Lesson 137. Complex Object. Part I

`Extra`

https://www.ted.com/talks/hyeonseo_lee_my_escape_from_north_korea

`Reading and discussing`

5. Tour Guide

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.

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 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.

8. Sculptor

Overall, this is a boring job. You’ll have a multiple options as to what statues to create. Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il or Kim Jong Un.

On the other hand, you would never run out of job opportunities. There’s 34,000 statues of Kim Il Sung, the country’s founder, making it one for every 750 citizens.

9. Academia

If you’re looking to dive into academic research in North Korea, get ready for the following restrictions:

You’ll have to make do with limited resources.
No international research teams. North Korean academics will be your only colleagues.
Academic articles (both humanities and sciences) have to include at least one quote from a member of the Kim family.

10. Kim’s PR

If you’re looking for a truly creative job in North Korea, or perhaps have some previous experience with PR, marketing, or even fiction writing, this might well be your dream job!

Your job would be to constantly work to improve Kim’s personal brand and support the strong standing of the past and present leaders of the country.

Your tasks, should you get the job, would include:

Cover up for Kim Jong Un’s failing results from his school years in Switzerland. He is known to have been particularly bad at maths and sciences.
Disclaim any rumors about Kim Jong Un’s plastic surgery that he allegedly got to resemble his grandfather Kim Il Sung.
Work on texts for schools, such as “Kim Jong Un’s Revolutionary Activities”, which teaches kids essential life facts, such as the leader’s victory at a yachting race at the age of 9.

Discussion questions:

How different are North and South Korea from each other and from other Asian countries?
What do you know about the Korean War?
Why isn’t North Korea as rich and as advanced as South Korea?
What do you think North Korea will be like 50 years from now?
Does your country have good relations with the two Koreas?
What do you think about North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Il?
What would you like to ask a North Korean person about North and South Korea?