Why 200-ish Americans Live in North Korea

Video written by Tristan Purdy

[halfasinteresting]

If you have a mediocre suggestion, also suggest it there. Our standards really aren't that high.

[Gramscifreedom]

The Dresnok brothers are Korean born citizens. It was their father who defected during the 1960s, remained there and then raised a family. The sons have known nothing else but their lives in North Korea and for all intents and purposes are North Korean.

[jsmith]

The Dresnok brothers are not defectors. Their father was a defector and U.S. Army deserter. After defecting to North Korea, he married a Romanian woman (who may or may not have been kidnapped and forcibly taken to North Korea). The two Dresnok brothers were born and raised in North Korea, having never had the choice, or chance, to live anywhere else. If you hear them speak, they have very thick Korean accents when speaking English.

[alexc]

Those 2 men you showed in the photo aren't American defectors, they are the sons of American defectors. They were born and raised in North Korea, speak Korean as a first language, and have spent their entire lives there.

[babsbybend]

One American teacher's published memoir of teaching in North Korea is "Without U there is no Us." In one of the books events, the students knew a tiny bit about Harry Potter and wanted to know more so she got permission from the government to show one of the movies to her class but was shut down by the Christian school teachers and administration.

[roguemaniac]

That awkward moment when you forget to switch accounts

[darkleome]

Cool conflict
This should be a name of cold war satire show

[ryanm]

Definitely know it was meant as a joke, but the Lebanese Christian population was not converted by force or by a tyrannical government. Many early Christians fled there and there were many more who converted early in the 1st-3rd centuries. To this day there is a strong Christian population in Lebanon and many more in diaspora. Many people assume that because we are Middle Eastern we must be Islamic, and this is not true. There are a great many religious minorities in the MENA region.

[corbin]

One of my teachers at church had a mission with his friend in China (I don't know exactly where, he didn't specify) but his friend was abducted by some North Koreans. They took him to learn more about the USA and other parts of the world, but he hasn't come back since. I think he has been gone for about 20 years now, and there is a chance he may never come back.

[bradsully]

The dresnok brothers were born there because their father went across the dmz when he was serving there. The brothers were born there so it's not like they had a choice.

[lb]

You made a false statement by saying Christians went to Lebanon unwelcomed when Lebanon's ancestors were among the first to become Christian as the birthplace of Christianity was right here on our doorsteps. It was mostly a Christian nation prior to the Arab and Islamic conquests.

[BitcoinMotorist]

Why people go out of their way to avoid calling North Korea Communist? Seems kinda odd

[nicholasthompson]

you're going to get copyright striked by wendover productions for stealing their video

[NoahTheNoah]

As a Christian I can confirm that we are really good at being in places where we aren’t wanted.

[meilaoshi]

1:50 North Korea was communist, not fascist. Now they call their ideology “Juche, ” but at the time after the Korean War it was very much communist.

[keisuketakahasi]

everyone talking about wendover productions meanwhile i have no clue what that is

[NotAmira_]

Wait, this isn't Wendover Productions.

[henry-rosenberg]

Whenever a vid on Wendover Productions is private, expect it 5 mins later on HAI

[zlyable]

“If you’re an American getting bored in Pyongyang” 😂😂😂

[GStar]

It’s likely someone already mentioned this but early in this video, the island of Tsushima is highlighted as part of Korea. Tsushima (known as Demado in Korea) can be seen from Busan but is firmly Japanese. DokDo is another island and quite another story that would feature as an interesting HAI video. Consider it a request!