Lesson 162. Miscellaneous.
North Korea TOP Jobs
3. Farmer
As a farmer in North Korea, you’ll have access to limited number of machinery. Most of the work is done by hand.
If you’re not a fan of busy city life, get a job in the rural parts of North Korea and enjoy the misery of staying outdoors all day.
The monthly income is $1-$2 a month. However, you’ll be able to enjoy the recently introduced benefit of keeping a share of your crops before handing over the majority of it to the state.
- Feeding the hungry nation,
- Giving a substantial share of your crops to the state,
- Tending to cows, pigs, and goats,
4. Music teacher
Unofficial sources say, there’s at least 1.2 accordions per capita in North Korea.
As a music teacher, you’ll never lack work in North Korea, especially when it comes to accordions.
During the 1990s, all teachers had to learn the accordion. Many say this requirement remains to this day.
Accordions are often called “the people’s instrument”.
Keep in mind that as a music teacher you’d be required to make your students truly master their instrument. For a reference of the students’ abilities, here’s a video of North Korean children mastering the guitar. Creepy or cute?
5. Tour Guide
One of your responsibilities as a tour guide would be bringing all tourist to bow to the dear leaders’ monument at the Mansu Hill.
Being a tour guide is one of the jobs in North Korea that require most responsibility.
Over the past few years, tourism has been on the rise in North Korea. It’s estimated, that every year, around 6,000 Western tourists visit the secretive country.
Still, tourists aren’t allowed to explore the country on their own. They’re forced to rely on a tour guide.
As a tour guide, you’d essentially be the keyholder. It’d be your responsibility to watch every move the foreign visitors make and show them the country in the best possible light.
You’d have the following responsibilities:
- Ensuring tourists don’t take any photos of the military or pictures reflecting poverty,
- Sticking to the designated routes,
- Making sure no tourists leave their hotel unescorted,
- Admire the dear leaders and all their accomplishments during the tours,
- Ensure that tourists bow to the statues and the bodies of former leaders Kim Il Sung ad Kim Jong Il.
6. Tailor
Vynalon is the main material used by tailors across North Korea. This uncomfortable material is considered the national fibre of North Korea.
If you’re looking for a job in the fashion industry, get ready to get busy.
Between 2016 and 2017, North Korea exported $166.82 million worth of men’s waterproof jackets alone.
If you were to design clothes for casual wear in North Korea, you’d have to follow these job guidelines:
- Eliminate any influence of Western fashion such as short skirts, design brands, bright colors, or indecent patterns.
- Your main material will be vynalon. A stiff, synthetic fiber created in North Korea in the 1950’s. This material is used for both uniforms and casual clothes.
- Remember, no denim is allowed, as jeans represent the capitalist USA.
Uniforms are everywhere. From young pioneers, through students, to military servicemen and servicewomen. As a tailor you’d never be short of job opportunitites.
7. Hairdresser
As a hairdresser in North Korea, your creativity would be somewhat limited. You would be required to have a perfect knowledge of the 28 state-approved hairstyles.
Allegedly, only 18 hairstyles for women and 10 for men are allowed in North Korea.
Here’s a few basic rules you’d have to learn before the interview:
Single ladies are allowed to keep their hair longer, while married women must cut their hair short.
As for men, they have to keep their hair no longer than 2 inches. Older men, however, can get away with 3 inches.
As a hairdresser, don’t even think about copying the leader’s look. Kim Jong Un has put a trademark on his side-shaved swept-back style.
Homework
Task 1. Watch the video and make a short report on the Korean lady`s story. Also, answer the questions written below.
https://www.ted.com/talks/hyeonseo_lee_my_escape_from_north_korea
