Hey You Stepped Out Of Line!

I've been fascinated with North Korea's "discipline" for years. I once read an article from a Russian who visited the country and was impressed with how clean the streets were. He asked his tour guide what would happen if someone "graffitied" or littered and the guide said that doesn't happen. When he pushed for a response by asking what would the police do if someone was caught, the guide couldn't understand the question. The bottom line is you conform to the rules...period.

One of the most public examples of the culture of conformity is the Arirang Mass Games. A yearly show put on by the North Korean government in honor of the president. The performance displays HUNDREDS of people dancing together. Check out the video below. Keep a close eye on the background. The "billboard" consists of hundreds of people holding up individual cards which change in unison. I included a couple close ups of the "card turners" as well.

Want to know more? A State of Mind is a documentary that covers the lives of two North Korean girls who basically take a one year break from school to practice and prepare for participation in the performance (the punch line in this story is the President didn't show up for their performance).


Check out the journal from a westerner who visited North Korea. Here is a link to another person's travels to the country. Both have interesting photos.


North Korea Arirang Mass Games September 2010 from travelling the face of the globe on Vimeo.