In the west, television, videogames and social media have been the primary pasttimes that occupy people when not working. Mon-Fri most people come home from work, cook, then engage in one of these for the rest of the evening. What are the pasttimes of people in the DPRK?
This is his first response
“Hello Comrade.
For the past week, and proceeding into this week I have been busier with work than typical. This means I have less time than typical for discussions.
In the upcoming days, work will clear and with it an increase in time for discussions.
However, thank you for creating a questionnaire in the site Hexbear. This will certainly help with our outreach activities and I will gladly answer as soon as time permits.”
Something interesting they told me is “ Hello comrade.
I’ll respond to the comment of the DPRK being less devoted than others nation’s.
The DPRK is honest about that fact that development is less than that of the South or the United States, however, they purposefully hinder the DPRK’s industrial and human development by unjust sanctions.
In the face of such crimes the Korean people’s will to survive is momentous and telling. Despite the imperialists best efforts the DPRK stands strong.
Furthermore, the DPRK is honest that investment in the nation has been uneven. That meaning investment from the government has been focused on industrial areas compared to rural areas. However, Respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un pledged to rectify this wrong and put the impetuous behind rural development.
The DPRK is honest in the fact of the state of its development.”
During the talk with my friend (not the diplomat) ,he states that he hopes trump would end all the ongoing wars in reference to the war in Gaza and the war in Ukraine and when I asked them ,he told me that he thinks trump will focus on their technology while “we” in reference to me and him can deal with Israel
Btw this is all still not answered ,I’m telling you what I already know ,there’s still more to learn
I haven’t asked the question about Cuba but when I mentioned it ,the diplomat told me that the DPRK is proud to stand by Cuba as an ally and my DPRK friend told me it’s his favorite communist country so it doesn’t seem the embassy changed their views that much
Not to mention they don’t seem to hate South Korea at all tbh ,they know it’s an American occupation but besides that ,they don’t hold much hostility
Keep in mind ,I will update you tomorrow Inshallah
Do you know much about transgender or LGBT issues?
Are there any transgender or LGBT organizations that we can write to in the DPRK? There are a lot of LGBT communists that would be very excited for this opportunity! (myself and much of hexbear included!)
Will you make an account on Hexbear? :P
Thanks again for being a globe trotter Mohammed 
On the HexeBear account thing, they told me that they will talk to their superiors to see if they can
There approach to communication is surprisingly open ,though they did tell me that they prefer spaces that have people that don’t support them because communists already know the truth about the DPRK ,they are not interested in support from people who already support them
That been said they still said they will tell their superiors at work
Your welcome friend 😉
I’ll ask them ,hope they answer by tomorrow
This is super cool, I hope it works out!
inb4 this gets spun in the wider fediverse as an example of hexbear spreading DPRK propaganda
It is DPRK propaganda 😂
I know westerners are dumb (I’m not referring to you here comrade) but propaganda doesn’t have to be something inherently “negative” or “false” ,propaganda can be completely true
Are anti Nazi “propaganda” posters a bad thing ????? They aren’t and no one in the world views them as such because they are true
Nazis are bad
oh I get that don't worry- at least as I've seen it used, 'propaganda' has primarily the negative connotation in English at least.
Reminds me of the joke of the KGB agent to CIA agent where the CIA agent is like "propaganda, what propaganda?"
Anything pro-west is just 'the news' while anything else is regime propaganda.
I mean, it would be exactly that.
And as an admin of another instance I would have to step in and say: 
Is there anything an American can (legally) do to support the DPRK?
What are elections like in the DPRK? What was the last election [DPRK diplomat] participated in?
This is not from the diplomat but my friend Kye told me that Kim Jung Un won the popular election and that he was a minor at the time so he couldn’t vote ,when I asked him how do they know that the elections are legitimate they told me that there are polling stations in different places in the country to see
I would like to ask if they have any good jokes that no one outside of the DPRK would get.
He has answered the questions regarding food
When I asked him if he could answer the other questions he responded by saying
“Not currently, every question requires an answer with depth. An answer I cannot adequately provide under my current work circumstances.
It will need to sit for later in the week but I will be able to answer in the upcoming days.”
Will the DPRK consider investments in the rebuilding of Gaza and is Pyongyang considering a concrete military alliance with Hamas akin to their relationship with Moscow?
I Will ask but this is something they’ve told me before
“While the DPRK is publicly supportive of the Palestinian cause, and is vehemently against the genocidal actions of Israel the DPRK does not have a public stance on Hamas. , The DPRK holds firm that a requisite of an independent Palestine is a firm Palestine that has sovereignty over all its territory. That is what I can say.“
What is the honest opinion of the DPRK people (or the present leadership) about Kim Jong-il, especially with regards to his relationship with China?
Was he justified in his hatred for China, or did he screw up an important relationship?
Sorry, second question, regarding Juche ideology: has the view of the Juche ideology that “men shall prevail over nature” been adjusted given that the harsh climate of Northeast Asia requires the DPRK to spend 20% of their GDP annually just on agriculture alone, and had often caused unpredictable outcomes to crop yield, most notably the disastrous weather effects of 1994-1996 and the great famine that ensued?
What is the DPRK position on climate change? Do they think that the warming climate in the north will be beneficial to them (geopolitically and economically) or will the unpredictable effects of climate change bring further uncertainty to the country?
What is the DPRK position on climate change? Do they think that the warming climate in the north will be beneficial to them (geopolitically and economically) or will the unpredictable effects of climate change bring further uncertainty to the country?
Not a substitute for a direct answer, but while researching various minister positions in the DPRK a while back, I found that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has done work in the North. An excerpt from them on climate change and Korea:
The DPR Korea is seriously affected by climate change. During the last 100 years, temperature changes have affected rainfall patterns and brought frequent occurrences of extreme weather including floods and droughts, which in turn impacted on socio-economic development and people’s livelihood.
The occurrence of frequent natural disasters, mostly caused by erratic and often extreme climatic conditions have significantly contributed to making agricultural production unstable and, hence, to insufficient food supply and national food insecurity in DPR Korea. Natural disasters have the effect of negative impacts twice on food and agricultural sector since these not only damage the crops in the current year but also the infrastructures and material basis for production in the subsequent years. Their impacts last long and, in many cases, extra budgets are needed for rehabilitation.
What's up with these bears? I found this photo on DPRK's KCNA news website. The article doesn't actually explain the photo and there's no explanation on western media.
http://kcna.kp/en/article/q/6de293cb62be1ed062acc2e46e69b6d8.kcmsf
Looks like your average run of the mill bear v bear boxing match to me
What's one of the most popular foods that developed uniquely in the DPRK?
Can he tell us some good dunks to own the libs with? I am not being cute an actual alley-oop dunk powered by a DPRK diplomat would go hard as hell.
I mean, the state media has delivered bangers like Joe Biden is a rabid dog and should be beaten to death with a stick.
What is the general attitude in DPRK with regards to comics, animation, folk tales? Are they mainly seen as vehicles only to show morality to children, or are they seen more as applicable to a wider audience and acceptable for adults to partake in? I'm aware of The Boy General / 소년장수 being popular among both adults and children, but I was unsure if that was just an exception to the rule or not.
Are there any aspects of other AES countries that you would like to see implemented in DPRK in the future? e.g. infrastructure, transport etc.
Childcare in America and other western capitalist countries is very expensive. What is childcare like in DPRK? Do children have free school meals (and if so what is included?), textbooks, uniforms etc.? Do you have to pay a fee at all, or is everything provided by the government? I've heard it's the latter with regards to textbooks and uniforms, but I'd really like some confirmation.
are they hiring replacements for the american defectors who used to perform in their movies?
What is the single most important foreign policy concern of the DPRK other than national defence. Specifically. Like is there a specific supply or material they are banned from importing they really need? Something we can put pressure on our governments to allow in?
How is the consumer electronics proliferation in Democratic Korea? Meaning what % of the people have access to mobile phones, laptops and desktop computers? How about home appliances like fridges, vacuums, etc. Is there a rural-urban gap?
How integrated is marxism-leninism in school education? Is everyone required to understand the fundamentals of marxism/dialectical materialism?
How are women treated in the DPRK? What about healthcare for women? Is abortion legal? And on healthcare in general, is it free? Are there limitations on the jobs that women do, possibly because of cultural norms? How about representation in the legislatures?
Does the dprk focus on science, and are they making innovations that perhaps the west does not know of? What about math, are there mathematicians in the DPRK and what do they research.
What about technology? Do they still use redstar os or is there a new one, or do they use western systems? Also do they have something like TikTok?
And others have asked this but what about music? A lot of music I can find from the dprk is genuinely really good but do they make music that isn't about their country?
Does the dprk focus on science, and are they making innovations that perhaps the west does not know of?
If you would like to set up an ask me anything post with yourself as a facilitator or with the diplomat on an account I would be happy to help you.
What is their favourite local food/dish?
Here’s the thing ,the diplomat is only available at a certain time during the day in my country (Palestine) and the end of the day (afternoon) in Korea
So it’s a bit tricky but they do always answer which is a good thing
What is the typical breakdown of household energy consumption, by fuel/power source? I know of historical Korean innovations like the ondol; does the revolutionary government have an emphasis on energy availability and energy efficiency in villages and neighborhoods?
What would an average person's plate look like, if it contained the daily 2300 kcal or so? I'm thinking about the CIA reports in the 1970s of caloric intake in the USSR compared to the US, noting that it was slightly higher overall but that large proportions of grain and potatoes (and to a lesser extent, dairy) boosted it to that point. Are there any food items or agricultural products that are a strong part of the DPRK's economy such that they are familiar to everyone? Are there any foods that need to be rationed or simply produced less?
How does the broader culture in the DPRK approach nature and ecology? (I know this is a broad question; answer it however you feel is meaningful.)
I have seen outlines of history textbooks from the DPRK and I was impressed. Do students in secondary school (or even primary school) have part of the curriculum dedicated to informatics/programming/computer science? How common is it for young people in the DPRK to be preparing for careers in programming, networking, cybersecurity, and electronics?
Is there a broad awareness in the country of learning disabilities and "mild" psychological disorders? How are mentally ill or mentally disabled people treated?
I hope you all have the patience
Only 1 question has been answered so far but I’m glad it was
How many hours do people work each week, and do factory workers work the same hours as office workers?
Does the DPRK in any way fight against the western anti-DPRK insane propaganda? Aside from the officials' statements, which I don't think have much effect. My impression is not much. I look at China where the anti-propaganda effort is ramping up. Including the new visa-free regime for so many countries (Belarus did it first). I know that the DPRK is working on some resorts, but that seems to be targeted at friendly counties like Russia. But the tendency seems to be that the westerners live so poorly now, that it could be beneficial to just open up a little. So why not?
I just don't know enough about the dprk to ask a salient question. And all I want to know is how much I can relate to the citizens. There was that, if memory serves (and I don't think it does), Iraqi woman who said famously "you have more in common with an Iraqi citizen than you do with an American billionaire."
So I'm curious about their entertainment consumption. Do you use the Internet? Do they watch One Piece? Do you have forums where people post memes? Do you play video games? Do you get access to international friends (clearly you do in some capacity to know Mohammed)?
Well this is a diplomat/official ,not a normal person ,they are a normal person but their job is to be on the internet and while I don’t know ,I think there’s more North Korean than we think on the internet
From what I know ,their life is more like people in the 50’s in America and other places in the world ,they have movies (Soviet movies) and their own cinema ,they have their own comic books named “Kurimchaek“ ,they have literature ,they go out to the park ,beach etc
Tbh their life is like people in the USSR , they have movies ,comics ,nice places to go to ,free housing (even for foreigners who are staying there 😭)
But I think they don’t have social media ,my friend Zuhair ,the one who introduced me to the North Korean in China ,Zuhair told me that Kye (that North Korean) was not used to social media
I don’t know if they have video games or can read manga form Japan because Japan is a country they deeply despise they do have their own comics
Btw everyone here so far had their questions asked ,tomorrow by 11 o’clock in my country ,I should have at least one of these questions answered
Something to remember is that this person can’t answer some questions due to the nature of the DPRK
What kind of clothing styles are popular right now in Korea? I wonder what the fashion landscape is like without a consumption obsessed economy.
I would like to know more about North Korean art, both traditional and contemporary. What music do young people listen to? Where can I access to their cinema, music, painting, theater (with subtitles)?
How much interest does north Korea have in exposing foreigners to their culture? What is the government's policy on that matter?
Edit: I forgot about books. Anything Korean translated to other languages? Fiction, essays, etc.
Can we have a meat, chicken, and meaty noodles recipe (so three recipes) unique to the DPRK please? I'll take even just one recipe if three is too much trouble!
EDIT: oooh, and a chicken bun recipe please! If I can only have one recipe please let it be this!
Before the pandemic I learnt of some friendly visits of European and North American socialists and communists to the DPRK. Have these types of visits resumed? Are they fruitful for the DPRK and, if so, in what way?
Banned? DM Wmill to appeal.
No anti-nautilism posts. See: Eco-fascism Primer
Slop posts go in c/slop. Don't post low-hanging fruit here.
