Life In North Korea Vs South Korea: My Visual Comparison After Visiting Them Both

in life •  7 years ago  (edited)

Hey guys!

I've been traveling the world for the past 4.5 years, during which time I grew my YouTube channel to over 245,000 subscribers and my Instagram account to 22,500 followers.

I joined Steemit 6 months ago, made my first introductory post and then got too busy with life to keep on posting.

However, my good friends @timsaid, @thelifeofjord and @christopherdodd have been having tons of fun creating content on Steemit and I thought I should go for it too.

So without further ado, here's a post about my my life in North Korea vs. South Korea that includes two of my most viral videos on YouTube. Let's go!

Screen Shot 2018-07-12 at 4.11.39 PM.png


One year ago I went on a strictly guided 7-day tour in North Korea, where they took away my passport and didn't allow me to explore anything on my own.

After that trip I made a video on YouTube that went completely viral with 9,637,831 views at the time of writing.

Check it out here:

North Korea was definitely the weirdest country I had ever visited and during my time there I kept wondering what life was like in the neighboring South Korea, which used to be exactly the same country just over 60 years ago!

That's why at the end of that trip I promised myself to visit South Korea this year so that I could compare my experiences in both of those countries.

Those pairs of pictures you'll see below show the differences of life in both Koreas - first one stands for South, and the second stands for North.

Free Time

1.jpg

In South Korea a lot of people spent their time having picnics with their friends and families, whereas in North Korea they would practice for all the various parades happening in the country every year.

Youth

2.jpg

In South Korea the youth wore clothes of various bright colors and expressed themselves in any way they wanted to, whereas in the North everyone wore similar clothes usually in dark or gray colors.

Parking Lot

3.jpg

In South Korea most people could afford to buy cars and that's why there were millions of them, however in the North having a car was a great privilege that only the richest people could afford.

University

4.jpg

In South Korea the Universities that I visited had all the newest amenities the students needed, whereas the one University my guides allowed me to visit in the North felt like the early 20th century, not the 21st.

Train Station

5.jpg

In South Korea they had some of the fastest bullet trains in the world, however in the North the trains definitely weren't as advanced.

Once I came back from South Korea, I made another video on YouTube, during which I compared my life in both of the two Koreas. This video also did quite well and has 8,133,839 views at the time of writing.

Check it out here:

Thank you very much for reading the post, I really hope you enjoyed it!

I'm pretty new to Steemit still, but I'll do a lot more posts in the future about my travels and this really cool blockchain project that I'm running.

Let me know what you would like me to post about in the comments below and follow me for more updates in the future!

Life's short, why waste a second?

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great comparison so well done, great job

@jacoblaukaitis

You are right life is short. Why we lose a second ?
You have experience in visiting south and north korea
Great post by your experience :)

good

Once you learn to care, you can record images with your mind or on film. There is no difference between the two. https://steemit.com/photography/@photographyideas/6-awesome-photography-tips-and-tricks-for-beginners

Very Valuable post for steemit Community. Thanks

Thanks @kurosawa! Glad to hear that.

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Soon we will travel and conquer the world together!

Welcome (back) Bro!

Absolutely, bro! Can't wait for that to happen! :)

Conquer that place north korea as well..haha..

right bro @timsaid .......

You got a 34.37% upvote from @th3voter thanks to: @steemium!



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Very cool stuff. I like the side by side comparisons... highlights the differences much more dramatically. The phrase "digital nomad" is something I've only really heard over the last few months. I assume that's what you are, financing your travel with YouTube vids and subscribers and such. When I have some time, I'll check out the videos.

In any case, congrats! Sounds like you found the dream.

Nice comparison!

very very cool juxtaposition - i'd like to check out north korea some day

The video is really informative, and your pictures comparing South Korea with North is a great idea :)

Welcome to Steemit @jacoblaukaitis .

The korea are fantastic area to creativity

The korea are
Fantastic area to
Creativity

                 - powerwhale


I'm a bot. I detect haiku.

South Korea is technologically advanced country. full of opportunity. North Korea has huge potential. Hope they live together happily forever

Time will tell!

Cuenta con mi apoyo, Saludos de parte de @ydavgonzalez.

"Since knowledge, thinking, and rational action are properties of the individual, since the choice to exercise his rational faculty or not depends on the individual, man’s survival requires that those who think be free of the interference of those who don’t. Since men are neither omniscient nor infallible, they must be free to agree or disagree, to cooperate or to pursue their own independent course, each according to his own rational judgment. Freedom is the fundamental requirement of man’s mind.

A rational mind does not work under compulsion; it does not subordinate its grasp of reality to anyone’s orders, directives, or controls; it does not sacrifice its knowledge, its view of the truth, to anyone’s opinions, threats, wishes, plans, or “welfare.” Such a mind may be hampered by others, it may be silenced, proscribed, imprisoned, or destroyed; it cannot be forced; a gun is not an argument. (An example and symbol of this attitude is Galileo.)

It is from the work and the inviolate integrity of such minds — from the intransigent innovators — that all of mankind’s knowledge and achievements have come. (See The Fountainhead.) It is to such minds that mankind owes its survival. (See Atlas Shrugged.)"

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Like the wide range of comparisons you made on everyday life. Keep travelling and posting on Steemit!

Thanksss! What kind of posts do you think I should focus on Steemit?

Anything you're interested in that isn't too extreme. Travel blogs, food blogs, sports, animals, culture and life in general are the most popular. Make a series too and good luck!

How did you go to N. Korea??
Even I've never been there and I'm S.Korean.
Anyways, I really enjoyed your post!


Congrats, you made the #steemitminute for today!
Click the Image Below to see the Video!

Haha thanks, man! It's just that I wasn't talking about Kim nor Trump, but glad you featured me nonetheless :)

i always dreaming to go to south Korea once..

I have the same dream. I like Korean Language.


Welcome to Steem @jacoblaukaitis.

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The nation was recuperating from an enormous starvation in the 1990s which murdered between a couple of hundred thousand and three million individuals, as per gauges. Shockingly, things being what they are autocracies are fit for keeping up fundamental open transportation, probably in light of the fact that they like it when their kin make it to chip away at time.

Like the wide range of comparisons you made on everyday life. Keep travelling and posting on Steemit!
I think it is only differance of democracy and lack of democracy..

south korea is very progressive country I want to explore this country Thank you @ jacoblaukaitis for reminding my favourite dream destination.

Thanks for the kind words, @zayan69!

I like north Korea thanks for sharing this video and welcome to steemit dear keep doing.

I like both countries. I hope they live together happily

strange from your comparisons alone, I find that North Korea is the better country. That of course is ingnoring everything I already know about the country. This portrays South Korea as a bunch of lazy, consuming, polluting, people. Maybe not too far off?

Hm... it's interesting that you say so, because most people, after having seen those comparisons, realize that it isn't cool to live in a country with very little freedom where only the top political figures in the country can afford to have a car, for example. But thanks for sharing!

My heart goes out to the North Koreans ... South Korea seems amazing, but the dichotomy between it and the North is insane! It is ironic that North Korea is much much worse than China.

very interesting your publication, hopefully with the new agreements everything change for south Korea and start to go

I am a South Korean. I watched your posting photos, read the article, and watched YouTube videos .... I felt the warmth of my heart and my tears flowed down. We will someday become a unified nation. Thank you very much for your good pictures, articles and YouTube videos.

Thank you very much for the kind words, @rideg! They really do mean a lot to me :)

Fascinating! I knew this post would do well ;)

Thanks a lot, @christopherdodd! Keep killing it on Steemit and Dtube, bro :)

So much of lucky us for not being born in north Korea.

@jacoblaukaitis, we have read many comparison but this seems most authentic and true, reality and far from drama

Thanks a lot! Good to hear :)

You are welcome

I think it is only differance of democracy and lack of democracy

any on who have interest in travelling across the world must visit these palaces:-
https://steemit.com/travell/@ramkishormorya/famous-fort-of-india-that-are-stand-alone-in-all-over-world

Hey Jakob, nice to see North Korea from inside! Have a look at the byteball project who is currently rewarding steemers based on their reputation with their undistributed bytes https://medium.com/byteball/introducing-a-bridge-between-byteball-and-steem-and-an-airdrop-548d7958b9e9

I love to go to South Korea..............

great job."Life's short, why waste a second?".that is true..why waste a second..get understand of the life..good luck!

any on who have interest in travelling across the world must visit these palaces:-
https://steemit.com/travell/@ramkishormorya/famous-fort-of-india-that-are-stand-alone-in-all-over-world

Very interesting display of life in two different worlds

@jacoblaukaitis, both country have only one difference, which is leadership...one have leadership great leadership & second one has Tanashah Leader.....What you think..?

well done bro, video is very intersting,
North korea is a worst one of country.

We don't know much about North Korea.

rất hay đó bạn ơi

Life's short, why waste a second ?
Awesome .... I will come
More information by post and tell me about. This

south korea is very progressive country I want to explore this country Thank you @ jacoblaukaitis for reminding my favourite dream destination.

Thanks, @vish22i! Go for it whenever you have the chance :)

Very much informative and can say , you had great experience in a life.

good job @ jacoblaukaitis such information about south korea is rarely shared

Thank youuu!

This post has received a $27.60 % upvote from @siditech thanks to: @steemium.
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Hi @jacoblaukaitis it's really amazing breathe stopping journey in North Korea, very superb presentation, photography, videos shooting and many other, I like your content and post, I followed and upvoted you. Thank you so much for sharing.

Great Job Steemian :) #AKnowledgeGainBlog & #KeepItUP :)

Loved your post..the life in north korea seems so rigid..hope they can live freely soon...

May be North Koreans are used to the way they are living now

Well let's just say it's no better than living in a jail I guess...

Quite an interesting contrast!

Crazy the difference a government can have on one's life....

@jacoblaukaitis welcome to Steemit. I can see why your post enjoyed so much views on YouTube.It's not going to be any different here on steemit.I wish I could upvote your post with as much voting weight as possible to get it to Trending because content like yours deserves to be way up there.Keep up the awesome work. I have Followed you so as not miss any of your awesome content. Cheers.

Thanks a lot, @badmusgreene! You're the best :)

I watched your video a few months back ..Is it true that citizens can't go out of their country for tourism?

Haha awesome to hear! Yes, it is true, unfortunately...

@jacoblaukaitis Thanks for such an imformative blog, you just make easy for us to plan Korea trip.keep posting such content blog more.

North Korea is a small, impoverished and isolated country; South Korea is wealthy and backed by the world's number one superpower.

Nice blog

Great bro

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I live in Seoul, Korea. Great to see you and your amazing postings. Yes. We have a long way to go together with North. Appreciated. C U often! ^^

Thanksss! Super happy to hear that!

If north south unites they will do wonders

Really the difference is evident between the two countries, these communist regimes are a real backwardness for humanity, you can see how South Korea is more advanced, it is obvious that it has more progress, I think that the more colors and more diversity the better life is, that is clearly seen and we must promote what is best for everyone.

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You are right brother. 08#Upvoted

Yap... I enjoyed your post and waiting for the next one.

Upvoted and followed you.

Hope you'll folow my post. Am a short story writer and a journalist living in Bangladesh.

Thanks.

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  ·  7 years ago Reveal Comment

I appreciate these photos; being in South Korea I can't even imagine a visit to the North. Thanks for sharing. :)

I (@momina) wish I can travel around the world...

#momina

It feels like I should feel sorry for the North Koreans, their lives look sad.

@jacoblaukaitis well this post got popular fast, welcome back to Steemit. From the looks of it you're going to succeed on here just as much as you have on other social media platforms :)
Awesome post by the way, really interesting. I look forward to reading more.

Thank you very much, @mel1ss! Let me know what kind of posts do you think I should write on Steemit :)

rất hay đó bạn ơi

..

we cannot change ur fate but we can change our future . North and South korean will definitely become good friends in future by leaving their past.good luck friend

awesome dude keep traveling.

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Hi, how are you going through my profile and check all the good content I have thanks: D

Glad to know that you are fond of traveling and made many comparisons between these two countries. I would like to know that which one of both countries you liked the most? I really appreciate your zeal about traveling.

Noth Korea what a cheerfull place!!. I would not like visit this communist country ever in my life!!

Well... not very cheerful I'd say.

  ·  7 years ago Reveal Comment

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hi good sharing but there is something that attracts attention steemitte is trending but steemit is the most youtube den you mentioned

Great post I would like to visit NK just to see it myself

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@jacoblaukaitis Your work is admiring bro......and your videos on youtube are good as well, keep it up......it helps lot of people like me who get information about various places and countries.......

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@ jacoblaukaitis Really Life is short don't waste Time time is precious.

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Food comparison between north and south.

u rocks

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people democratic, and communism is two different theory.without democracy country can not developed. we can also see diffenences in your picture. freedom is the most important to devopment of country, in my idea.dont know it is write or worng?

I can tell you that your comparison is already flawed with you being restricted by what you saw in N. Korea but I appreciate that you are showing your experiences which is very important regardless and I appreciate so much for taking what footage you could and how amazing S Korea life is. Still, It's very important to remember there is a lot happening behind the curtains.

I recommend anyone to watch this video from Vice. It shows the eeriness and complete show for tourists. Here is an article from Newsweek showing a glimpse of what N Koreans that you don't get to see go through. That article would make a little more sense if you also knew that N Korean citizens have POOP QUOTAS. As in, they must have a certain amount of poop or go to their inhumane labor camps where they undergo many horrors.

Please check out the stories of escapees and other things that have gone on there, I just don't want people to get the wrong impression that this is how bad N Korea is because trust me, it will break the bar the more you dig in.

Great and very informative video....👍👍👍👍👍

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Undoubtedly, South Korea is more advanced than north Korea. They are neighbors but still north korea left behind. What is the reason behind this? Of course leadership. A great leader is enough to develop a country. A leader is like a head of body.
Thanks @jacoblaukaitis for your post. Good comparison.

Fantastic work this one, kudos

Just for them those wants to work...... Besides this you will b remove
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