on the short tourist leash by his minders, and recorded little more than North Korean government-mandated social media. By doing so, he merely confirmed the reports others have already provided. "Altruism" would be capturing images and stories from prison camps, off-leash and with a clear humanitarian mission. This guy was just a fool.
  - dreamweapon 12y ago
    This guy was just a fool. If you say so, than I guess he is, MrZongle2. But if you think someone could have done better then feel free to infiltrate the Hermit Kingdom yourself, and report back to us. Just sniping away from the safety of HN isn't helping anyone.