Comrades and Strangers

In 1987 Michael Harrold went to North Korea to work as English language adviser on translations of the speeches of the late President Kim Il Sung (the Great Leader) and his son and heir Kim Jong Il (then Dear Leader and now head of state). For seven years he lived in Pyongyang enjoying privileged access to the ruling classes and enjoying the confidence of the country's young elite. In this fascinating insight into the culture of North Korea he describes the hospitality of his hosts, how they were shaken by the Velvet Revolution of 1989 and many of the fascinating characters he met from South Korean and American GI defectors to his Korean minder and socialite friends. After seven years and having been caught passing South Korean music tapes to friends and going out without his minder to places forbidden to foreigners, he was asked to leave the country.

Foreword ix

Part 1

Chapter One Red Carpet in Paradise 5

Chapter Two Behind Enemy Lines 41

Chapter Three State of Delusion 89

Part 2

Chapter Four Different Ways 139

Chapter Five First Lessons 151

Chapter Six Silent Witness 194

Chapter Seven Torn Between Two Worlds 235

Chapter Eight Building Dreams 284

Chapter Nine War Games 328

Part 3

Chapter Ten Inside Out 365

Chapter Eleven Another View 386

Afterword 404

Bibliography 406

Index 407

"... excellent book...." (British Association for Korean Studies, July 2004)

"North Koreans are too often portrayed as hapless droids; Harrold peels back the last Iron Curtain to reveal their humanity." (Daily Telegraph, 13th November 2004)

"... sheds considering light...." (Far Eastern Economic Review, December 2004)

"... the most revealing glimpse yet of what passes for normal life in North Korea." (Asian Wall Street Journal, 3rd September 2004)

In 1987 Michael Harrold became the first Briton to live and work in North Korea. For seven years he was the language adviser for English translations of speeches by the country's president, Kim II Sung. It was an experience that gave him a unique insight into what is, perhaps, the world's most misunderstood nation.
From Pyongyang he went to Beijing, working first on the international desk at the Xinhua News Agency and subsequently with China Central Television. In 2000 he moved to Poland where he was editor of Poland AM and Supervising Editor of the Warsaw Business Journal. He lives in Warsaw with his wife and two young sons.

In 1986, as a young graduate looking for some adventure before settling down to life in the suburbs, Michael Harrold answered, on a whim, an advertisement to become the first Briton to live and work in North Korea. What he anticipated would be an exciting interlude in the world's most secretive country became seven years in which his initial scepticism, even cynicism, about the regime and society developed into growing empathy with the people around him. From among the ranks of the VIP guests at the major state occasions, to the paddy fields working alongside the farmers, he saw the country as no outsider has ever done. He loved, and lost, a young local girl, fell foul of the authorities and yet stood beside the people as they faced the mounting threat of US invasion.

This sensitive and entertaining memoir give a unique insight into life behind the closed doors of North Korea.