An American backpacker traveling through North Korea asked his tour guide about the country’s relationship with the United States and was stunned by the answer.
Their guide seemed to reflect the point of view of the citizens within the totalitarian regime, as many viewers pointed out that the guide’s narrative did not quite reflect the entire story.
“A once-in-a-lifetime shot of a North Korean party member explaining his perception of America,” declares the clip, shared by travel content creator Jesse Romberg, who posts under the username @homeless.backpacker.
“What would you say is the common perception of, say, the United States in North Korea, in the DPRK?” Jesse implored his anonymous guide (DPRK, short for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is what the nation is called).
While on a tour of North Korea, content creator Jesse Romberg decided to ask his state-appointed tour guide about the country’s relationship with the United States.
In Jesse’s Instagram highlight video about his trip to North Korea, he explained that he accessed the country through a Chinese tour agency.
‘So far, we have no history of invasion. Korea, the DPRK, has no history of invasion,” the anonymous man began.
‘(The United States) has invaded so many countries. But there is no history of invasion (by the DPRK),’ he continued.
‘We didn’t do anything harmful to the United States, but the United States invaded our country.
‘They are still in the southern part of our country. And they are still pushing hostile policies against our country and sanctions against our country,” he continued.
“So what we want to say (to the United States) is leave our country, lift all sanctions; then we can recover relations… Relations between the United States and our country will improve.”
Also shedding light on the guide’s comments, Jesse explained in another Instagram story that North Korea does not recognize separate nations of North and South Korea, adding that the regime views Korea as one country, with the United States.” occupying the southern part of Korea.”
South Korea is internationally recognized as an independent nation.
When talking about the “invasion” of Korea, the guide refers to the Korean War that began when North Korea, led by Kim Il-sung and backed by the Soviet Union, invaded South Korea in 1950.
Their guide seemed to reflect the point of view of the citizens within the totalitarian regime, as many viewers pointed out that the guide’s narrative did not quite reflect the entire story.
North Korea has been ruled by the Kim family since 1948, and current Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un marks the third generation of ruler.
Meanwhile, in 1948, the United States had installed Syngman Rheea as South Korea’s first president, who also served as an anti-communist leader in the region.
Given the power struggles of the Cold War era, the United States also viewed North Korea’s invasion of South Korea as an existential threat to democracy.
Ten days after the invasion, the United States descended on the Korean Peninsula. The United Nations also intervened, backing South Korea, and China sent troops to support North Korea.
The fighting that followed claimed the lives of nearly three million Koreans, and at least half of them were civilian deaths. Nearly a million Chinese soldiers also died, while the United States counted 54,000 casualties.
When a truce was called in 1953, the border between North and South Korea remained essentially unchanged.
South Korea remains an ally of the United States, and the United States maintains a strong military presence in the country.
Meanwhile, the Kim family has continued to rule North Korea, with Kim Il-sung’s grandson, Kim Jong Un, currently reigning as Supreme Leader.
The country is seen as one of the most brutal totalitarian regimes in the world. Citizens cannot leave the country without government permission, under penalty of death.
Speaking against the government can also be punishable by death, making the prospect of questioning one of its citizens about international relations on camera quite complicated.
The “sanctions” on North Korea referred to in the guide have been maintained mainly because the country has insisted on developing its nuclear program.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations: ‘North Korea’s leadership, under successive Kims, considers nuclear weapons to be the only means to ensure its survival.
“(The capital city of) Pyongyang points to US military bases in the region, as well as the war exercises the US regularly conducts with its allies, as a threat to its existence.”
Some viewers argued in the comments section of Jesse’s TikTok about the veracity of the guide’s statements, with the majority apparently accepting the guide’s narrative that paints North Korea in a more benevolent light.
“It’s really good to know the other side of the story,” one wrote, and another echoed: “Well said.” Honestly, that’s a point of view I never considered.”
Another responded: “It was a CIVIL WAR, find out.”
In Jesse’s Instagram highlight video about his trip to North Korea, he explained that he accessed the country through a Chinese tour agency.
On the train ride from China to North Korea, Jesse recalled that he didn’t see a single carriage, stating, “Each person has only one bicycle.” And collapsed buildings, with children bathing in the brown water of the river.
About 60 percent of North Korea’s nearly 26 million residents are believed to live below the poverty line.
‘Now go ahead quickly. “Suddenly we are in Dubai,” Jesse continued, referring to the opulence of Pyongyang.
“It is important to note that this was a propaganda-filled tour,” he wrote of the experience, adding, “The government creates the entire itinerary and shows you only what it allows to be shown.”