◆Women don’t marry men from farms
I often ask this question when I have the opportunity to interview a women from North Korea.
--Which is better? If you are married to a nice, diligent, handsome farmer or to a laborer from the city with a bad personality and poor appearance?
Though I have asked dozens of women this question, they have all answered the same- that they would prefer the man from the city. Though the answer may be surprising, their reasoning is clear.
”If you marry a farmer, it means you will become a farmer too. You will have to work until you die with your face sunburned and manage a meager living. No woman goes to a farm voluntarily. If you do not like the city man, you can divorce and live alone by supporting yourself."
Is not there a chance for rural women to get to the city? I asked our reporting partner living in North Korea.
"It is possible to marry a worker and become a 'city resident' but those cases are very rare. Men too try to avoid marrying the daughters of poor farmers." (Yoo Min-tae)
Next page: During the farming season, women from the city are mobilized to work...
