1

True/False: Decide whether each of the statements below is true or false. Then justify your answer
with a relevant, brief quotation from the text.

1. True/False: North Korea television only broadcasts military and government programs.
Justification: “Still, the programming was relatively entertaining. Besides the usual
speeches of Kim Il-Sun, on a typical weeknight there would be sports, concerts,
television dramas, and movies produced by Kim Jong-il’s film studio. On weekends, you
might get a Russian movie as a special treat.”

2. True/False: The media in North Korea often slants or twists the truth.
Justification: “By the time they were edited by his superiors in Pyongyang, however, any
glimmer of the truth was gone.” “Anything positive that happened in capitalist countries
or especially in South Korea, which in 1988 hosted the Summer Olympics, was
downplayed. Strikes, disasters, riots, murders – elsewhere – got plenty of coverage.”

3. True/False: Chang-bo’s appearance made others not respect him easily.

Justification: “He was a commanding figure with his potbelly and his stern expression.
He looked like the epitome of a Worker’s Party official.”

4. True/False: When Chang-bo was arrested, the police tortured him.

Justification: “The agents yelled and cursed at him, although they never beat him.” “The
political police in the end decided not to push the case and released him without any
charges.”

Vocabulary: find the word on the right that has the closet meaning to the words on the left.

1. __c__ bestow a. rant

2. __k__ innocuous b. believable
3. __a__ rave c. give
4. __e__ blab d. whisper
5. __j__ barge e. betray
6. __h__ snoop f. polite
7. __l__ tongue-lashing g. push
8. __b__ plausible h. pry
i. force
j. intrude
k. inoffensive
l. scold
m. look after
 2
Short Answer: Give a short but complete (2-3 sentences) answer to each question.

1. Why is Mrs. Song so upset by this incident? It made her afraid for the first time (“she felt the
stirrings of fear.”) and made her feel like her family had something to lose (“Her conduct had
always been so impeccable and her devotion so genuine that it never occurred to her that she
might be vulnerable.”). The family could have been punished more severely (“’Didn’t you
realize you could have jeopardized everything we have?’ she railed at him.”); there were several
examples of citizens being sent to gulags for actions similar to Chang-bo’s.

2. Based on the excerpt, what is North Korea’s economic state? What evidence tells you this? Poor,
not moving forward. There is not consistent or enough electricity (“Since the country was too
poor and the power supply too unreliable for electronic surveillance…”); there were rules and
limits about how much energy could be consumed. The statement that got Chang-bo in trouble
implies that his family did not have enough footwear.

3. What three “groups” of people keep watch in North Korea, according to the excerpt?
1. young vigilantes from the Socialist Youth League
2. mobile police units
3. everyone

4. Why did Chang-bo not get punished for his remark? Chang-bo’s claim that “his gift with
language helped him talk his way out of the situation” probably helped. His logical explanation
about just wanting boots for his family had validity. His physical appearance (“He was a
commanding figure with his potbelly and his stern expression. He looked like the epitome of a
Worker’s Party official”) did not make him seem guilty. He and his wife’s social standing
(Chang-bo’s excellent class background and his party membership, he would not have been let
off so lightly. It helped, too, that Mrs. Song had at various times been head of the watch in the
building and commanded some respect from the state security officers.”) also may have played a
role.

5. What were some offenses you could get in trouble for in this society? Making disparaging
remarks about official reports, as seen by Chang-bo’s statement. Other offenses listed in the
article include: wearing one’s hair too long, wearing blue jeans or clothes with Romanized
letters, using too much electricity, having guests or lovers stay in one’s house without
permission, failing to wear a Kim Il-Sung badge, or make negative, critical comments about Kim
Il-Sung.

6. What sorts of behavior would enable a person to survive or to move up in this society? Tell on
people who committed any of the above-listed offenses. Follow the rules that were in place. Keep
“with the collective spirit of the times.” Exhibit impeccable behavior and genuine devotion.
Keeping your mouth shut and your thoughts to yourself.