The DPRK seen by foreigners

BY ALHASSAN MAMMAN MUHAMMAD

The 70-year-long dangerous military threat by the hostile forces against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and their blockade and sanctions against the country, which have banned import of even daily necessities, have been an unprecedented pressure and offensive.

The Korean people did not learn to hesitate or waver but to live on their own, deal with enemies and difficulties and defend their dignity and rights in this protracted and harsh environment unprecedented in history. The schemes of the hostile forces only led them to make firmer their resolution to build theirs into a prosperous country, defend their dignity and defeat their enemies at any cost by dint of their own strength. They have not only survived but also made leaps forward and achieved prosperity in the drawn-out arduous period. This cannot but be called a miracle.

It is eloquently proved by the inauguration ceremony of the then Samjiyon County town in the northern part, held in early December 2019.

This area, wiping away its appearance of the past, was renovated splendidly as befitting a local city in all aspects; the overall formation of the city is marvelous and every building and road go well with the feature of the northern highland and the whole city looks like an urban area in a park.

The area is over a thousand and several hundred metres above sea level with severe cold and heavy snow, but overcoming these unfavourable conditions, the Korean people newly built or rebuilt many low-rise and multi-storeyed apartment houses of over 4 000 flats and more than 380 public and commercial buildings on hundreds of hectares of land, thus transforming this area into a model of cultured mountainous city.

On the barren land in the northeastern part of this country they built large-scale, modern vegetable greenhouses of 200 hectares and a tree nursery capable of producing 20 million saplings every year and hundreds of houses for the employees of the greenhouse farm and tree nursery, as well as public buildings, school, kindergarten, nursery, hospital and various types of welfare service facilities.

And in the middle part of the country they built a hot spring resort which can be regarded as a model hot spring resort in the country. Covering an area of over 1 660 000m², the resort, consisting of indoor and outdoor spa baths, ski centre, riding park, sanatorium, sports and recreational centres, welfare service facilities and houses, is a comprehensive medical treatment and multifunctional sports and recreational base, all the components with practical, combinational and artistic qualities of its component parts being ensured on a high level.

The reality of the DPRK, which is becoming stronger, working world-startling miracles and improving people’s living standards day by day in the face of extreme military threat and sanctions, showcases the thoroughgoing spirit of independence of the Korean people.

What is noteworthy is that they made it clear that they would not wait for the lifting of the sanction. They made it a fait accompli that they have to live under the sanctions imposed by the hostile forces, and are overcoming all difficulties by forming a solid integrated whole under the unfurled banner of achieving prosperity by dint of self-reliance; this indomitable will is striking the world with wonder.

The people of the DPRKorea are advancing with confidence towards the high goal of building a powerful socialist country in the face of international sanctions.

Many people of the world wonder how they live. Following is what those who have been to the DPRK say.

A Singaporean e-newspaper wrote: If the journalists had not visited Pyongyang nor seen with their own eyes, they must not have believed that this is a city under harsh pressure and sanctions of the international community; its economy did not collapse but is achieving a high standard of urban development; the streets are full of vitality, and the life is normal, people laughing and speaking and children making merry and playing; over the last several years north Korea’s economy has grown at high speed and urban construction is going on at great speed as well; Mirae Scientists Street and Ryomyong Street with modern and superhigh buildings look luxurious, dignified and vigorous and match with the aesthetic sense of the era; flourishing urban quarters, stores and shops that sell daily goods, clothes and foods are increasing in number with the development of the economy; even Western restaurants, bars and coffee houses can be found in Pyongyang; the journalists even visited a pizza restaurant in the city; this shows that the Korean people are enjoying a good admirable life. They talked to a 27-year-old citizen, in the restaurant; the woman said that life in Pyongyang is improving day by day with the government having built cultural facilities like water park and pleasure park to provide the citizens with full conditions for weekend rest, adding, “We, the Korean people do not care about the sanctions. We enjoy ourselves eating and drinking as usual.” When asked about her thought about the future, she said her hope was national reunification, prosperity, development of her work and successes in her family life.

The Cuban news agency Prensa Latina carried an article, titled, Chollima Flying along the Snow-covered streets in Pyongyang, describing the life of the Pyongyangites taking newly-made modern trolleybuses and tramcars: The citizens take new mass transport means, which were made by their own efforts and are economically very practical for they are fast, convenient with little noise and vibration and good brake; the word Chollima engraved in front of the trolleybuses means a horse flying with wings at high speed and symbolizes that the DPRK is developing rapidly.

The TV coverage of Pyongyang by the Beijing correspondent of France 2 TV surprised the media world with five million viewers. Many were surprised at the unimaginable reality of the DPRK while seeing the scenes of Pyongyang. The correspondent himself said he did not realize Pyongyang was such a wonderful city where home-made tramcars run along the streets, modern factories are being built and people enjoy modern civilization, despite sanctions, at wonderful bases of cultural and leisure activities, like the water park, Rungna People’s Recreation Ground, People’s Open-Air Ice Rink, May Day Stadium on Rungna Island on the Taedong in which a mass gymnastics and artistic performance performed by tens of thousands of persons was being staged.

Prof Muhammad is of the University of Abuja.

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