Life in North Korea
- Book: Friend
- Location: North Korea
- Author: Nam–nyong Paek
It is easy to forget, or perhaps not even think about in the first place, that North Korea produces fiction for its citizens just as any other country does, and that North Koreans enjoy novels and other fiction just as readers elsewhere do. As I understand it, fiction was almost wholly propagandistic in the past but recently constraints have relaxed and a more recognisable, according to western standards, fiction has been allowed, and this novel Friend is one such. It was a best-seller when it was published in 1988 and remains popular, so much so that it has been adapted for a television series. However North Korean literature for internal consumption is not normally made available outside the country, which makes this new translation into English even more exciting. Four years after its original publication it was republished in South Korea, and then translated into French in 2011. And now we have an English translation, the first time a state-approved novel has been available in the US. Even with the relaxations North Korean literature still has a role to play in propaganda for the people, and that’s not completely missing here, but it doesn’t dominate the narrative or make it any less readable.
It’s the story of a conscientious and well-meaning judge, the friend of the title, Jeong Jin-wu, whose role doesn’t see him confined to the courtroom but also finds him acting as a sort of counsellor or social worker. One day a young woman, Chae Sun-hee, a professional singer, comes to him to ask for a divorce. Rather than just apply the law and grant her what she wants, Jeong Jin-wu feels it incumbent on himself to look into the family’s circumstances to judge whether a divorce is in the family’s best interest, especially as there is a child involved. As he investigates, the reader is given a picture of North Korean society, the personal struggles of the people, their daily life, the problems and dilemmas they face, and how they sometimes fail to live up to the expectations of their family, their community or indeed their country. Issues of domestic conflict, the role of men and women in the home and the workplace, female ambition, career versus domestic roles, the responsibility for bringing up children, pressures of the work-place – all these issues are examined with empathy and insight and with a remarkable lack of didacticism and preaching the party line. At its heart this is very much about the institution and the sanctity of marriage, a cautionary tale about the damage divorce can do to children. We also meet a number of secondary characters who demonstrate other facets of North Korean society, and surprisingly the novel doesn’t flinch from exposing some of the fault lines in the country, such as the shortage of electricity, the prevalence of corruption and even embezzlement. All in all I found this a fascinating novel, a rare glimpse into everyday North Korean society and a timely reminder that people are people everywhere, regardless of the type of government they have.
This is essential reading for anyone interested in North Korea, but it also stands up as an enjoyable novel quite apart from any special interest in or prior knowledge of the country and its society.
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