Things North Korea Doesn't Want You to Know.

The Pleasure Brigade

There is a veil of mystery over the Communist nation of North Korea. This warmongering country, currently led by Kim Jong-un, likes to keep its daily life a closely guarded secret. While it doesn't openly discuss the terrible conditions of its people, many of their plights are known. Let's take a look at 12 things North Korea would rather you not know.

North Korean government maintains a harem of 2000 attractive young ladies called Kippumjo or "The Pleasure Brigade." Their purpose is to entertain the higher ups of the Workers' Party of Korea. They are split in to three teams. Manjoko for pleasure, Haengbokjo for happiness/massages, and Gamujo for singing and dancing entertainment. They are typically retired and married off when they reach 25.

Meth Problem

North Korea has long been known for its illegal drug exports but one drug has taken control of the country, Crystal Meth or "Ice" as it is referred to in the country. It is such a common practice to use it that offering it to a house guest is said to be like offering a cup of tea. The drug is produced on an industrial scale by corrupt party members and criminal counterparts

Cannibalism

North Korea is a mountainous land that makes farming difficult at best. In 2013 it was reported that North Korea was hit with widespread famine causing citizens to turn to cannibalism. One horrific story includes a grandfather digging up his deceased grandchild and eating his body.

Camp 14

Many know of North Korea's labor camps where people are sent for punishment, but Camp 14 stands out as a prison within a prison. Imprisonment at the camp is for life. It is used for the "unredeemable" citizens who have spoken against the regime or tried to escape it. A prisoner lucky enough to escape has told stories of underground torture rooms, constant rapes, and almost daily fatal accidents at "work."

Deforestation 

North Korea is on the middle of a complete environmental collapse. All plants, trees, and shrubs are used for construction, heat, or anything else. This has led to a vast and quick deforestation which has revealed many artillery tubes and left the land barren.

Three Generations of Punishment

If you are caught committing an offensive enough crime, not only will you pay, but so will your children and grandchildren. Great crimes against the state will result in punishment at a labor camp. Your children will be born in that camp and continue your punishment (as will their children, too).

South Korean Contraband

North Korea has a strict policy of no outside influence and does its best to control the information coming in to the country. Still they aren't able to curtail the booming black market of South Korean DVDs, mostly television shows. In the houses that can afford TVs and electricity, the standard is to have two TVs. One set for the State controlled channels and a secret one to pick up the South Korean TV shows.

Extreme Poverty

Half of the population of North Korea lives in extreme poverty. Theses people have scarce food and/or fuel for heating and cooking. One-third of children are stunted, due to malnutrition, according to the World Food Program.

Human Waste Fertilizer

Severe fertilizer shortages occurred after South Korea stopped sending shipments of rice and fertilizer. North Koreans then turned their own human waste into fertilizer for their crops. They mix it with straw and it has become a hot commodity with shops dedicated to its sale.

Illegal Arms Deals

North Korea has amassed a huge weapons cache that includes nukes and many missiles. Often North Korea is caught selling off some of its weapons to other countries despite its many U.N. sanctions that forbid such activity. This has resulted in North Korea using the examples of drug cartels to hide its illegal arms trade.

Three Social Classes

North Koreans are sorted into three social classes. They determine your "Songbun" by looking into your family's political, social, and economic background for the past three generations. People are sorted into the "core class" of high-ranking party cadres and their families, the "wavering class" of average North Koreans, and the "hostile class" of undesirables with past resistance or "tainted blood." North Korea maintains that all citizens are equal to the outside world.

North Korean Fraud

With strict sanctions and general economic turmoil, North Korea has used some of the world's largest insurance companies to bank roll its finances. How? The Communist nation has collected hundreds of millions of dollars on bogus claims. They have received payouts for everything from transportation accidents to natural disasters. Due the the scam's sophistication, International insurers haven't not been able to get these rulings overturned in British courts.