Inside North Korea - Starvation and brutal crackdowns
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's been communicating in secret with three North Koreans living in the country. They expose the disaster unfolding since the borders were sealed more than three years ago.
On 27th January 2020 North Korea slammed shut its border in response to the Covid 19 pandemic, stopping not just people, but food and goods, from entering the country. Its citizens, who were already banned from leaving, have been confined to their towns. Aid workers and diplomats have packed up and left. Guards are under order to shoot anyone even approaching the border. The world’s most isolated country has become an information black hole.
Under the tyrannical rule of Kim Jong Un, North Koreans are forbidden from making contact with the outside world. With the help of the organisation Daily NK, which operates a network of sources inside the country, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ has been able to communicate with three ordinary people. They are eager to tell the world about the catastrophic toll the border closure has taken on their lives. They understand if the government discovers they are talking to us, they would likely be killed. To protect them, we can only reveal some of what they have told us, yet their experiences offer an exclusive snapshot of the situation unfolding inside North Korea.
For 5 Minutes On, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Seoul correspondent, Jean Mackenzie, shares how she and her team managed to communicate with them and what they had to say.
Image Credit: Reuters
