[josefresco]

Most interesting observation:

> When serving in Iraq or Iran, my biggest fear in those places was always the threat of physical harm, be it ambushes on our person or vehicles, being kidnapped, rocket or mortar attacks on our embassy or accommodation. There were close shaves and the threat and the fear never left you in all of these places. But as far as life in North Korea was concerned, there were none of these fears. Serving in North Korea gave you this strange feeling of being cut off, isolated and very insular and perversely at the same time “safe.”

[throwaw12]

Why is it interesting observation?

When one invades the country, they of course won't feel safety (like in Iraq), but when they dont invade country, of course it feels safe, because no one is bombing and shooting locals

[pizza234]

NK is politically aligned with the red countries, and positioned against US. Especially after the Otto Warmbier accident, some believe that Americans/Westerners in NK are in constant danger (my opinion: O.W. did something stupid while drunk; the accusations were obviously fabricated but the incident was not unprovoked), so to those, it may seem surprising that somebody can feel safe there.

[rtkwe]

The author is British working for the British embassy, UK-NK relations are strained but not as tense as US-NK relations by a mile. They had mutual embassies though the UK NK embassy no longer has an official ambassador and the NK UK embassy is closed because NK still has tight entry restrictions from COVID-19. US-NK relations are tangentially related at best.

[cyanydeez]

It also starves its citizens in all manner of ways.

If the current US admin could do this, they would.

[fragmede]

What did you think that bit with the eggs was about?

[cyanydeez]

the difference however is the level of coordination required. NK is top down, while US just has a bunch of oligarchies who may or may not be directly coordinating.

[jacekm]

I remember one Polish diplomat recalling that his boss told him "I am sending you to the safest outpost in the world" when offering him embassy in North Korea.

[zatkin]

The sentiment about NK echoes my sentiment about my visits to China in recent years.

[tuwtuwtuwtuw]

I am not surprised that NK will be perceived as safer and more isolated than Iraq.