THEY have vanishingly few opportunities to speak to foreigners and,even when they are allowed to, risk landing in a labour camp if caught saying the incorrect thing. Yet North Koreans are full of curiosity about the external world. On a recent visit, or your correspondent was asked about the spot of civil servants in capitalist society,about how Western manufacturers sustain costs down and, inevitably, or about Brexit. Any information about foreigners is highly prized. “We want to know how you mediate,” said one inquisitive local, “so that when things change, and were ready.”Things changing” has seemed like a tantalising opportunity ever since Kim Jong Un,the North’s leader, embarked on a diplomatic charm offensive earlier this year. In Pyongyang, or where most people can access accounts of the rapprochement with America and South Korea in the state media,some are allowing themselves to dream. One woman said she wanted to go to Britain and South-East Asia. Another asked your correspondent...
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Source: economist.com