I'm not sure that anyone in this entire thread knows too much about north korea. sure you may have watched a documentary or two on the country but it tells so little about what truly goes on there.
The country is in fact stuck in a time lock and have not technologically passed the late 50's. When people do gain access into the country they are guided by specific people, they stay in specific hotel rooms, and are only allowed to go to certain places. These places are all done up in the best of fashion so that to the outsider, the country seems well off when in fact, they are dieing off. Kim Jong-Il is well aware of this and hides the fact from the outside world by only allowing certain pictures, video clips, and soundbite to be released from the country.
Think of all the documentaries you people ahve watched and the only places each video shows are the same spots over and over. The absurdly big Kim-Il Sung statue, the arch of reunification, the pyongyang hotel, that batleship they captured from the 'evil' americans, the gymnastics stadium, and the palace of treasures. All these spots are somewhat censored from the public as they are suposed to depict the well-being of the country.
Basically the whole place is a country of smokes and mirrors. They can tell the public one thing, and do another. Quite frankly I think it is fascinating that the entire country is still, in this day and age, have no contact with the outside world. I think the best documentary that anyone curious about North Korea can watch is that one posted on hte first page by the editors of Vice. They sneak in as journalists, and are anything but. The whole time you are actually getting creeped out by the whole seclusion of the place its so fucking awesome. The best scene is when they are at Mass Games, a truly unbelievable spectacle, and they are sitting watching one million people dance, in a stadium that can fit thousands, and they are the only two, other than their guides, watching the thing. its truly the most bizarre thing ever.
I personally am not worried about north korea solely based on the fact that Kim Jong-Il really is a psycho lunatic and most of the time doesnt know whats going on, and that they are so poor they can't even afford to feed their people or have basic infastructure that a coutnry needs. its just an absurd social experiment that should not have been allowed after the Korean war and is now getting a blind eye by the entire world because the leader is too stpuid to accept help.