This is the Tom Hartman program.

Our book today is The Hermit King, The Dangerous Game of Kim Jong-un by Chung-min Lee.

This is from the first chapter, Life in Earth's Paradise.

Whenever North Korean is asked by a foreign journalist or visitor what life is like inside North Korea,

the reply is that the country's citizens live in an earthly

paradise for one reason. The care given to them by the Supreme Leader is their

father and provider. They lack for nothing, nor do they desire anything else.

The Supreme Leader makes sure that they are totally happy. Just like the Heavenly Father

and Christianity, it is the living head of the Kim family

makes everything possible

in North Korea this is a total lie

except for the super elites who are bound inextricably with the regime including

the creme to the creme of the party

armed forces security agencies

and hard currency-making enterprises

the vast majority of the north Koreans must fend for themselves

life was not always like this in North Korea.

While it's impossible to imagine today, North Korea had a higher GDP than South Korea

until the early 1970s. In 2017 South Korea's GDP was 1.5 trillion, whereas North Korea's was 33 billion.

Per capita GDP was $30,000 in South Korea, $1,300 in North Korea.

Still, North Koreans are routinely

told that South Korea is filled with beggars

...