10,000 yuan, how long can you live in North Korea? You may be surprised to say it
North Korea is known as "the most mysterious country in the world", and its mystery stems from a long-standing policy of isolation, making it extremely difficult for outsiders to get a glimpse of its interior, and even more difficult for its citizens to leave the country freely.
Interestingly, the name of the country is related to Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, highlighting the deep historical ties between the two countries.
However, despite its deep historical roots, people's impression of North Korea today is still stagnant in the sixties and seventies of the last century.
So, if you were to travel to North Korea with 10,000 yuan now, how long would you be able to live there?
1. North Korea's millionaires
First of all, it is necessary to understand that there are two sets of price systems in North Korea, one serves its own people, and it is extremely close to the people; The other set is designed for tourists and is relatively tall.
The Gwangfu Commercial Center is an area of North Korea specifically set up for foreign tourists, where prices are not much different from those in China, such as 5 yuan for a bottle of drink, 10 yuan for a bag of potato chips, and 40 yuan a pound for beef. In this area, the number of hotels** where you stay also varies, ranging from 300 yuan to 3,000 yuan.
If you are visiting North Korea as a tourist, 10,000 RMB is enough to last for about 20 days.
However, many people are concerned about this issue not from the perspective of tourists, but rather to understand what life would be like if they were in close contact with ordinary North Koreans.
So today, we will study from the perspective of ordinary North Koreans, how long can 10,000 yuan live in North Korea? What is the level of quality of life?
The exchange rate of RMB to North Korean Won is 1:130, which means that 10,000 RMB can be exchanged for 1.3 million North Korean Won, which makes you a real millionaire.
In North Korea, banks exist and you can deposit your millions of dollars in a bank. However, it is important to note that in North Korea, deposits are easy and withdrawals are difficult. There are various applications** that need to be filled out when withdrawing money, and there are limits on the amount, so it's best to think carefully before making a deposit.
Of course, you can also choose to buy a safe and keep it at home, and you don't need to worry about security in North Korea.
If you plan to live in North Korea, it is recommended to go directly to the capital, Pyongyang, and not to the countryside. In the countryside of North Korea, even if you have money, it is difficult to find a place to spend it. In addition, not all localities in North Korea have banks, only in the capital and a few special administrative regions, and these banks mainly serve state-owned enterprises and pay less attention to individual business.
Since the monthly salary of the North Korean people is basically the same as the cost of living, there is almost no money left over in a month, so there is no need to save at all. Some North Korean residents have never even seen a bank card in their entire lives.
Second, everything is all-inclusive
When you arrive in Pyongyang, you'll be amazed at how there are no free markets (the thought of shopping can be put away), so there are no markets**. The material of the whole country is supported by a huge systemThis is exactly the legendary planned economy, which is exactly the same as in the sixties and seventies of the last century in our country.
Walking through the streets, you will find that everyone is dressed almost identically, and the roads are extraordinarily wide, and even in the center of the capital, there are not many vehicles.
One of the last things you have to worry about in North Korea is traffic jams, and of course, you won't have a private car, which we'll explain in more detail later.
At this time, you may want to find an agent to rent a house, but unfortunately, there is no specialized real estate company in North Korea, let alone a real estate agent.
However, you will be allocated a free 30 square metre standard room. If you get married, you can also apply for an 80-square-meter house (enough for a family of three). In the rural areas of North Korea, houses are built uniformly and allocated to personal use, so there is no such thing as property speculation, and if there is, it will be held accountable as an economic crime.
Marriage has just been mentioned, and it must be emphasized here that there is no bride price to be paid for marriage in North Korea, and even the woman needs to prepare a certain dowry.
Because North Korea is a typical society with fewer men and more women, and North Korean women are known for their hard work, cleanliness and excellent cooking skills.
When it comes to diet, in North Korea, the food eaten every day is unified by the state, including eggs, meat, vegetables, and rice.
If you feel that ** is not enough, this is when your million-dollar deposit can come in handy, and you can go to a store in Pyongyang to buy it. Of course, it's relatively high, but you don't need to worry because you're a big deal.
3. Cars that money can't buy
Next, let's talk about automobiles. If you want to buy a car for convenience, roam around the city by the way.
I can tell you unequivocally that buying a car in North Korea is actually quite a difficult task. North Korea has a population of 26.06 millionThe number of cars is only 200,000, which means that on average, there is only one car for every 100 people.
And most of the cars are concentrated around Pyongyang, and elsewhere you're more likely to see ox carts, carts, bicycles, and smoking diesel trucks. Some North Korean farmers even choose to walk when they go on long trips.
Cars are a rare thing here, and even if you have the money, you may not be able to buy themYou have to have special qualifications to buy a car. And this qualification to buy a car is limited every year, not to mention the turn of a foreign resident.
Even if you are successful in qualifying to buy a car, when you spend your personal funds to buy a car, you will find that the car is still state property despite the payment of personal funds. Doesn't that sound a little uncomfortable?
So, don't think about buying a car, go out and take a taxi. Most of the taxis in North Korea are BYDThe starting price is around 7 RMB. For ordinary local people, this can be described as a sky-high price. But for you, a millionaire, that's just a small amount of money.
Of course, there is also a situation in which you can own a small car, and that is to make outstanding contributions to the country, achieve outstanding results in international competitions, or achieve certain achievements in the field of science and technology. The state will reward you with a car.
For someone as smart as you, that's not that hard. If that's not possible, you can also consider buying a motorcycle, which is a means of transportation that can be used to refuel at a gas station in North Korea.
North Korea's gas stations are full of people with heads and faces. Therefore, people who can drive motorcycles in North Korea are basically in quite good condition. Even though this motorcycle can only carry a maximum of two people, it's pretty good compared to walking on two legs.
North Korea's traffic police are mostly women, and they are usually fairly good-looking, forming a beautiful landscape with the streets full of old vehicles.
It is important to mention here that most of the vehicles in North Korea are used cars from other countries many years ago, and they cover a variety of eras, making you feel like you are in an automobile museum at a glance. North Korea also has some home-made vehiclesBut these domestically produced cars are actually produced in China and then shipped to North Korea, where they are sold on an OEM basis.
In North Korea, basic needs such as water, electricity and heating are provided free of charge by the state, but it should be noted that free does not mean that it can be wasted at will. In North Korea, school and medical treatment are free of charge, and the cost is borne by **. This should save you a lot of money.
4. North Korea's Internet
If you're bored, consider buying a TV**. However, the number of programs that can be received is quite limited, and most of them are pro-regime. If you're planning to buy a phone or computer, it's perfectly feasible in North Korea. But when you want to surf the Internet freely, sorry, that's not possible in North Korea.
North Korea's Internet system is unique, the most famous of which is the Bright Net.
The name Guangming.com sounds full of positive energy, but in fact, it only connects domestic public institutions**, and does not interconnect with the Internet.
This means that the content that North Korean people can view on the Guangming Network is limited to information and information that is publicly available in the country.
Therefore, Guangming Network has largely served as an important platform for domestic information dissemination.
This unique Internet system allows North Korea to have relatively limited access to the international Internet. Most of these ** are mainly publicity, which can be said to be a large-scale local area network.
Among them, there is a news agency called North Korea, which is the only official news agency in North Korea, and it is also the only news agency in the country
The daily news is mainly based on gratitude. As of 2016, North Korea had only 7,200 Internet users.
North Korea also has its own independent operating system, the Red Star operating system, which is powered by the national anthem and the national flag in the background of the desktop.
And the system monitors your uploads** and all your behavior logs around the clock.
If you're interested in having something fun, it's best to dismiss yourself and be careful of getting caught in jail.
In North Korea, if you plan to use money as an excuse to be lazy at home and not work, then sorry, everyone in North Korea has their own job, and no one is idle. Therefore, there is no such thing as unemployment in North Korea, let alone a so-called GDP. Only countries with a commodity economy will calculate GDP, and North Korea is a country with public ownershipSo GDP is not calculated. As a result, you can't get a picture of the real life of ordinary North Koreans through superficial data.
Epilogue. Stepping into North Korea with 10,000 yuan is like entering a world of seclusion. Here, the comfort of life is tied to your wallet, at least to ensure that you don't go hungry.
However, life here is not all easy, and you have to work hard and follow strict rules and regulations. Work and rest have also become extremely orderly, and going to bed early and waking up early have become the norm in life.
There is almost no internal friction on the spiritual level, because there is no time to think deeply about the meaning of life. Entertainment facilities are almost deserted, nightclubs and bars are almost extinct in the land, and money is difficult to spend in this regard.
If you want to improve your food, the only way out is to use your savings to buy some delicious ingredients, which will make the people around you envy you.
However, it should be noted that the habit of brushing ** will become a luxury here. Washing up early in the evening** is the only option, but as time goes on, you'll be surprised to find that your body is getting healthier. This land isolated from the outside world is like a closed world, waiting for you to explore.