동아시아의 평화와 화해의 정치학 Scrapbook: DPRK Study Group Fragkiska Megaloudi

2020-08-25

DPRK Study Group Fragkiska Megaloudi

(10) DPRK Study Group Fragkiska Megaloudi

Have you ever seen an original north korean driving licence? This is my driving licence while I lived in North Korea. I had to pass a driving test to get it. For the test I went to the Ministry of Transportation after I was assigned a date. I went there with a translator. First you had to pass an oral test about the signs and the movements of the traffic policemen. Once you do that, you, you had to drive around Pyongyang for 20 minutes with the instructor. If you fail the test, you can have a second date. If you fail the second, then you don't get your permit and you cannot drive. I took mine on the first time

When I left the country, after 2 years, I had to submit my driving licence back. So I dont have the document anymore, but at least I have the photo!!

You, Yi Quan, Angie Kim and 153 others

Comments

Josh Scott Wow, you lived in the DPRK?

Fragkiska Megaloudi Yes from June 2012 to March 2014

Andrei Vyacheslav Why did you leave?

Andrei Vyacheslav Genuine question, upon reading that it could come across as an attack

Fragkiska Megaloudi I worked there with the UN mission-in.fact my partner was there with the UN mission and I accompanied him with our son. I also worked for some time as well with some agencies there

Josh Scott That's interesting!

Iqbal Haikal You're living there for 2 years and nothing happened to you? This proves that in DPRK, if you don't mess with them, they won't mess with you.

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Shaun Pickford I think I have seen one of these licence cards before, when the driver was stopped at a KPA checkpoint just outside of Pyongyang.

Fragkiska Megaloudi Yeap they are all the same I guess. This is how korean driving livences look like

Mitchell Andre What was your experience like, living in the DPRK?

Fragkiska Megaloudi I loved it, it was interesting and.different than.anything people say

Mitchell Andre Is it uncommon for foreigners to live and work there? I feel like it is; am I wrong?

Mitchell Andre I would read your book if you wrote one. It would be fascinating to learn about life on the inside from someone who has direct experience as a foreigner living there.

Fragkiska Megaloudi Its in Greek, I wish I could find a way to.publish it.in english..it definitely.gives an.idea of daily life there

Mitchell Andre So you did publish a book? Fascinating

Rob Sylvia if the day comes when you can translate it best be sure that imma fuckin read it

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Soon Lee Have you had any interactions with the less fortunate or was the segregation tightly controlled??

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Erik Johnson Lmao no one is going to answer bait like that seriously

Soon Lee I'm actually pretty anti north korea, i'm in here to learn more, not here to get history lessons from communists.

Mike Davine Well, pick one.

Erik Johnson "I'm actually pretty anti North Korea"
Whaaat no one could tell no way

😂

Soon Lee I did have conversations with people who are more towards the center and learned a lot from them, it did open up my mind and i have had my views on couple of aspects of noth korea shifted, but i definitely will have a hard time appealing to the authority of full blown communist trying to argue that communism is the best economic model. I'm just commenting here to get information on her experience

Erik Johnson Not a very honest question when you use incredibly loaded terms like "segregation" and trying to imply poor people are herded or some BS
You realize the DPRK ("North Korea" isn't the most friendly term either jackass) is a communist country right? You don't have to ask me anything but it is pretty ridiculous to say you want to learn about a communist country but also you won't listen to any communists.

Stefan Volden Soon Lee, did you ever visit the country side in South Korea? No? Shut up then.

Soon Lee It's pretty nuanced, i am opened to learn about a communist country from more people who are more centrists than full blown communists, i've just had terrible experiences with far lefties on this group is all, my terminology was not the best one you are correct, but you get the gist, whether you believe me or not is irrelevant to me i'm interested in hearing her experience

Erik Johnson It's not nuanced and you are just making yourself sound even more ignorant. "I'm open to learning about a communist country from more centrist than full blown communists" so again you want to learn about a communist country but you refuse to listen to ...See more

Reply17 hrsEdited

Soon Lee i'm definately generalizing and i'm here to learn about the current state of north korea rather than it's history, iv'e gone down the rabbit hole of the economic model based on historical events and i've just had bad experiences, i don't see why you want to keep bridging a gap that i do not see necessary to bridge, i just want to get her experience for now

Erik Johnson No you don't want to get her experience you want to know about the "less fortunate" and presuppose their "segregation", you were baiting buddy.

Reply17 hrsEdited

Erik Johnson Quit bullshitting and just learn to bait better.

Soon Lee I definitely want to learn about both, they are not mutually exclusive, i didn't even try bait and you just had to try argue against someone on the internet didn't you

Erik Johnson Sorry I hurt your feelings, if you want to learn more about "segregation" in Korea I suggest https://www.cia.gov/index.html

Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency

“Rare is the man who has a full life by the age…

CIA.GOV

Reply17 hrsEdited

Erik Johnson They are "centrists" too

Soon Lee Yes i am definitely the one triggered here, rofl

Erik Johnson Yup

Iqbal Haikal Wow. Well, even if you hate DPRK very much, you got to listen to them. To be fair you got to listen to both sides and evaluate what you've listened. Also, it is advised for you to go to DPRK yourself to learn about it better.

Stefan Volden Soon Lee
Okay lets say you really do want to learn then, DPRK is not perfect but your claims of the existence of "less fortunate" in DPRK is idiotic and should not have been made in the first place.
Yes there people who are poor in DPRK what the hell ...See more

Rob Sylvia doesn't south korea have the worst/most corrupt government on the peninsula though.....
like didn't y'all just kicked out your president for being a puppet for a cult leader
let alone.... your first dictator I MEAN PRESIDENT

Soon Lee I got what ticked people off and i even acknowledged it as being biased/ wrong to put it that way

Soon Lee replied21 Replies5 hrs

Rami David Wow! Lucky you!!!

Ben Mills That's cool.

Tony Bruno Vivas Very interesting

Yi Quan Very interesting, thanks for sharing.

Stefan Volden Wow they got driving tests? Hopefully it is difficult as fuck.

Fragkiska Megaloudi Not more difficult than any other country. You get tested on the traffic.signs orally with the use of.photos and then you drive around.in the city. They check if u respect the traffic rules, if you can park, turn, in other words if you know.how to.drive!

Stefan Volden Fragkiska Megaloudi
Wow that sounds pretty darn laid back from what my driving lesson in Norway, I was practically thrown into the worst traffic possibly could offer and expected me to just get on with it, then I had to drive in winter with all season...See more

Reply11 hrsEdited

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Giovanni Figueroa Why did you live there for 2 years and what did you do for work?

Ryan H. Lee Awesome. Any updates on when the English translation will be published for your book, Fragkiska Megaloudi?

Fragkiska Megaloudi Still trying.to.find a publishing house in english for this.kind of.books. any hints is very much appreciated!!

Ryan H. Lee Felix Abt, is your publisher for your book decent?

Wesley Andrew Fragkiska Megaloudi are you familiar with Felix Abt and his book "A Capitalist in North Korea"? Maybe he could help with North Korean friendly English publication?

Wesley Andrew https://www.facebook.com/felix.abt you could prolly PM him, he's a nice guy

"A few events from Black Africa, the Middle East, Vietnam, China, Korea and Switzerland pictured here."

Felix Abt

Works at Member of board of directors of several companies

De Marko Which book is it and what language?

Fragkiska Megaloudi Felix Abt 's book is one of the first.books.I read about DPRK. I am.thinking.now.of.just translating myself but the translator who.is doing it with me.is very busy and.I delay

Mattie Stardustt Pravda Media?

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Austin M. Pierce Why did you have to send it back? What would have happened if you didn't?

Hákon Grjotgarðsson I'm curious, did you have an EU drivers license beforehand which they rejected?

Hákon Grjotgarðsson replied2 Replies

Josh Scott What was it like living in the DPRK?

Iqbal Haikal Nice souvenir you got there.

Gregor Konzack Where did you drive to? How long does it take from your house to work by car?

Gregor Konzack replied1 Reply

Vishwas Saraswat Why made you to live two years in North Korea? I mean do they allow foreigners to work ?

Fragkiska Megaloudi Gregor Konzack

traffick was not heavy but in the course of the two years I spent there you would see more and more cars. During the first months I used my bicycle but the winter was too cold to move around by bike. The big Chinese supermarkets as well

The big highways leading to provincial towns were almost empty. Nampo, Wosan, some other big cities in the north had also many cars but don't imagine what we experience in the west.

It was pleasant to drive in DPRK but it was not also the ghost cities with no cars that you see on TV. There was a very effective public transportation system, back then buses were old and in bad condition but they have started to replace them and as far as I know they have renewed them all by now. The tramway was slow, there were many brand new taxis, the metro was also.being renovated and if u were living in PY and you were not a tourist, you could.actually take the metro and go to the.University. for me metro was not an option because it did not serve the area I used to live.

Gregor Konzack thanks for the answer

Very interesting

Gregor Konzack replied1 Reply

Fragkiska Megaloudi Stefan Volden I was lucky and my driving test was.during spring time. So there was no ice and snow. I think its more.difficult in winter times. But as I wrote in another comment traffick is not heavy in PY. For me the difficult part was to remember the sings of.the traffick.police, I was confused many times and sometimes when I was driving I could not always understand the right thing to do. Once the sign was to stop and I.continued and I got stuck in the crossroad. The police woman looked at me, I signed to.her that I was totally confused, she stoped the other line so I can cross without accident. No big drama. She could also see.I was a foreigner.

Overall, I did not see traffic police to create problems to drivers. I have also seen many times drivers contesting the ruling of traffic police in the streets and when they were stopped for traffic violations they would.protest and not easily accept the fines. This was the same with the bikes. Sometimes the traffic policemen would whistle a lot to bikes but most bikers completely ignored them and continie their way...

Jacopo Sabato Do you have a blog about your experience in DPRK?

Fragkiska Megaloudi I have written many articles in english

Jacopo Sabato Where can I read them?

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Fragkiska Megaloudi Here among other articles you can find my english articles about |DPRK https://fragkiskamegaloudi.wordpress.com/.../free-lance.../

Journalism ( features)

Since 2010, I have been reporting on the Greek financial crisis including the alarming increase of drug use and…

FRAGKISKAMEGALOUDI.WORDPRESS.COM

Jacopo Sabato replied1 Reply

Fragkiska Megaloudi Here is an interview I agve to NK news https://www.nknews.org/.../the-ups-and-downs-of-working.../

The ups and downs of working in North Korean aid | NK News - North Korea News

The world of foreign aid is a murky one, not least in…

NKNEWS.ORG

Fragkiska Megaloudi and here on TRNN about DPRK http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content...

The Voice of Europe: What We Know About North Korea

In this collaboration between the Real News Network…

THEREALNEWS.COM

Connor L Hunt Was government repression a big issue? Were you free to talk as you pleased, or were there restrictions on speech etc?

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