Aquariums of Pyongyang

"A. Most of the North Korean intelligentsia is located in Pyongyang and a few other cities in the south of the country. It is almost impossible for them to defect. Almost the only way to defect is through the border with China. Then aspiring defectors must spend time in China waiting to find a way to be smuggled into South Korea. If you are a university professor in Pyongyang, even if you are very unhappy about the “dear leader” and his regime, and you want to get out it is very difficult and risky. First of all you have to reach the border. This is no small feat because theoretically North Koreans are not allowed to leave their city or county without a special permit from the police. Now, due to corruption, you can replace this permission with a few US dollars. Nonetheless, your typical North Korean University professor doesn’t have that money, so they wouldn’t have a permit and even if they did, if they get close to the Chinese border, how would they cross the border? If you happen to live near the border you have connections with the border guards, you know how it is guarded. But if you are just an outsider you stand out and will attract much attention. Let’s assume you are lucky enough to make it without being arrested and you cross the river if. There’s still more trouble ahead if you’re a proefessor from Pyongyang. Most of the people from the borderland area, who tend to be farmers and labourers or low-level white collar workers, have connections on the other side of the border. Most of them have relatives in China. The part of China that abuts Korea is populated by ethnic Koreans and most of them have relatives in the North. People from the northern provinces can escape to their relatives across the border, who can provide assistance, money, jobs, shelter, everything that they need. But if you are part of the urban intelligentsia you are not likely to have relatives in that area. Besides, where will you hide and what will you do in China if you have been teaching bio-chemistry for your whole life?"