This video encorporated all emotions for me. One was sadness for the refugees since they were begging for help but their cry has simply landed on deaf ears. This made me angry as well. I could not believe that so many people would be this indifferent to ignore the North Korean people and treat them as nothing, when they want freedom to enjoy life- something every individual in the world would desire. Yet, there is still hope; if the work of those compassionate individuals across the world continues, and we are able to help them fight this issue, then God-willing, one day the North Koreans will be free. I wish to see them crying with pure joy, not of fear for their lives.
I don't know if any of you had Mr. Han for World History freshman year, but he showed us this video about an eye surgeon from Nepal who was given permission to come into North Korea in order to treat the visually impaired, but brought with him an undercover camera crew to get a glimpse of life in North Korea. Many North Koreans suffer from malnutrition and there is a lack of adequate hospitals, etc. there, to cure them of glaucoma, cataracts, etc. Their is also a general overview of North Korea at the beginning here is the website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxLBywKrTf4 check it out!
Sarah Powers and someone else, I'm sorry I didn't see your name, posted on here but I accidently erased their comments and my own when I thought I was doing something wrong. They both had good comments though and links... sorry Sarah and the other person who posted- I told Mr. Spoor already...
ReplyDeleteI thought Seoul Train was very educational for me. Did not know that there was an underground train going on to get North Koreans out. I know that no one goes in or out of North Korea so I did not think that people would try to get out and figured that no one attempted it. I was appalled at how China does nothing to help North Korean refuges but i understand why they don't help them. Before watching this video i did not really know how bad things were in North Korea or how people were treated when they were sent back to North Korea. It personally touched me how much they struggled and i wish there was something i could to to help North Korean refugees escape to freedom. They deserve freedom as much as anyone does and I think this situation needs to be looked at more to try to help North Koreans get what they want, freedom.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4jZvN0NhPM
My reaction to seoul train was pitiful. The refugees were in pain and nobody cared not even their own governent gave a helping hand, but instead made their lives more miserable. I think It's sad that north korea uses censorship as their solution. One pare during the movie, refugees were holding signs saying "help us" and the government was attacking them for it. I also reacted as if there was still hope for north korea when I heard that they had an underground railroad and at least some people saw the problem and took action. This touched me because they were risking their lives to try and free a whole country. Also I had learned about their suffering and about 10% of the population suffers from a famine or other wards over 2 million.
ReplyDeletesources http://www.seoultrain.com/crisis.html
ReplyDeleteSeoul Train, I thought, was extremely disturbing. The thought that real people have problems like this is depressing because I know that I wouldn't be able to deal with the every day problems that Koreans have to endure. This current event is very similar to the civil war times when African Americans had to use an underground rail road, like the North Koreans use. I think all the people who video tape and help all the refugees are extremely brave because the consiquences for what they are doing are death. It's horrible how the Chinese don't help the refugees because if one of our neighboring countries was going through what the koreans are then we would help them.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe1G63j1Jqw
My reaction to Seoul Train was shock. I cant imagine what it would be like if I were a North Korean trying to escape to improve my life. The acts of violence and execution any refugee may face if caught trying to escape it terrifying. Its impressive though to see how much courage an individual has to see them try and reach safety or freedom in South Korea. I think that every person has a right to freedom which makes it sad to see an entire countries citizens with no rights. Life in North Korea is horrifying and something I am glad I have not had to face
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video on North Korea and how hard life is there, I was shocked. I knew about all the chaos that has been going on in North Korea, but after following that one family’s journey of escaping North Korea and trying to fight for their freedom, I got a whole new perspective on the issue; families are fighting for their lives and to be treated fairly. Also, when the video showed the footage from a North Korean soldier’s hidden camera about the life in North Korea, I was surprised at what I saw. Kids and adults were picking up scraps of food from the ground to live, the streets were messy, the water was dirty, and the whole scene seemed very chaotic.
ReplyDeleteWhile searching online, I found a YouTube clip on the crisis in North Korea. The clip has photos from inside the country and it’s very similar to what we watched in class. I learned from these clips that one of the main issues in North Korea is famine. There’s not enough food to go around which is why North Koreans are statistically about five inches shorter than South Koreans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJiDGcQbLrA
I was both surprised and depressed by the video Seoul Train. It's hard to believe that your own government would torture or even execute you for trying to leave the country. What was even more alarming was that the Chinese government did not allow the North Korean refugees to pass through their boarders to reach Mongolia. I cannot imagine being confined to one country and having to live the harsh lifestyle of famine and complete government control that the North Koreans experience every day. This video gave me a whole new perspective to what hardships are really happening in this world and how privileged we are to not live in countries like North Korea or Iran. In the end, everyone deserves the right to a choice and it is a shame that no one has done anything to help free the refugees of North Korea.
ReplyDeleteSeoul Train was a really eye opening documentary and showed me a lot of aspects of North Korean life that i never imagined was possible before. Throughout this film, i mostly felt disgusted by not only how the North Korean government treats their people, but how the neighboring country of China is not much better. These people try to escape the horrible life they are forced to go through everyday, and once they do escape to freedom, the chinese government sends them right back, fully aware of the brutal lifestyle they are forced to endure. It really makes you appreciate living in a country like the US where we can experience most freedoms that many others have never had.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pbs.org/independentlens/seoultrain/
Its one of those things in life that makes you stop and think. Seoul train specifically talks about freedom, culture, and change needed not just for the North Koreans, but the Chinese as well. We would like to think that everything is well in 21th century when riot, violence, corruption deals with the majority of the problems. Coming from an old Korean descent, I hope to see North Koreans free themselves from their tyranny and regain the strength and determination to see old Korea become unified.
ReplyDeleteThe link I posted below is of North Korean defector living in South Korea.
He talks about the concentration camp/prison system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LYjo81MlQM&feature=related
Before I saw the documentary Soul Train, I had no clue that the Chines would send people back to North Korea that escaped from North Korea. The things that the North Koreans have to go through is terrible. They have no civil rights at all. One part that really stuck out to me in the movie, was when the North Koreans tried to get into the Japanese embassy and the woman and the child were left behide and couldn't get through, because the Chines police were holding them back and they kept fighting and fighting their way through but couldn't do so. I really hope that this problem is brought up for global awarenesss, so this major problem came be solved.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/10/bbc-north-korea-documenta_n_607924.html
My reaction to the Seoul Train video was that how could the Chinese government keep sending pack the North Korean refugees to face torture or death. They are sending them back to basically death camps. I dont think the Chinese should be allowed to do this because the UN needs to intervene. The North Koreans should be given asylum or simply allowed to pass through North Korea. http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=88831
ReplyDelete