0:00 Welcome back to part six of Charles from North Korea. At this point he's just gotten to America and we're going to hear about his him growing up in Concord, California. You go straight to high school? >> High school, that's right. That's right. >> know any English? >> Any English. >> So straight to like 12th grade? >> No, no. Freshman. >> [laughter] >> As an 18-year-old? >> No, but here's I enrolled in school as a minor, right? So 2 days later I came to America, right? 2 days later I went to high school cuz I've always wanted to go to school when I was in North Korea. Um and I wanted to be like Kim Jong like Kim Jong-il's like human like body shield. >> You [laughter] whoa, dude. >> You know, I I would like daydream of like becoming and I was like the bullets coming. Ah, I was like ah, you know. I literally yeah, I I I would
0:50 imagine that like the ultimate honor. >> Yeah, the ultimate honor, right? >> When that happens like your life is a Uh anyway, I I really wanted to go to school. Um I wanted to be educated. Um and then I was like very optimistic, you know, I'm I'm like I'm the kind of the guy who's like glass half full, you know. Going to high school is crazy. I was like I never >> [laughter] >> I was like it it was it was really tough cuz I didn't speak a word of English. >> Yeah. >> Um culture was like so different. Um when like when people like ask me like cuz I didn't speak English, right? Like and then like, you know, I'm learning all these cultural things like when you do this, you when you sneeze, people say bless you, you know, when you do this things like that. >> And then the most awkward like I used to like when people ask me like how are you, right? Like on the hallways, "Hey, how
1:40 are you?" You know, I was like and I would just stand there. I was like thinking about like, "Oh yeah, how am I?" You know, I was like I'm trying to think of an answer >> [clears throat] >> and then eventually I learned I was like you just >> walked past you. >> Yeah, I know, right? You [laughter] just say, "Oh yeah, I'm fine. Thank you." You know, I was like I was like, "Oh, oh, that's a culture." Walking into a grocery store, I mean yeah, this is where my foster care family was supposed to kind of like play a big role, right? Cuz I don't know anything. So, like, you're supposed to like buy you different stuff. Um walking into grocery grocery store was, you know, a fascinating, right? Um like rows and rows of like cereal, you know, like uh toilet papers like oil like like everything, right? >> Excess of everything. >> Right? It's like same brand, but like it was same thing, but different brand. Oil was the worst. In North Korea, soybean
2:30 oil, that's it. Like that's like the top quality. It's like one cooking oil. Uh here is like a uh olive oil, >> canola, avocado, vegetable, everything. >> Exactly. Like they're like extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, right? Like, what is this olive oil like saving itself for? >> [laughter] >> You know? I was like I didn't get that. I was like Yeah, it was it was it was it was just mind-blowing um of how old I was. >> Yeah. >> And uh you know, I I struggled a lot. Um I struggled with like finding my identity as well. Like what >> sure. >> Why am I here? Like people talked about like survival skills. Like I did not know what that meant. Um I I got depressed at one point. Um like I like get like getting up or even going to sleep and getting up in the morning,
3:20 like that was like really really burdening some. >> Yeah. >> If I fall asleep, I'm going to have a nightmare. Like I I still do have nightmares. Like I often have like nightmares of like I am in North Korea right now, but I have family in America, right? I have this life that I have to get back to, but I'm stuck in North Korea. >> That's your nightmare mainly? >> Yeah, yeah. Like like regularly. And I am in North Korea as an American spy, and somebody knows my identity in North Korea, and I'm trying to find that guy so I can kill that guy, you know? Or like somebody's like following me with a knife, like chasing me with a knife and I have to run away. So it's it's like all that kind of nightmare. >> Did you have a meet any friends at Concord High School or you can't did you did you get like have a best friend or anything or
4:11 >> I have a I have a friend who I got this a matching tattoo with. >> Oh [laughter] ████ >> Wow, pretty cool. >> Yeah, um >> We know a thing about matching tattoos. >> [laughter] >> Must be a really dumb friend. >> Yeah. >> This guy has his own matching tattoos. >> [laughter] >> He's our dumbest friend. >> People were pretty nice to you when you when you got there? >> They were they were just like, "Oh my gosh, are you a spy? Do you know Jackie Chan?" >> Are you a spy? >> Yeah, see that was the funny ████ I'm I'm curious to see what racist ████ they would say to you. >> No, it's like Jackie Chan and then like, "Oh, I'm from North Korea." And they're just like broke into like "Oppa Gangnam Style" songs. I was like, "What is that?" >> [laughter] >> What? >> Cuz it's 2012. It's like, you know, it was really popular. It's like, "What what is that?" >> really popular. >> Well, are you also not like walking around a high school looking at all these ████ fine chicks and not feeling a type of way?
5:02 >> Oh, what do you mean? >> Like you're not just jacking off in every corner. I don't >> [laughter] >> You know what I'm saying? I don't know. I don't know. >> No, I mean >> I don't know. He's got propaganda women in North Korea. I don't know what it looks like. >> you're seeing all different kinds of like girls and >> Right, like people, like race. I mean, I >> And people are just like ████ in high school. Come on. Woah, Anthony. >> Woah. >> [laughter] >> Let's bring it back to North Korea. >> Yeah, I did I did not know any Yeah, I did not know. I >> [laughter] >> In a way, I felt like I was the young like I was the the smallest. >> Oh, yeah? >> This high school kids had like beard. >> [laughter] >> A big guys, you know? >> Yeah. >> And I was like, "Oh my gosh, so intimidating." >> That's what happens when you're not malnourished for generations. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Yeah. >> What what was like were there a lot of Asians in school or is it what was most of the race? >> Hispanic.
5:52 >> Mostly Hispanic? Ooh, Latinas. >> Yeah, Latinas, yeah. >> So you got the thick girls. >> I mean yeah, I was like oh my gosh, these people are like are you sure you're 14? >> [laughter] >> They're huge, yeah. >> I was like wow, that's crazy. >> [laughter] >> Are you sure? >> But yeah. I had to graduate high school a little bit earlier because you know, I'm literally aging out. Um so it's like >> Did you have to cram your studies or >> Yeah. >> But then how did you learn English so quickly? >> Again, I wasn't doing really really well. Uh so I I I say graduated, but um I was actually on like a special program. Like I didn't actually go to that high school. I went to I attended uh classes uh ESL classes and certain classes in the beginning of you know, all this year beginning of like freshman, but uh from then on like I went to like a special school with like
6:43 kids who can't focus, you know, and then I like uh uh troublemakers, you know, it's like oh you don't need to do homework. You just need to do the work. >> bare minimum. >> Yeah, bare minimum and you'll graduate cuz like I mean yeah, I wasn't doing well, you know, I was like I didn't speak English. >> you supposed to understand all that? >> Yeah, it's like you're you're talking about world history. Like I'm like oh yeah, so Kim Il Sung saved the whole world, right? >> Yeah. >> [laughter] >> That's the correct answer. He's like guys, I could save us a lot of time. >> Yeah. >> Was Is it one Is it [laughter] one of the propaganda >> the water and Kim Jong Un invented the burrito. >> Yeah. >> Yeah, yeah, that was That one made it to us. >> How did the Latinas feel about that? >> [laughter] >> Tell that to all the Latinas in high school. >> Yeah. Um and yeah, I wasn't doing really really well. Um and then >> Dude, that must have been such a trip being in North Korean school and then being in American school.
7:34 >> But how soon were you able to just talk to people in English casually? >> I wasn't able to do that until 2018. >> 2018? >> So like that's like one of the things that really helped me to learn English was texting with my wife. Um so so I met my wife while I >> What What year What year did you meet her? >> 2018 >> Oh, you met her in 2018. >> Oh, nice. >> Yeah, and then like well about 3 years, like I was able to understand English, right? I wasn't like cuz like always like people are always like talking so fast, like different accents, they throw out slangs, you know, it's like, "Yo, what up?" you know. >> And they're saying Spanish, too. >> Yeah, "Hey, amigo, ¿qué pasó?" you know. >> Yeah, why do you keep calling me Chinito? >> Hey, are you a spy or what?
8:24 >> Hey, pero que no. >> Stop spying. >> [laughter] >> My friends call me like Chino all the time. >> Yeah, Chino. >> Chino, ¿qué pasó? you know. >> Dude, this is the American way. >> And they taught me all the bad words. >> Yeah, you're good, dude. >> Yeah. >> And uh I I tried getting along with like the Korean community. Like uh like >> difficult, right? One [laughter] of us. He's like, "Forget it, dude. You can hang out with us." >> There's like a Korean community and Korean-American community. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> I tried belonging to that Korean community because I'm Korean. I'm not American yet. But I felt this like a resistance in a way like a racism. >> Like Parker and relate. >> hierarchy almost. >> Hierarchies. I I guess that I wouldn't
9:14 say that racism. I don't I don't Would Would Would you call that racism or I don't I don't know. >> Disrespect. >> But there is some sort of prejudice, I feel. >> Yeah, prejudice. >> Discrimination. >> General. >> They don't feel like you belong. >> Yeah. Yeah. There's like >> Of course. >> They would like categorize me into like, "Oh, you're North Korean, so you're always that." So like whenever they talk to me, they're like, "Oh, yeah, your Kim Jong-un is doing a nuclear testing. Oh, you were uh >> As if it's your leader still? >> Still like, you know. >> Tell him to stop. >> Yeah. Yeah, exactly. It's like, "Yeah, tell him to stop." >> [laughter] >> He's like, "What is he doing?" >> Tell him to stop spying. >> Tell your boyfriend. Tell your boyfriend to stop messing with us. >> [laughter] >> These guys do this with me here with the CCP, by the way. So, like, it's not going to stop. >> Okay. >> He likes the CCP. >> I did have a question. Um so, remember you were saying like you're in the coal mines? >> His hero's Chinese. >> They were dug out by the Japanese during
10:05 the colonial period. How cuz I know South Koreans hate Japanese. How does the North Koreans feel about Japanese? Do they hate them, too? >> Yeah. But everything that they use is that use Japanese products. >> Oh. >> Bicycles is a big transport method of transportation in North Korea. >> Yeah. >> Japanese bicycles. Yeah, used Japanese bicycles. It works great. It works better than like brand new >> So, the oldest Japanese stuff is better than new North Korean stuff. >> Exactly. So, are they riding like 70s like 70s Japanese bicycle? Like >> Taliban Toyota bicycle. >> Taliban and the Tacomas. >> And and and Toyota, too. There's a the Toyota cars. >> Oh, you see Oh, wow. They use Toyotas. >> I mean like in the big cities like like a smaller towns like with the roads are not paved. No, no, no, no, no, but but yeah, I mean um I think like um somewhere in the
10:55 website I've seen like only 30% of North Korea is paved roads. And then rest of them are kind of like all or maybe like 3%. >> Wow. That's a big difference. >> Yeah, sorry. So, I I I I I I read that statistic. >> 3%. >> You know, when you talk talked about North Korean elites, do they have a decent life or it's still even at the top it's everyone has a s█████ life unless you're like in government or something? >> Um I recently talked with a North Korean defector um and he kind of put it that way. Like, think about like the regime as the sun. Right? It makes sense. Regime as the sun. and if you get too close to the sun, you get burned. If you get too far from the sun, you uh >> freeze. >> You freeze, right? So, people who are on the top of the elite, sure, their life
11:46 is basically like they don't have to worry about what they're going to eat next, but they constantly have to worry about, am I going to be out of like in in out of favor of North like a Kim Jong-un, right? Am I going to go out of the favor? When is he going to kill me? >> Mhm. >> Wow. >> Cuz he can kill his own brother. He can >> Exactly. No, no. Like like you get killed for falling asleep at the meeting. >> Killed for that? >> At a meeting? Holy ████ >> Did Did you guys read that uh Yeah, he he he he he executed one of the the general leaders uh because he fell asleep during a meeting. >> Wow. >> Yeah. >> That's a bad look, though. >> That's ████ insane. >> Yeah, so so he's like really doing that to his people. Therefore, it's like it's constant fear. >> That's not just like That's not just like sick propaganda. You know, him and his buddies are like, "Dude, it'd be so tight if the rest of
12:36 the world who already thinks we're evil >> [laughter] >> Check this out. Check this out. I'm going to kill you, all right? Because you fell asleep. Isn't that crazy?" >> No, I don't I don't I don't think that's a propaganda. He would actually do it. >> [laughter] >> It's so so straightforward. >> He He did it. >> No, I don't think so. >> No, yeah. He did it and and the the reason why we know this is because he actually did that and he blasted off at the at the national TV in North Korea. >> Oh, so he broadcasted it? >> And sleeping at a like a national congress meeting, that's a sign of disrespect. I mean, you cannot even say You cannot even say the like name of the leader without addressing him addressing them as like great leader, dear leader. Like you can't right? And like Like they even box even like the chair
13:27 that Kim Jong-il sat on, pen that have he used, they gloss box it and it's like, "Oh, Kim Il-sung uh Kim Jong-il uh once used this. It's holy now." >> Uh it's yeah, it's like >> Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. >> So, I mean, he even So, you know uh Jang Song-thaek, right? So, he's the uncle for of the uh Kim Jong-un. He shot him with a uh uh the the guns that shoots down the plane um >> Wow, holy >> ████ >> Like a anti-air gun? >> Yeah, no, it's like a it's called Koksan-chong. I don't know what's that in English, but um it's like um it's like a gun that like Yeah, it's like a machine gun. >> It's a large-caliber weapon. >> High-caliber machine gun that shoots down airplane, and he shot him with that. >> a anti-tank rifle being used. Also, like
14:18 his uncle's just like a human that's just sitting there and he just >> [groaning] >> Yeah, yeah. >> Yeah, demolished him. >> Yeah, and then um I mean, we know this because like North Korean um the news outlets actually uh yeah, yeah, they actually >> Oh, they show it on the actual >> No, no, no, they don't show it, but they they uh like they say like he's a yeah, confirm it's like the extreme like um yokdok uh sorry. >> Execution Pro Max. My gosh. Um >> Their their media's like, "You know those big-ass guns that shoot down planes? Yeah, he got merked." >> Is that how they explain it? >> Uh treason. High treason. High treason. High treasoner. >> So, the punishment for something like that is usually going to be over like almost like a to be a symbol to scare
15:08 >> Yeah, so people have to go to the public execution, right? >> Oh, you have to attend? >> Have to You have to see it. And then, when I was actually I've never witnessed public execution, but a friend of mine did. And And I was in North Korea uh in the Sunchon back in 2008, there was a really famous guy who was a he he's like a factory manager and he was accused of working with South Korean South Korean pastor actually. I don't know if that was real. But because of that, he was shot 90 bullets. So 90 bullets. Three people three three executioner came out executioners came out, right? 30 rounds each and he shot him and everybody in the in schools in neighborhoods had to come out and watch because it was
15:58 mandatory. Kids have to sit in the very front row and watch that. Right? So my friend went there, come back telling me the story. He was just like pale. >> Yeah. >> Like all the blood just gone from his body. The worst part is a grandma and a little kid died uh after like people are trying to like come out of the um like a not a theater but it's like a >> Like a auditorium or something or like a venue. >> It's outside but people play soccer, you know, what what do you call stadium? Like like a stadium, yeah. People are rushing out from stadiums and then they were like a Yeah, tramples, yeah. And they died. So it's like you know. So like when Kim Jong-un does kind of you know public executions like
16:49 that is not a new thing. That there there isn't like American propaganda. There isn't like you know Western propaganda about that about North Korean public executions, you know. Because like yeah, people see it and you have to see it. And that's you know carrot and stick. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So carrot is when Kim Jong-un basically introduced people to like cell phones PC cafes but again that's elites, right? And again that is a propaganda, right? Like, hey, if you work hard enough, you can actually come to Pyongyang and enjoy all of these, right? Uh water park, PC cafes, uh >> It's just like ████ This is like the Hunger Games. There's like a capital that's like everybody kind of like people from other districts maybe like they dream about
17:39 being a part of this like higher >> Right. It's like the cell phones, like you know, it's like smartphones, like they display in Korea. For us, like, you know, actually, now that I think of it, it is exactly like Hunger Games. Like no like Pyongyang is like a complete different country to us. Like, you know, like you can like that does not exist in anywhere in North Korea. >> So, that's the prize. That's what everyone's going for. >> Yeah. So, it's like, hey, if you work hard enough, you can be here. Like, you can um enjoy the the fabulous beaches, you know, hotels, uh food, uh you know, dog meat, you know, and like uh all sorts of sorts of like meat, you know, and these kind of things. And then the stick uh the stick is like if you But, if you do something wrong, this is what's going to happen to you. Public execution. Right?
18:30 30 bullets. I you know, like long time ago Well, not long time ago. I've heard that like you know, when there's a public execution actually happens, like there's multiple different, you know, like firing squad will come out, and only one of those the bullets are actually real. But, in the in the not not in North Korea. In outside, right? Cuz like the human consciousness they can't handle killing someone. >> Yeah, yeah. >> But, North Korean military have to do it. And they are the one who's like suffering with like, you know, that, too. >> Oh, like just killing a kid or something like that. >> Yeah. So, uh you know, that's why I don't um recognize North Korean uh regime as a government. It's a regime. >> Yeah. >> Right? They're a um they're like cartel, basically. >> And they failed at what they offered the people. So, what good is it?
19:20 >> Yeah. It's a false I mean, they've been trying to achieve Kangsong Taeguk, which is like the the the uh the socialist like paradise, like utopia. >> Sure, yeah. >> And that's That's their promise to its people, right? Oh, we're going to do it next year. We're going to do next year. Next year. Next year. It's been 80 years. And people are just like Yeah, if they can't speak up because if they do, there's three generational punishment. Right? Cuz you can three generations punishment, right? Having Bible in North Korea, that's a that's a as high as um um talking trash about Kim Jong-un. The reason is because North Korean regime ripped off the Bible uh and then >> Oh, they changed it and made it >> Oh, they just changed Jesus to Kim Jong-un. >> [laughter] >> no, change changed Jesus to Kim Il-sung.
20:12 The grandfather of North Korea. Yeah. When Yeah. >> That must be a crazy translation. >> Right? When Kim Il-sung was born, uh there was a star rose uh in the Mount of Paektu showing the savior is born. >> the whole thing, huh? >> Exactly. And then all of the North Korean propaganda songs, exactly like hymns uh in the Bible. >> Just Kirk Franklin songs or >> [laughter] >> It's like a traditional like a like a like a worship music. >> Oh my god. They They couldn't even come up with their own stuff. They just like ripped it off. >> Exactly. So, uh so that's why when I went to Korean church for the first >> Oh, dude. [laughter] You're like, I know this one. >> Yeah, why does this like deja vu, you know? It's like But, you know, I'm the the the faith is a a whole another story that I should have talked about, but >> That's crazy.
21:02 >> um you know, it's a you know, I've I've had my fair share of struggles. Like I've learned that capitalism is not friendly, you know, the hard way. I got scammed many times and, you know, I I If you don't have health care, it's like, you know, you're ████ >> Might as well die. >> [laughter] >> It's our own problems in America. >> Excuse my French. And uh you know, homelessness, you know, I I see it everywhere, you know, I Like, I mean, even like LA, you know, it's just like the the poverty line is just like it's like day and night. >> What what's worse, Skid Row LA or North Korea, you think? >> North Korea. >> That's fair. [laughter] >> I would say >> As a matter of fact, it's again. >> I mean, bro, I'm like all the way like >> [laughter] >> I I I mean, yeah, I I mean, in in LA, I've seen like really bad like in a Homeless people have tents.
21:53 >> Yeah, they still have tents. >> They still have tents. Some of them get busy They get busy in there, too. They get busy [laughter] in there. >> Yeah, they still get busy. >> North Korean like >> You're too hungry to make love. >> Exactly. Well, it's >> You're too hungry to make love. >> North Korean homeless people like homeless kids >> Yeah, they're they're usually children. >> Children, and they die off. They can't grow older to become a homeless, you know, cuz they just die. >> They can't grow [laughter] up to be homeless. >> They don't even upgrade that far.
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