Two worlds, One river: I Can See North Korea From My Window

This is China, and right over there is North Korea. This river is the dividing line between our two countries. From this bank, you can clearly see daily life on North Korean side. Hi, this is Mia. Welcome back to my channel. I'm currently in Tumen, a tiny border city in China that sits right up against North Korea. This river is called the Tumen River. It marks the border between China and North Korea. Across from us is Nanmiao, North Korea's 13th largest city. There are even telescopes installed there, though I have to pay to use them. It honestly looks exactly like China did 40 years ago. That is North Korean kindergarten. That is Nanmiao Middle School, where students are doing extracurriculars. Here is the primary school. The teacher is leading a general clean-up. And that is a North Korean train. Bicycles are the primary mode of transportation here. Private cars are not allowed, so this is government vehicle. Those blue houses are the elite district, home to officials and national contributors. That signal tower at the top of the mountain is specifically used for signal jamming to block Chinese networks. Those buildings were built for them by China, but North Korea completely sealed its borders before the window could be installed. So for the past six years, those buildings have remained without glass. It gets as cold as minus 20 degrees Celsius here in the winters. I genuinely curious how do they survive those freezing nights without even basic windows. We often say that visiting here feels like watching the Tumen show, separated by just one river, yet we are two completely different worlds. Actually, the people living here in Tumen, China, are also ethnically Korean. They share the same roots as North and South Koreans, but they are 100% Chinese citizens. They speak Korean, eat Korean food, and preserve traditional Korean culture. Three sides here are written in both Chinese and Korean. There are actually Christian and Catholic churches here. So I'm not really sure why some people think we can't practice religion in China. The food culture here are very similar to Korea. Cold noodles, kimchi, bingbing bag are very common. With everyone in the restaurant speaking Korean, a Korean TV show playing on TV. I honestly feel like I'm in South Korea right now. There are actually thousands of North Korean women working in this city. Their wages are extremely low compared to local Chinese workers, only about $200 to $300 a month. On top of that, their government takes a cut, so they might end up with less than $100 in their pocket. Even so, this is still considered a high salary back in North Korea. But even though they are working here in China, they are not allowed to have any contact with us at all. This is the factory zone where they work, but the entire area is completely walled off and restricted. I'm going to see if I can get inside. Yes, you can, but I want to see if I can get inside. Yes, you can. I still recommend that you don't go inside. There's nothing to film here. Oh. I'm not saying you're not welcome inside. This is a special area. You can't go inside. Oh, so a lot of North Koreans are working here? Yes. Okay, then I won't go inside. You'd better not go inside. Okay. If you say you didn't bring these things today, I'm sure I'll let you in. But if you bring these things today, I'm sure I won't let you in. But you'd better not go inside. Okay? It's bad for you. Okay? Okay, thank you. Thank you for your cooperation. Okay, bye. Well, that was a fail. Actually, the security guard was right. Even if I got in, I couldn't say anything. They aren't allowed to leave promises on their own, so I didn't push it. My god, the level of North Korea's control is just insane. Even after leaving North Korea, they are still confined to designated areas and forbidden from interacting with the locals. What's the difference between this and being in prison? This is China's border gate. Before the pandemic, when we traveled to North Korea from Tumen, we first had to process our entry and exit paperwork in this building. Then we would walk through this gate and cross the bridge to enter North Korea. Back then, traveling from Tumen to North Korea was incredibly simple for a one-day trip. We didn't even need a passport or visa. But once you arrived in North Korea, there were many, many restrictions. You had to stay with your assigned tour group all the time within only the designated location, remain under the strict supervision by your guards. You weren't allowed to wander off, and you definitely couldn't carelessly talk to local people. Since the pandemic, tourism to North Korea has been completely shut down and still hasn't reopened. This place has now become a popular tourist photo spot. Many visitors come here to specifically take pictures. The building directly ahead is North Korea's train station. It displays portraits of Kim Jong-un's father and grandfather with sentry standing guard at the entrance. On our side, many people are taking photos. On the other side, there are almost no one inside. Look, if I stretch out my hand, technically my right hand is already in North Korea. To be honest, it's not just Westerners who are curious. Even as their neighbor, we found North Korea incredibly mysterious. The border is strictly managed with electrified fences running the entire lane. And special police units can be seen patrolling everywhere in the city. All their security is to prevent North Koreans from crossing over illegally. In the winter, the river turns into solid ice, making it a prime time for them to try and slip over to the Chinese side. Along the roadside, you can find a lot of vendors selling North Korean cigarettes and currency as souvenirs. It's now 7 p.m. and it's completely dark. Across the river, there are only a few very tiny fence lines. North Korea operates scheduled electricity distribution. Power is priority for military and tea industry, while residential areas receive very limited electricity and they only get four hours of power a day. That's it for today's video. I'm a new vlogger sharing daily life in China from a local's perspective. If you enjoy this, please hit the follow button. It's the best way to support me. Thank you very much.