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Can there be a country more shrouded
in mystery and fear
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00:00:06,380 --> 00:00:07,620
than North Korea?
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00:00:08,820 --> 00:00:14,500
It's a brutal dictatorship.
Many say it's intent on nuclear war.
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00:00:14,500 --> 00:00:18,700
A dystopian land of
military parades, repression
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00:00:18,700 --> 00:00:21,540
and barbaric prison camps.
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00:00:21,540 --> 00:00:25,260
But I've been given an
unprecedented opportunity
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00:00:25,260 --> 00:00:28,260
to go beyond the politics,
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00:00:28,260 --> 00:00:33,060
and visit the country
25 million people call home...
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00:00:33,060 --> 00:00:36,140
CHEERING
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..to travel 1,300 miles, across
a land of colourful cities...
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Wow!
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00:00:42,300 --> 00:00:44,500
..and epic landscapes.
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00:00:44,500 --> 00:00:46,780
The Rockies or North Korea.
Take your pick.
14
00:00:48,220 --> 00:00:51,220
To understand the so-called
hermit kingdom...
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00:00:53,180 --> 00:00:55,340
..I want to engage with
its people...
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00:00:55,340 --> 00:00:58,580
My name is Michael. Michael Palin.
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00:00:58,580 --> 00:01:01,980
..at a unique time in
the country's history.
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00:01:01,980 --> 00:01:07,300
There may be a change in relations
between your side and America.
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00:01:07,300 --> 00:01:10,580
Filming under supervision,
I'll need to tread carefully.
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00:01:10,580 --> 00:01:14,620
A good leader should be able
to deal with criticism.
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00:01:14,620 --> 00:01:18,860
That's where we are so different
from you.
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00:01:18,860 --> 00:01:23,260
But this will turn out to be the
most revealing journey of my life.
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CAR HORN HONKS
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00:01:31,500 --> 00:01:34,140
My journey begins in Beijing.
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00:01:34,140 --> 00:01:38,140
China is one of North Korea's
few allies in the world.
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00:01:38,140 --> 00:01:39,860
And more importantly for me,
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00:01:39,860 --> 00:01:42,740
it's the place where you can catch
an overnight train
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00:01:42,740 --> 00:01:45,540
to its capital, Pyongyang.
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00:01:45,540 --> 00:01:47,900
Now, I have to find K...
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00:01:47,900 --> 00:01:50,820
K27 is the platform.
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00:01:50,820 --> 00:01:52,180
Ah, there we are! I see it.
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Two, four, five, six, seven...
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Two must be down there.
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00:02:02,420 --> 00:02:03,940
We've lost platform two.
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00:02:05,700 --> 00:02:08,580
Let's find another one like it.
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00:02:08,580 --> 00:02:10,940
I'll just follow everyone, I think.
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00:02:10,940 --> 00:02:13,660
I presume they're all getting
the same train.
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00:02:13,660 --> 00:02:16,780
Most of my fellow passengers
are Chinese,
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00:02:16,780 --> 00:02:22,060
and are travelling to Dandong, a
city on the border with North Korea.
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00:02:22,060 --> 00:02:23,580
The train is down here now.
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00:02:23,580 --> 00:02:27,820
It was two, it was four.
It's now six.
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And coaches 1 to 16...
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00:02:30,940 --> 00:02:33,700
Oh, blimey!
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There we are. Number 11.
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00:02:40,980 --> 00:02:43,620
HE MUTTERS TO SELF
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00:02:43,620 --> 00:02:47,180
OK.
HE GROANS
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00:02:47,180 --> 00:02:48,180
Ah!
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Phew!
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00:02:53,100 --> 00:02:57,340
Well, that was quite an ordeal,
actually getting onto the train.
50
00:03:06,580 --> 00:03:09,420
We're on the move,
and dead on time.
51
00:03:11,740 --> 00:03:14,180
I've even got a spittoon.
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00:03:14,180 --> 00:03:16,700
HE CHUCKLES
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00:03:16,700 --> 00:03:18,420
They never think of that on Virgin.
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00:03:22,980 --> 00:03:27,140
This train will take me 500 miles
to the North Korean border.
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00:03:28,380 --> 00:03:30,300
After a quick change of train,
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00:03:30,300 --> 00:03:33,540
I'll then travel a further 200 miles
to Pyongyang.
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00:03:36,340 --> 00:03:39,860
I'm about to enter a country that
has essentially been cut off
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00:03:39,860 --> 00:03:43,140
from the outside world for 70 years.
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00:03:45,260 --> 00:03:48,580
It's quite different going to
North Korea, I think,
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00:03:48,580 --> 00:03:50,660
than anywhere else I've been.
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00:03:50,660 --> 00:03:53,340
I've never been to one country where
there's been quite so much of
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00:03:53,340 --> 00:03:55,300
a sort of blackout on information.
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00:03:55,300 --> 00:04:01,180
So, what I hope is that, although it
will be controlled - I know that,
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00:04:01,180 --> 00:04:03,980
all our movements and all that -
that we'll get beyond that
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00:04:03,980 --> 00:04:11,060
and actually get to know, or meet or
just observe the people themselves,
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00:04:11,060 --> 00:04:15,300
the North Koreans who live there
and work there and play there
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00:04:15,300 --> 00:04:17,740
and bring up their children there
and go to school there.
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00:04:17,740 --> 00:04:21,980
You know, if we can do that,
if I can get beyond the politics,
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00:04:21,980 --> 00:04:26,820
beyond - if you like - a very strict
regime, I want to find, hopefully,
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00:04:26,820 --> 00:04:30,220
the people who live this see us
as fellow human beings.
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00:04:31,300 --> 00:04:34,420
Cos that's the point of travelling
and going around the world.
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00:04:34,420 --> 00:04:37,860
It's to see that people, actually,
are much closer to us than we think.
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00:04:44,980 --> 00:04:46,740
After a bumpy night...
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00:04:48,540 --> 00:04:50,900
..the train pulls into
Dandong Station.
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00:04:54,780 --> 00:04:57,660
We're now only a few hundred metres
from the border.
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00:05:00,700 --> 00:05:05,580
After clearing Chinese customs, it's
time to board the North Korean train
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00:05:05,580 --> 00:05:07,580
that will take me to Pyongyang.
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00:05:08,740 --> 00:05:13,020
Right, a lot of merchandise
being loaded on down there.
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00:05:13,020 --> 00:05:15,660
TRAIN HORN
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00:05:15,660 --> 00:05:16,660
I think we're going.
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00:05:18,340 --> 00:05:19,500
This is it.
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00:05:20,700 --> 00:05:26,500
The Sino-Korea Friendship Bridge is
all that separates us from the DPRK,
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00:05:26,500 --> 00:05:28,980
the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea.
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00:05:32,740 --> 00:05:34,940
As we cross the Yalu River,
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00:05:34,940 --> 00:05:38,500
a stark difference between these
two countries becomes clear.
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00:05:40,980 --> 00:05:42,300
I mean, you can just see...
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00:05:43,860 --> 00:05:46,620
..the Chinese shores
full of tower blocks.
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00:05:49,180 --> 00:05:52,580
So it is an extraordinary...
That contrast is amazing -
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00:05:52,580 --> 00:05:56,500
the sort of high-rise Chinese
northern shore,
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00:05:56,500 --> 00:05:57,940
and the southern shore.
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00:06:01,620 --> 00:06:05,060
It's a completely different feel
to it - much more open, low-rise.
92
00:06:06,860 --> 00:06:09,740
I suppose now, we are more than
halfway across the river,
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00:06:09,740 --> 00:06:12,180
so we're in North Korea.
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00:06:19,340 --> 00:06:22,540
Immediately, everything
looks different.
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00:06:22,540 --> 00:06:25,140
It's as if we've stepped back
in time.
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00:06:26,300 --> 00:06:27,380
High security.
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00:06:37,020 --> 00:06:41,500
North Korean military guards on
the platform of Sinuiju Station
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00:06:41,500 --> 00:06:45,740
remind me that I'm entering a
country under totalitarian rule.
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00:06:47,660 --> 00:06:49,820
And as they prepare to board
the train,
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00:06:49,820 --> 00:06:52,020
to check our visas and passports,
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00:06:52,020 --> 00:06:55,740
we get our first taste of
North Korean authority.
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00:06:55,740 --> 00:06:57,860
We're told to turn off the camera.
103
00:07:01,180 --> 00:07:04,060
One hour later, I'm allowed onto
the platform.
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00:07:05,380 --> 00:07:08,140
A lot of papers had to be
gone through and signed.
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00:07:08,140 --> 00:07:11,660
One man would come in and
take down all the details.
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00:07:11,660 --> 00:07:13,980
People in very impressive big cats
would come in
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00:07:13,980 --> 00:07:15,980
and ask for exactly
the same details.
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00:07:15,980 --> 00:07:19,980
Questions I didn't expect, like,
"Did I have a Bible with me?"
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00:07:19,980 --> 00:07:22,940
And normally, you'd say, "Oh, yes,
absolutely. I'm a good Christian,"
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00:07:22,940 --> 00:07:24,620
but, no, that's the wrong
answer here.
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00:07:24,620 --> 00:07:28,060
If you say, "I have a Bible,"
they'd want to know about that.
112
00:07:28,060 --> 00:07:30,380
So, you know, it's
a little unsettling.
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00:07:30,380 --> 00:07:33,300
But it's intriguing
at the same time.
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00:07:33,300 --> 00:07:37,180
I mean, they have my passport,
so I can't leave.
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00:07:37,180 --> 00:07:39,740
I've just been kept
slightly unsettled,
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00:07:39,740 --> 00:07:42,140
and this is probably deliberate.
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00:07:44,020 --> 00:07:48,740
From now on, my fate lies in
the hands of the North Koreans.
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00:07:48,740 --> 00:07:52,900
But after a tense wait, we're
allowed on our way to Pyongyang.
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00:08:03,580 --> 00:08:08,220
Some people simply just washing
their bicycles on the river.
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00:08:08,220 --> 00:08:11,260
And along the side here,
by the railway line,
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00:08:11,260 --> 00:08:14,580
everywhere seems sort of cultivated.
People have...
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00:08:14,580 --> 00:08:16,980
It looks like very inhospitable
ground has been dug,
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00:08:16,980 --> 00:08:18,300
and something has been planted.
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00:08:19,700 --> 00:08:22,940
With no Internet or
international phone signal,
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00:08:22,940 --> 00:08:27,180
I'm now effectively cut off
from the outside world.
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00:08:27,180 --> 00:08:30,820
And the world I've entered
seems rather strange.
127
00:08:32,540 --> 00:08:39,500
I haven't seen a car in all this
development, or bicycles.
128
00:08:39,500 --> 00:08:43,420
There we are, a road.
Empty - completely empty of cars.
129
00:08:45,100 --> 00:08:49,020
It all seems of
a very different time.
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00:08:50,540 --> 00:08:54,820
Korea was divided in 1945
after the Second World War,
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00:08:54,820 --> 00:08:58,660
and has been largely governed on
Communist principles ever since.
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00:08:58,660 --> 00:09:00,420
Closed off from the outside world,
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00:09:00,420 --> 00:09:02,980
and now under strict
international sanctions,
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00:09:02,980 --> 00:09:05,220
it's seen little
economic development.
135
00:09:07,700 --> 00:09:09,740
When it comes to the dining car,
136
00:09:09,740 --> 00:09:13,780
it looks like nothing has changed
since the 1950s.
137
00:09:13,780 --> 00:09:17,060
Table for one. Lunch, please.
138
00:09:17,060 --> 00:09:18,540
Thank you. Thank you.
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00:09:18,540 --> 00:09:20,820
HE SPEAKS KOREAN
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Ah, good! That's the first word
I've used.
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00:09:26,900 --> 00:09:30,420
Hello.
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00:09:30,420 --> 00:09:33,860
HE SPEAKS KOREAN
I've said it twice now,
143
00:09:33,860 --> 00:09:38,060
and look what I've got as a result
of speaking Korean.
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00:09:38,060 --> 00:09:39,260
It's beautiful, isn't it?
145
00:09:40,580 --> 00:09:42,900
And I think this must be...
It's the kimchi.
146
00:09:43,980 --> 00:09:46,980
Made from fermented cabbage
and chillies,
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00:09:46,980 --> 00:09:50,820
kimchi is a staple of
the North Korean diet.
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00:09:50,820 --> 00:09:52,740
Wow! It's quite fierce.
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00:09:53,940 --> 00:09:56,540
After the kimchi, I think you'd need
something that sort of
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00:09:56,540 --> 00:09:57,700
puts out the fire.
151
00:10:01,220 --> 00:10:07,580
There's a sort of video playing,
and there's mainly missiles on it.
152
00:10:07,580 --> 00:10:12,100
Various shots of the great leaders,
and applause.
153
00:10:13,260 --> 00:10:16,780
Lunch, with a side order of
North Korean propaganda.
154
00:10:20,500 --> 00:10:25,820
Eventually, after six long hours,
we trundle into Pyongyang.
155
00:10:37,860 --> 00:10:41,780
I'm told this is where I'll be met
by the two guides who will be
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00:10:41,780 --> 00:10:47,020
making sure that I don't step out
of line for the next two weeks.
157
00:10:47,020 --> 00:10:49,900
Hello. Pleased to meet you. Are you
Mr Michael Palin from Britain?
158
00:10:49,900 --> 00:10:52,460
I am, Michael Palin, yes, yes.
Nice to meet you.
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00:10:52,460 --> 00:10:55,660
Nice to meet you! Hello!
How are you? Nice to meet you.
160
00:10:55,660 --> 00:10:57,900
Annyeong hashimnikka.
Annyeong hashimnikka!
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00:10:57,900 --> 00:11:00,500
I've been learning that
on the train.
162
00:11:00,500 --> 00:11:03,700
You're a good student.
Thank you very much.
163
00:11:03,700 --> 00:11:06,340
Hardly the threatening minders
I was expecting.
164
00:11:09,900 --> 00:11:11,820
My name is Lee Soo-young.
165
00:11:11,820 --> 00:11:15,500
Lee is surname... Yeah?
..and Soo-young is given name... OK.
166
00:11:15,500 --> 00:11:18,820
..so you can call me either way.
What would you prefer to be called?
167
00:11:18,820 --> 00:11:22,180
If you want to be more friendly,
then Soo-young. Soo-young.
168
00:11:22,180 --> 00:11:25,660
I'll be more friendly,
with your approval. Soo-young...
169
00:11:25,660 --> 00:11:30,620
Lee Kyung-chul. Ah! Soo-young and...
Kyung-chul. Kyung-chul, OK.
170
00:11:30,620 --> 00:11:34,380
Michael, just Michael.
Yeah, yeah! Michael. Yeah, yes.
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00:11:43,860 --> 00:11:48,460
As we drive to the hotel, I find it
hard to believe I'm finally here.
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00:11:51,900 --> 00:11:55,380
I know that there'll be restrictions
on what I see,
173
00:11:55,380 --> 00:11:59,060
but despite this, I'm hoping
Pyongyang will give me a greater
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00:11:59,060 --> 00:12:02,500
understanding of a country
once described as being on
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00:12:02,500 --> 00:12:04,140
"the axis of evil".
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00:12:12,940 --> 00:12:14,100
MUSIC ECHOING
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00:12:20,060 --> 00:12:22,700
My first morning in Pyongyang -
178
00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:25,620
and the world's most unusual
wake-up call.
179
00:12:29,340 --> 00:12:31,780
I first heard this, I think,
at five o'clock this morning.
180
00:12:33,060 --> 00:12:36,220
It's like music emanates from
the whole city.
181
00:12:36,220 --> 00:12:40,420
I don't know where it's coming from.
No source of speakers.
182
00:12:40,420 --> 00:12:43,060
It's just this fusion of sound.
183
00:12:45,460 --> 00:12:47,780
It was quite menacing
at five o'clock.
184
00:12:47,780 --> 00:12:52,900
Now it's... Sun's come out,
it's just rather strange.
185
00:12:52,900 --> 00:12:54,740
Sounds vaguely Brian Eno.
186
00:12:56,140 --> 00:12:57,940
Oh, there he is. Hi, Brian!
187
00:12:59,380 --> 00:13:01,940
And the thing is that...
188
00:13:01,940 --> 00:13:06,340
The other sound, when you think
of a city, is screaming sirens -
189
00:13:06,340 --> 00:13:10,380
you know, cars rushing around.
None of that at all.
190
00:13:10,380 --> 00:13:12,140
So that's why this sound
can really...
191
00:13:13,980 --> 00:13:15,900
You can't avoid it.
HE LAUGHS
192
00:13:15,900 --> 00:13:18,020
I suppose that's the thing.
You can't avoid it.
193
00:13:19,300 --> 00:13:20,980
It's just the sound of Pyongyang,
194
00:13:20,980 --> 00:13:25,580
which is not the sound of any other
city I've ever been in, in my life.
195
00:13:25,580 --> 00:13:28,940
The track is called Where Are You,
Dear General? -
196
00:13:28,940 --> 00:13:32,700
referring to the first leader
of the DPRK, Kim Il-sung.
197
00:13:35,340 --> 00:13:38,740
And after breakfast, it's time to
head out for my first appointment
198
00:13:38,740 --> 00:13:41,980
of the day with the great leaders
themselves.
199
00:13:43,140 --> 00:13:45,780
While our growing group of minders
are nervous about us
200
00:13:45,780 --> 00:13:47,260
filming on the streets,
201
00:13:47,260 --> 00:13:51,260
it gives me my first sense of
daily life in Pyongyang.
202
00:13:51,260 --> 00:13:53,820
And it's all very normal.
203
00:13:53,820 --> 00:13:55,940
But I do notice one
significant difference.
204
00:13:57,660 --> 00:13:59,980
That's interesting. That's the
first poster I've seen -
205
00:13:59,980 --> 00:14:02,260
a kind of propagandist poster.
206
00:14:02,260 --> 00:14:04,180
All clutching,
clutching their weapons.
207
00:14:05,420 --> 00:14:06,940
Cos there's no advertising here,
208
00:14:06,940 --> 00:14:10,220
you don't see any sort of
consumer goods. Just ideas.
209
00:14:16,500 --> 00:14:17,500
Hello.
210
00:14:24,580 --> 00:14:29,020
The Pyongyang Metro system was built
in the 1970s,
211
00:14:29,020 --> 00:14:31,580
but its grandeur is from
a different age.
212
00:14:32,660 --> 00:14:35,220
It's quite something.
That's quite something.
213
00:14:44,700 --> 00:14:47,380
This view of urban life is
very different to what I saw
214
00:14:47,380 --> 00:14:50,780
from the train yesterday,
possibly because Pyongyang
215
00:14:50,780 --> 00:14:54,580
is much more prosperous than
the rest of the country.
216
00:14:54,580 --> 00:14:58,100
You could just stay here, really.
Why bother to catch a train?
217
00:14:58,100 --> 00:15:00,460
You can watch the world go by.
218
00:15:00,460 --> 00:15:04,460
I've arrived in the DPRK
at an historic time.
219
00:15:04,460 --> 00:15:08,300
State-controlled newspapers are
covered with photos of a meeting
220
00:15:08,300 --> 00:15:11,340
between the current leaders
of North and South Korea -
221
00:15:11,340 --> 00:15:14,300
one that heralds new hope for peace.
222
00:15:14,300 --> 00:15:16,860
KIDS SPEAK KOREAN
223
00:15:18,980 --> 00:15:22,140
Ever since Korea was divided
in 1945,
224
00:15:22,140 --> 00:15:25,860
North Korea has been ruled by
the Kim family.
225
00:15:25,860 --> 00:15:27,460
Their images are everywhere.
226
00:15:30,100 --> 00:15:33,700
And everyone seems to be wearing
badges featuring their faces.
227
00:15:36,620 --> 00:15:39,780
I've been told that to understand
North Korea,
228
00:15:39,780 --> 00:15:42,220
you need to understand the role
of the leaders.
229
00:15:45,220 --> 00:15:47,860
So I'm heading to the Mansudae
Grand Monument...
230
00:15:49,060 --> 00:15:52,100
..one of the most sacred places
in the whole country.
231
00:15:56,860 --> 00:16:00,260
These 22-metre tall bronze statues
232
00:16:00,260 --> 00:16:03,380
depict the first two leaders
of North Korea.
233
00:16:07,500 --> 00:16:10,780
Kim Il-sung on the left was
supported by the Russians,
234
00:16:10,780 --> 00:16:14,980
to lead the newly formed country
in 1945.
235
00:16:14,980 --> 00:16:17,780
After he died, his son, Kim Jong-il,
236
00:16:17,780 --> 00:16:21,340
took over until his death
seven years ago,
237
00:16:21,340 --> 00:16:24,500
leaving his son, Kim Jong-un,
as the current leader.
238
00:16:26,860 --> 00:16:31,100
Well, there they are - the biggest
leaders I've ever seen.
239
00:16:31,100 --> 00:16:35,140
And there's something about
the size and the scale,
240
00:16:35,140 --> 00:16:37,340
which is, undoubtedly,
incredibly impressive,
241
00:16:37,340 --> 00:16:41,100
and yet, there are very few statues
to great leaders around the world
242
00:16:41,100 --> 00:16:43,980
where they're smiling,
they're looking accessible.
243
00:16:43,980 --> 00:16:46,540
They've got this specs on,
they've got their gear on,
244
00:16:46,540 --> 00:16:48,740
they're sort of embracing
the country.
245
00:16:48,740 --> 00:16:52,740
I think that's what... Although it
seems very grand and overpowering,
246
00:16:52,740 --> 00:16:54,540
they're actually trying
to show the love,
247
00:16:54,540 --> 00:16:57,020
embrace the love of
the whole country -
248
00:16:57,020 --> 00:17:01,620
by smiling and making themselves
like the benign fathers,
249
00:17:01,620 --> 00:17:04,940
rather than the sort of
stern rulers.
250
00:17:04,940 --> 00:17:06,380
That's how I read it, anyway, but...
251
00:17:07,700 --> 00:17:08,940
..judge for yourself.
252
00:17:10,420 --> 00:17:14,100
In the West, the Kim dynasty is
known as a brutal dictatorship,
253
00:17:14,100 --> 00:17:17,020
but here, the great leaders
cannot be criticised.
254
00:17:17,020 --> 00:17:18,980
So I've been warned
to tread carefully.
255
00:17:20,260 --> 00:17:25,420
I notice that you wear the badge -
the party badge there -
256
00:17:25,420 --> 00:17:28,540
with the two leaders on. Yes.
257
00:17:28,540 --> 00:17:33,540
So, we say, our Korean nation is
Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il's nation,
258
00:17:33,540 --> 00:17:35,860
and we are all members of
the nation.
259
00:17:35,860 --> 00:17:37,660
So it's the symbol of that.
And it's...
260
00:17:40,340 --> 00:17:45,100
The reason why we have them on our
left-hand side is that it's...
261
00:17:46,340 --> 00:17:49,060
Where your heart is? Yeah, yeah.
Yes, yes.
262
00:17:49,060 --> 00:17:52,820
Is it significant that
they're smiling?
263
00:17:52,820 --> 00:17:56,300
Is that important, that they're
seen to be smiling?
264
00:17:56,300 --> 00:18:01,700
Yeah. So, when you are smiling,
they look very happy and very alive.
265
00:18:01,700 --> 00:18:06,300
So we Korean people think
that they are still alive.
266
00:18:06,300 --> 00:18:09,580
They are alive in our hearts,
even though they've passed away.
267
00:18:09,580 --> 00:18:15,180
They are more like fathers
than just political leaders.
268
00:18:15,180 --> 00:18:17,580
We call it single-hearted unity.
269
00:18:17,580 --> 00:18:22,340
The popular masses are united around
the leaders and the party,
270
00:18:22,340 --> 00:18:25,460
and with one will and one ideal.
271
00:18:25,460 --> 00:18:30,100
And presumably, when you're growing
up, from fairly early on in school,
272
00:18:30,100 --> 00:18:34,500
you're learning about their work
and what they represent?
273
00:18:34,500 --> 00:18:38,420
At school, of course, we learn
what they have done.
274
00:18:38,420 --> 00:18:45,100
But we all have got our own
outlook on the world.
275
00:18:45,100 --> 00:18:50,780
And so it's not like, what you call,
you know, brainwashing?
276
00:18:50,780 --> 00:18:52,220
It's not like that. OK.
277
00:18:54,060 --> 00:18:58,860
We learn from our hearts that they
have done really great things
278
00:18:58,860 --> 00:19:00,820
to all Korean people.
279
00:19:00,820 --> 00:19:04,700
The people who come here...
I see people getting married. Mm-hm.
280
00:19:04,700 --> 00:19:06,100
How many times a year...
281
00:19:07,180 --> 00:19:10,660
..should you come here? Is there
a time everyone should come?
282
00:19:10,660 --> 00:19:12,860
Or... It's voluntary.
283
00:19:12,860 --> 00:19:17,180
It's open for everyone,
and there is no, like...
284
00:19:18,620 --> 00:19:21,460
No-one tells us to do, what to do.
285
00:19:21,460 --> 00:19:24,540
"You should go there,"
or "You should go here."
286
00:19:24,540 --> 00:19:27,860
It's more, like, to our...
287
00:19:27,860 --> 00:19:30,700
Of our own volition.
From your heart, OK. Yes.
288
00:19:30,700 --> 00:19:33,340
There are many more questions
I'd like to ask,
289
00:19:33,340 --> 00:19:35,140
but now is not the time.
290
00:19:35,140 --> 00:19:38,740
It's made apparent by our minders
that I've already crossed the line.
291
00:19:40,460 --> 00:19:43,500
North Korea claims to have
no religion.
292
00:19:43,500 --> 00:19:46,260
But it's hard for me not to
think that, for many people,
293
00:19:46,260 --> 00:19:48,420
the great leaders are
filling that void.
294
00:19:49,860 --> 00:19:52,340
And in a country that has
a widely reported
295
00:19:52,340 --> 00:19:54,540
appalling human rights record,
296
00:19:54,540 --> 00:19:58,140
I worry that they've put their faith
in those who do not always act
297
00:19:58,140 --> 00:19:59,740
in their best interests.
298
00:20:03,620 --> 00:20:07,980
After lunch, it's a quick walk to
the east side of the Taedong River,
299
00:20:07,980 --> 00:20:12,420
and a place that offers me the best
view of the city, the Juche Tower.
300
00:20:15,060 --> 00:20:16,740
The tower?
301
00:20:16,740 --> 00:20:18,740
Annyeong hashimnikka.
Annyeong hashimnikka.
302
00:20:18,740 --> 00:20:20,940
That's right, I'm learning.
Annyeong hashimnikka.
303
00:20:20,940 --> 00:20:27,220
Annyeong...? Annyeong hashimnikka.
Annyeong hashimnikka. Hm.
304
00:20:27,220 --> 00:20:30,180
Annyeong hashimnikka.
Annyeong hashimnikka.
305
00:20:30,180 --> 00:20:33,020
Annyeong hashimnikka. Yes.
Annyeong hashimnikka.
306
00:20:33,020 --> 00:20:38,620
Hashimnikka. Hashimnikka?
Hashimnikka. Hashimnikka. Oh!
307
00:20:38,620 --> 00:20:42,100
Annyeong hashimnikka. Yes!
Annyeong hashimnikka. Good!
308
00:20:42,100 --> 00:20:43,660
THEY LAUGH
309
00:20:43,660 --> 00:20:45,540
It's a good thing
it's a high building! Yes!
310
00:20:47,620 --> 00:20:49,860
All that, just to say hello.
311
00:20:53,020 --> 00:20:55,140
OK. Please. Yes.
312
00:20:59,500 --> 00:21:00,500
Wow!
313
00:21:10,060 --> 00:21:14,860
The stunning view from this
170-metre tall tower
314
00:21:14,860 --> 00:21:19,020
gives me my first proper sense
of the size and scale of Pyongyang.
315
00:21:20,260 --> 00:21:23,780
I shouldn't say "Wow," but that is
the only thing you can say up here.
316
00:21:23,780 --> 00:21:25,700
It's astounding.
317
00:21:25,700 --> 00:21:29,580
The west side of the city is
dominated by grand buildings...
318
00:21:30,620 --> 00:21:32,820
..stadiums and new developments
319
00:21:32,820 --> 00:21:35,540
that look like something from
a science fiction movie.
320
00:21:40,260 --> 00:21:45,700
The east is a sea of Soviet-style
concrete apartment blocks.
321
00:21:45,700 --> 00:21:49,220
They used to be grey,
but Kim Jong-il instructed
322
00:21:49,220 --> 00:21:52,260
that the buildings be painted
in bright colours,
323
00:21:52,260 --> 00:21:54,100
transforming the skyline.
324
00:21:56,420 --> 00:21:59,220
One thing I do know is that
Pyongyang was just bombed flat
325
00:21:59,220 --> 00:22:04,700
in 1953, during the Korean War,
so what we are seeing here has -
326
00:22:04,700 --> 00:22:06,940
with, I think, the exception
of one building -
327
00:22:06,940 --> 00:22:11,700
all been built in the
last sort of 60 years.
328
00:22:11,700 --> 00:22:13,980
That's quite impressive.
329
00:22:13,980 --> 00:22:18,660
The name of the Juche Tower refers
to Kim Il-sung's ruling ideology...
330
00:22:19,780 --> 00:22:24,340
..one which has perpetuated the idea
of self-reliance and isolation
331
00:22:24,340 --> 00:22:28,380
from the rest of the world
for almost 70 years.
332
00:22:28,380 --> 00:22:31,820
Funny how cities all have a sort of
name, a ring about them.
333
00:22:31,820 --> 00:22:34,740
And very often, countries
are known by their cities.
334
00:22:34,740 --> 00:22:36,660
You know, Paris, France
and all that.
335
00:22:36,660 --> 00:22:41,180
And this is Pyongyang, North Korea,
which is a name I've known -
336
00:22:41,180 --> 00:22:45,420
a lot of us know - in always,
slightly threatening context.
337
00:22:45,420 --> 00:22:48,900
This is Pyongyang. What comes out
of here is vaguely sinister.
338
00:22:48,900 --> 00:22:51,380
What does it mean, a city's
threatening, a city's sinister?
339
00:22:51,380 --> 00:22:52,980
A city's a city, and this...
340
00:22:56,140 --> 00:22:57,700
..has its own grandeur in a way.
341
00:23:01,900 --> 00:23:04,820
Pyongyang also has a bizarre charm.
342
00:23:09,220 --> 00:23:13,940
And on my way back across the river,
I find it hard not to be transfixed
343
00:23:13,940 --> 00:23:17,500
by the traffic police stationed at
busy intersections.
344
00:23:21,660 --> 00:23:25,820
Their choreographed, robotic
movements are strangely hypnotic.
345
00:23:29,700 --> 00:23:33,140
They also, I notice, all appear
to be young women.
346
00:23:36,020 --> 00:23:40,180
There's a rumour that Marshal
Kim Jong-un hand-picks them himself.
347
00:23:51,340 --> 00:23:54,100
It's Sunday...
WHISTLE
348
00:23:54,100 --> 00:23:57,020
..the one-day weekend in the DPRK.
349
00:23:59,820 --> 00:24:02,180
Volleyball, big thing here?
350
00:24:02,180 --> 00:24:05,460
Yes. Quite a big sport.
Popular, yeah. Yeah.
351
00:24:05,460 --> 00:24:09,260
Soo-young and Kyung-chul are keen to
show me what they would be doing
352
00:24:09,260 --> 00:24:12,140
if they weren't having to look after
a British film crew.
353
00:24:14,620 --> 00:24:17,260
Have you ever shot a pistol?
354
00:24:17,260 --> 00:24:20,700
Well, not often, but I have, yeah.
I've had a go.
355
00:24:20,700 --> 00:24:23,700
Shall we? OK.
356
00:24:23,700 --> 00:24:27,420
He's going to show me, first of all,
what a hot shot he is,
357
00:24:27,420 --> 00:24:29,940
and why he has earned the name of
358
00:24:29,940 --> 00:24:33,780
the Wyatt Earp of
the Korean Peninsula.
359
00:24:33,780 --> 00:24:35,340
Oh, good! Yeah, yeah, yeah!
360
00:24:40,020 --> 00:24:44,420
Oh! Yeah. I keep aiming at
the yellow bit behind.
361
00:24:44,420 --> 00:24:46,100
I get that every time.
362
00:24:48,380 --> 00:24:50,180
Very close!
363
00:24:50,180 --> 00:24:51,180
Almost.
364
00:24:52,740 --> 00:24:55,660
Last one, OK? Cos I don't think
I'm destined to...
365
00:24:56,700 --> 00:24:57,900
..get one.
366
00:24:59,140 --> 00:25:00,780
Oh! Wow!
367
00:25:00,780 --> 00:25:03,060
Bravo! On camera or not?
368
00:25:03,060 --> 00:25:04,820
LAUGHTER
369
00:25:07,900 --> 00:25:11,500
To unwind after our efforts
at the shooting range,
370
00:25:11,500 --> 00:25:14,780
we find ourselves somewhere I really
wasn't expecting.
371
00:25:22,060 --> 00:25:24,460
A North Korean health spa.
372
00:25:26,740 --> 00:25:30,580
This is the state-run
Changgwang Health Complex.
373
00:25:30,580 --> 00:25:33,460
It's about as far from prison camps
and nuclear missiles
374
00:25:33,460 --> 00:25:34,620
as you can get...
375
00:25:37,900 --> 00:25:40,180
..and includes a hair salon
376
00:25:40,180 --> 00:25:43,900
which has a rather prescriptive
approach to hairstyles.
377
00:25:43,900 --> 00:25:47,820
Ah! These, I think, are the
recommended haircuts.
378
00:25:47,820 --> 00:25:50,660
All the styles you can have here
are up there.
379
00:25:52,060 --> 00:25:54,940
And these, actually,
look remarkably similar.
380
00:25:54,940 --> 00:25:57,940
No, you know, mullets or ponytails
381
00:25:57,940 --> 00:26:02,140
or anything sort of disorderly
like that. Very neat and tidy.
382
00:26:03,980 --> 00:26:08,580
Hello. Can you do a sort of massage,
not haircut?
383
00:26:08,580 --> 00:26:11,140
No haircut, but massage, OK?
384
00:26:11,140 --> 00:26:12,900
Thank you.
385
00:26:12,900 --> 00:26:19,220
Ooh! Already, I feel the pressure
slipping from my shoulders,
386
00:26:19,220 --> 00:26:25,020
down my back, and into this chair,
which is vibrating slightly.
387
00:26:28,860 --> 00:26:30,380
That's just what I want.
388
00:26:38,140 --> 00:26:39,420
Hope it doesn't come off.
389
00:26:42,820 --> 00:26:46,580
Thank you. This is a relaxing end
to a long day.
390
00:26:47,700 --> 00:26:48,740
Thank you very much.
391
00:26:51,780 --> 00:26:57,180
My hotel room gives me a rare moment
away from prying eyes and ears.
392
00:26:57,180 --> 00:26:59,020
Well, at least, I hope it does.
393
00:27:00,460 --> 00:27:02,580
Filming isn't easy here.
394
00:27:05,500 --> 00:27:10,740
Everywhere we go, we're accompanied
by an entourage of about five or six
395
00:27:10,740 --> 00:27:14,700
men and women in suits,
396
00:27:14,700 --> 00:27:17,620
who watch our every move and
check everything we're seeing
397
00:27:17,620 --> 00:27:21,060
and everything we're doing
and everything we're saying.
398
00:27:21,060 --> 00:27:24,620
But, you know, they do things
completely differently here.
399
00:27:24,620 --> 00:27:26,820
That's the way it is.
400
00:27:26,820 --> 00:27:29,420
We can't just come blundering in
and say, "We're from the West.
401
00:27:29,420 --> 00:27:31,180
"We want to see this,
we want to see that."
402
00:27:31,180 --> 00:27:34,580
If you're going to learn anything
at all, I think, about this country,
403
00:27:34,580 --> 00:27:37,660
you've got to prise the door open
very, very gently.
404
00:27:39,780 --> 00:27:43,340
We need to keep their trust,
and it's a slow process,
405
00:27:43,340 --> 00:27:46,700
but if we step out of line and
we shoot things we shouldn't shoot,
406
00:27:46,700 --> 00:27:49,340
then the door will be slammed shut.
That'll be the end of it.
407
00:27:49,340 --> 00:27:55,700
So it's really all about us
trusting them and them trusting us.
408
00:27:55,700 --> 00:27:59,620
I mean, so far, it's working quite
well, but we'll see in the end.
409
00:28:09,390 --> 00:28:14,310
Day two in Pyongyang, and it's time
to go back to school.
410
00:28:14,310 --> 00:28:15,830
From a young age,
411
00:28:15,830 --> 00:28:18,990
children in North Korea are taught
the revolutionary history
412
00:28:18,990 --> 00:28:22,670
of their country's battles
against Japanese occupiers
413
00:28:22,670 --> 00:28:26,870
and American aggressors, and the
heroic deeds of the great leaders.
414
00:28:26,870 --> 00:28:30,670
THEY SPEAK KOREAN
415
00:28:30,670 --> 00:28:35,190
What is more surprising is that
learning English is also compulsory.
416
00:28:36,270 --> 00:28:37,550
Annyeong hashimnikka!
417
00:28:39,430 --> 00:28:41,550
ALL: Hello!
418
00:28:43,150 --> 00:28:46,150
My name is Michael, Michael Palin.
419
00:28:46,150 --> 00:28:49,750
I live in Britain.
Anyone know London?
420
00:28:49,750 --> 00:28:52,590
That's it.
Very, very good - capital.
421
00:28:52,590 --> 00:28:54,270
I'll tell you what I've got.
422
00:28:54,270 --> 00:28:57,550
I've been to lots of places
in the world,
423
00:28:57,550 --> 00:29:00,950
and I travel with me
with this - a globe.
424
00:29:02,990 --> 00:29:07,030
ALL: One, two, three, four...
425
00:29:07,030 --> 00:29:10,950
I'm intrigued to know how well these
kids know the world around them,
426
00:29:10,950 --> 00:29:14,350
especially as international travel
is effectively banned
427
00:29:14,350 --> 00:29:19,070
for all North Koreans.
..eight, nine, ten.
428
00:29:19,070 --> 00:29:21,070
Yes!
429
00:29:21,070 --> 00:29:23,630
APPLAUSE
Very good!
430
00:29:27,870 --> 00:29:31,030
Who would like to show me where
Britain is on this map?
431
00:29:31,030 --> 00:29:32,870
Who'd like to have a go?
432
00:29:32,870 --> 00:29:35,030
It's in Europe. Good, yes.
It's in Europe.
433
00:29:35,030 --> 00:29:37,230
And it is...?
434
00:29:37,230 --> 00:29:40,590
No, that's... There we are.
Yes, that there, yes.
435
00:29:40,590 --> 00:29:43,230
Now, throw it around.
Have a look at the world.
436
00:29:43,230 --> 00:29:45,670
That's it. OK.
437
00:29:45,670 --> 00:29:48,430
You've got to name a country.
India. India. Very good.
438
00:29:48,430 --> 00:29:52,110
Now you can throw it very hard
at anyone you don't like!
439
00:29:52,110 --> 00:29:55,710
Russia! Russia! OK. Who are you
going to throw it to?
440
00:29:55,710 --> 00:29:57,910
Japan. Japan.
441
00:29:57,910 --> 00:29:59,750
That's to me, OK.
442
00:29:59,750 --> 00:30:01,750
America.
443
00:30:01,750 --> 00:30:04,270
Canada. Canada.
Canada. Canada. Good, yeah.
444
00:30:04,270 --> 00:30:06,710
Well done. Now,
445
00:30:06,710 --> 00:30:11,230
if there's anything they would like
to ask me about my life?
446
00:30:11,230 --> 00:30:13,430
How many children in your family?
447
00:30:13,430 --> 00:30:17,670
I've got three children. How many
in your family? Four. Four.
448
00:30:17,670 --> 00:30:21,150
What do you want to do
when you grow up?
449
00:30:21,150 --> 00:30:23,550
I want to be a scientist.
450
00:30:23,550 --> 00:30:28,470
Anyone else? I want to enter
the Korean People's Army.
451
00:30:28,470 --> 00:30:29,670
Good.
452
00:30:35,070 --> 00:30:37,030
Very good.
453
00:30:37,030 --> 00:30:39,510
I want to be a famous writer.
454
00:30:39,510 --> 00:30:41,870
You want to be a famous writer?
That's good.
455
00:30:43,030 --> 00:30:46,150
Have you got a poem? Can you
remember a poem that you've written?
456
00:30:47,270 --> 00:30:49,390
Say it in Korean.
457
00:31:32,430 --> 00:31:35,350
Aw!
APPLAUSE
458
00:31:35,350 --> 00:31:39,670
Mount Paektu is a sacred volcano
in North Korea,
459
00:31:39,670 --> 00:31:43,630
which Kim Il-sung allegedly used
as a hideout while plotting against
460
00:31:43,630 --> 00:31:45,750
the Japanese in the 1930s.
461
00:31:48,270 --> 00:31:51,630
It's a beautiful poem, but I get
the distinct impression
462
00:31:51,630 --> 00:31:55,510
that critical thinking is probably
not on the school curriculum.
463
00:32:01,230 --> 00:32:04,830
But excelling at sport
most definitely is.
464
00:32:04,830 --> 00:32:08,470
I'm told by my guides that
Kim Jong-un wants North Korea
465
00:32:08,470 --> 00:32:11,230
to become a sports superpower.
466
00:32:11,230 --> 00:32:14,550
And judging by this lot,
table tennis may be the way to go.
467
00:32:17,030 --> 00:32:21,270
It's like a factory farm
for ping-pong champions.
468
00:32:21,270 --> 00:32:23,950
I was quite impressed, first of all,
they were learning English,
469
00:32:23,950 --> 00:32:27,870
but also, the ideology was there,
underneath everything
470
00:32:27,870 --> 00:32:30,670
but not pushed absolutely
all the time.
471
00:32:30,670 --> 00:32:33,790
And yet, the poem was about
Mount Paektu.
472
00:32:33,790 --> 00:32:37,350
The boy wanted to be a physicist
to do things better for Kim Jong-un.
473
00:32:37,350 --> 00:32:40,190
It's always kind of there,
very much embedded,
474
00:32:40,190 --> 00:32:42,990
that feeling of working together
for one leader.
475
00:32:42,990 --> 00:32:45,190
But it wasn't pushed at me
that hard.
476
00:32:45,190 --> 00:32:46,990
And the ping-pong was
just incredible.
477
00:32:46,990 --> 00:32:49,750
The speed, ferocity
with which they play,
478
00:32:49,750 --> 00:32:52,550
and the determination to be
world beaters.
479
00:32:52,550 --> 00:32:55,910
What I'm learning is that the
sense of unity and togetherness
480
00:32:55,910 --> 00:32:59,790
is incredibly strong here -
if a little disturbing.
481
00:32:59,790 --> 00:33:03,350
After all, this is the land of
mass military parades.
482
00:33:08,190 --> 00:33:09,190
Mm!
483
00:33:10,670 --> 00:33:13,110
Now, that is a really, really
good cup of coffee.
484
00:33:13,110 --> 00:33:15,470
About the best I've had
in Pyongyang.
485
00:33:15,470 --> 00:33:21,030
This rather nice, sort of intimate,
almost Austrian-style cafe.
486
00:33:21,030 --> 00:33:22,630
This all feels rather pleasant.
487
00:33:22,630 --> 00:33:26,070
And yet, it's in quite an
odd location, really.
488
00:33:28,390 --> 00:33:32,550
This intimate little place
is actually right on the corner...
489
00:33:34,190 --> 00:33:38,030
..of Kim Il-sung Square.
490
00:33:40,870 --> 00:33:46,110
A place where those vast processions
of military might,
491
00:33:46,110 --> 00:33:51,470
it all takes place on this amazing,
amazing area here.
492
00:33:52,510 --> 00:33:54,030
You can see,
493
00:33:54,030 --> 00:33:56,710
when they do these enormous ballets
with thousands of people
494
00:33:56,710 --> 00:34:00,430
all doing the same thing at the
same time, there are the dots.
495
00:34:01,670 --> 00:34:04,310
Little positions where people stand.
496
00:34:04,310 --> 00:34:07,070
So you've got somebody here,
doing all that sort of stuff,
497
00:34:07,070 --> 00:34:09,670
and then you've got somebody here
doing all that sort of stuff.
498
00:34:09,670 --> 00:34:12,430
So, you've got to sort it out.
It's incredibly difficult -
499
00:34:12,430 --> 00:34:15,070
when you see it done -
to actually get it done properly
500
00:34:15,070 --> 00:34:17,270
without bashing the person
next to you.
501
00:34:17,270 --> 00:34:20,750
Of course, when the parades come
along, it's along this roadway
502
00:34:20,750 --> 00:34:26,830
that the weapons and the missiles
will come.
503
00:34:26,830 --> 00:34:31,670
It's just so... It's a strange
sensation to walk across it,
504
00:34:31,670 --> 00:34:32,790
and here we are.
505
00:34:34,630 --> 00:34:38,590
At the moment, there's not many
people here - just me at the moment,
506
00:34:38,590 --> 00:34:45,390
doing my own display of synchronised
television presenting.
507
00:34:46,790 --> 00:34:49,630
It's never going to catch on.
It's never going to catch on.
508
00:34:50,830 --> 00:34:55,270
The billboard showing a Korean
soldier is just one of the many
509
00:34:55,270 --> 00:34:59,510
pieces of military propaganda
I've seen in Pyongyang.
510
00:34:59,510 --> 00:35:02,910
Most of it is produced
behind closed doors,
511
00:35:02,910 --> 00:35:05,070
here at the Mansudae Art Studio.
512
00:35:07,870 --> 00:35:11,670
But for the first time we are being
allowed to film one of the country's
513
00:35:11,670 --> 00:35:14,150
leading propaganda artists at work.
514
00:35:16,910 --> 00:35:18,790
Can you tell me what this
515
00:35:18,790 --> 00:35:21,750
painting, what this work is about?
516
00:35:41,150 --> 00:35:45,470
This picture of pan-Korean peace and
unity is very timely,
517
00:35:45,470 --> 00:35:47,670
and might be just for my benefit.
518
00:35:47,670 --> 00:35:50,590
But I think there's more to
propaganda than missiles.
519
00:35:50,590 --> 00:35:54,190
It's another way to keep people
united to the cause.
520
00:35:55,910 --> 00:36:00,390
What is the secret of making a good
propaganda poster?
521
00:36:22,110 --> 00:36:26,270
There are over 1,000 artists here,
producing art for the state.
522
00:36:27,630 --> 00:36:29,030
In this studio,
523
00:36:29,030 --> 00:36:32,350
a painter is working on a canvas
celebrating the fishing industry.
524
00:36:33,830 --> 00:36:38,150
And this man has been responsible
for sculpting the giant statues of
525
00:36:38,150 --> 00:36:40,190
the Great Leaders.
526
00:36:40,190 --> 00:36:43,910
I'm aware everything I'm being shown
is designed to give me
527
00:36:43,910 --> 00:36:46,630
a positive image of North Korea.
528
00:36:46,630 --> 00:36:49,150
But what I'm also realising is just
529
00:36:49,150 --> 00:36:51,430
how tightly everything is
controlled.
530
00:36:51,430 --> 00:36:54,310
There's no internet, no
international phones, no freedom of
531
00:36:54,310 --> 00:36:56,390
the press. The government controls
532
00:36:56,390 --> 00:36:59,510
it all, and there are
no voices of dissent.
533
00:37:00,750 --> 00:37:02,510
And, after a few days,
534
00:37:02,510 --> 00:37:06,070
you start to feel the propaganda
seeping into your soul.
535
00:37:06,070 --> 00:37:08,470
KOREAN POP MUSIC PLAYS
536
00:37:11,670 --> 00:37:16,150
There's so much that is so different
about North Korea that I find the
537
00:37:16,150 --> 00:37:19,470
offer of dinner and a few beers with
my friendly guides refreshingly
538
00:37:19,470 --> 00:37:21,110
familiar.
539
00:37:23,150 --> 00:37:25,510
Have you ever done barbecue before?
540
00:37:25,510 --> 00:37:28,430
No, no, I haven't had Korean
barbecue.
541
00:37:28,430 --> 00:37:31,390
Not like this. It's messy, is it?
542
00:37:31,390 --> 00:37:34,350
Is there going to be a
lot of spray flying?
543
00:37:34,350 --> 00:37:36,270
Yeah, yeah. Oh!
544
00:37:38,110 --> 00:37:40,910
I think actually she's tied me to
the chair!
545
00:37:40,910 --> 00:37:44,590
You look great in it.
Do I? Is it my colour? Oh...
546
00:37:47,190 --> 00:37:50,790
So, this is the raw meat? Yeah.
This is... Raw meat.
547
00:37:50,790 --> 00:37:52,750
Koreans like meat?
548
00:37:52,750 --> 00:37:55,190
We love it. You love meat?
549
00:37:55,190 --> 00:37:58,030
OK, I got the wrong verb, you Love
meat, OK.
550
00:37:58,030 --> 00:38:01,030
You wrap.... Oh, you wrap it up?
OK. OK. Mmmm.
551
00:38:06,470 --> 00:38:11,150
Mmm. How is it? Mmm. It's very, very
good. Mmm!
552
00:38:11,150 --> 00:38:13,590
North Koreans enjoy a drink.
553
00:38:13,590 --> 00:38:18,070
Apparently, each man is given weekly
beer coupons by the state,
554
00:38:18,070 --> 00:38:21,270
which provides them with
five litres of beer a month.
555
00:38:22,990 --> 00:38:28,550
Thank you! In Korean, geonbae.
Geonbae. Geonbae. Geonbae.
556
00:38:31,990 --> 00:38:34,550
It's nice to see the guides relax,
557
00:38:34,550 --> 00:38:37,710
but I'm told tomorrow is the day
I'll really see the North Koreans at
558
00:38:37,710 --> 00:38:39,270
play.
559
00:38:50,060 --> 00:38:54,740
It's my last day in the capital of
North Korea, and it's May Day -
560
00:38:54,740 --> 00:38:57,620
International Worker's Day - and
it's a holiday.
561
00:39:01,620 --> 00:39:04,940
The parks of Pyongyang are filling
up with the city's 3 million
562
00:39:04,940 --> 00:39:06,420
residents.
563
00:39:06,420 --> 00:39:08,220
WHISTLE BLOWS
564
00:39:08,220 --> 00:39:10,340
CHEERING AND CHANTING
565
00:39:15,580 --> 00:39:17,420
WHISTLE BLOWS
566
00:39:23,420 --> 00:39:26,220
The game is, people have to pick up
bits of paper,
567
00:39:26,220 --> 00:39:29,300
and then the bit of paper will tell
them they've got to take something
568
00:39:29,300 --> 00:39:31,740
and run around the ring. It might be
a ball, it might be a hat,
569
00:39:31,740 --> 00:39:34,740
it might be a jacket, it might be a
man, a woman or a child.
570
00:39:34,740 --> 00:39:36,860
And they race around with it.
571
00:39:43,940 --> 00:39:47,020
There's also music and dancing.
572
00:39:47,020 --> 00:39:49,620
UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS
573
00:39:54,100 --> 00:39:57,940
I suspect this gentleman is a
frustrated Fred Astaire -
574
00:39:57,940 --> 00:40:01,460
office manager by day,
who knows what by night?
575
00:40:15,300 --> 00:40:18,780
May Day seems to be giving me what
I've been hoping for -
576
00:40:18,780 --> 00:40:22,580
an opportunity to mix with ordinary
North Koreans when their guard is
577
00:40:22,580 --> 00:40:24,420
down.
578
00:40:24,420 --> 00:40:26,380
CHEERFUL YELLING
579
00:40:31,380 --> 00:40:33,300
Mmmm, that's good food.
580
00:40:33,300 --> 00:40:35,740
LAUGHTER
581
00:40:38,060 --> 00:40:40,620
KOREAN POP MUSIC PLAYS
582
00:40:49,620 --> 00:40:52,540
And as the day goes on,
so does the dancing...
583
00:40:52,540 --> 00:40:54,540
HE YELLS CHEERFULLY
584
00:40:59,860 --> 00:41:02,020
..and, I suspect, the drinking.
585
00:41:07,380 --> 00:41:11,660
To an inhibited Englishman, a sort
of mass fun day like May Day in
586
00:41:11,660 --> 00:41:14,260
Pyongyang seems, at first,
587
00:41:14,260 --> 00:41:16,460
slightly intimidating.
588
00:41:16,460 --> 00:41:19,260
But actually
you just have to join in.
589
00:41:23,420 --> 00:41:26,100
Everyone's out, and they're all in
the centre of the city.
590
00:41:26,100 --> 00:41:28,100
They don't go out to the
countryside.
591
00:41:28,100 --> 00:41:31,260
And they start with lots of little
parties, then become bigger parties,
592
00:41:31,260 --> 00:41:34,140
and then become these huge
occasions of spontaneous dancing
593
00:41:34,140 --> 00:41:38,900
and a bit of drinking the rice wine
to keep you going.
594
00:41:38,900 --> 00:41:43,300
After a bit, the whole, sort of,
hill is just humming.
595
00:41:45,780 --> 00:41:47,980
Are singing and dancing quite
important?
596
00:41:47,980 --> 00:41:49,940
I mean, everyone seems to have a
song or a dance.
597
00:41:49,940 --> 00:41:52,820
Yeah, every Korean knows how to sing
and dance. Yeah.
598
00:41:52,820 --> 00:41:55,540
Except me, I have a poor voice.
THEY LAUGH
599
00:42:07,620 --> 00:42:09,220
LAUGHTER
600
00:42:10,300 --> 00:42:11,900
Thank you.
601
00:42:16,780 --> 00:42:19,500
These people might live in a
repressive system
602
00:42:19,500 --> 00:42:21,740
that I find hard to understand,
603
00:42:21,740 --> 00:42:24,940
but there is a joy and humanity to
this that's undimmed.
604
00:42:26,260 --> 00:42:29,020
And this goes on all day, you know.
605
00:42:29,020 --> 00:42:32,060
We're only, kind of, well, it's
about 2:30.
606
00:42:32,060 --> 00:42:34,300
What's it going to be like here at
night?
607
00:42:34,300 --> 00:42:39,380
It's going to be, you know... "What
is it going to be like here at
night?" I ask myself. Oh.
608
00:42:39,380 --> 00:42:43,140
Thank you.
CHEERING
609
00:42:43,140 --> 00:42:45,660
Thank you.
610
00:42:47,860 --> 00:42:51,780
Oh, dear. He's being dragged back by
the family.
611
00:42:54,140 --> 00:42:56,860
Well, I'm off to be a tree somewhere
else.
612
00:43:19,820 --> 00:43:24,660
May Day, and my time in Pyongyang
has left me with more questions than
613
00:43:24,660 --> 00:43:26,660
answers.
614
00:43:26,660 --> 00:43:30,020
Much of me wants to take everything
at face value,
615
00:43:30,020 --> 00:43:33,220
to accept the North Korea that I'm
being shown,
616
00:43:33,220 --> 00:43:35,620
but I know there's another side,
617
00:43:35,620 --> 00:43:38,980
and I've seen enough to realise this
is a country with none of the
618
00:43:38,980 --> 00:43:41,580
freedoms we in the West take for
granted.
619
00:43:44,220 --> 00:43:48,620
Maybe I'll learn more outside the
bubble of Pyongyang.
620
00:43:48,620 --> 00:43:51,980
After much negotiation,
I've been given permission to
621
00:43:51,980 --> 00:43:55,020
explore parts of the country that
are normally off-limits to
622
00:43:55,020 --> 00:43:59,780
outsiders. Tomorrow we start a
journey that will take us into
623
00:43:59,780 --> 00:44:01,420
uncharted territory.
624
00:44:07,100 --> 00:44:12,540
'Next time...I come face-to-face
with the North Korean military...'
625
00:44:12,540 --> 00:44:18,340
Warheads and nuclear missiles have
cost your country a lot of money.
626
00:44:18,340 --> 00:44:21,860
'..explore rarely filmed areas of
the country...'
627
00:44:21,860 --> 00:44:26,540
We remember hearing in the West that
you had a very bad shortage of food.
628
00:44:26,540 --> 00:44:29,900
'..and push the guides
to breaking point.'
629
00:44:29,900 --> 00:44:34,740
All right, I'll tell you what I
think. A good leader should be able
to deal with criticism.
630
00:44:34,740 --> 00:44:37,700
And that's where we are so different
from you.
631
00:44:39,780 --> 00:44:42,380
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