In North Korea, even children in first grade of elementary school are used as spies. Children are often given awards at school. If they report something new, then the school gives them an award. The system is set up such that children will report to school authorities about statements made at home by their mothers and fathers. When the boys and girls arrive at school in the morning, they secretly report about what their mother and father said at home. Then, there is a person on the school staff who acts as a link to the party. Sometimes, a child will be given instructions. "Go ask your mother and father whether they have ever said such-and-such." That's what they do. They phrase the question in such a way that the parents can easily answer in a way that will brand them as reactionary elements. In this way, they classify the entire population, starting with the parents of school children.

Using this kind of method, the authorities determine whether each parent is supporting the party. This way, they make it so that the parents cannot trust their children. When children sense that their parents do not trust them, they begin to place more trust in their teachers at school. So, the children become thoroughly linked to the state through the schools.

Thus, a structure is built centering on the schools, with the state in the background, and then it is elevated to the level where the children refer to Kim Il Sung as their Ofather." At school, the children are told, OYour parents don't trust you," and then they are made to gather even more information. They create a split between parents and children, and distrust is the natural result. They canOt trust each other. That's what they say. Whom do the children trust more? They place more trust in their teachers. This is the way that the authorities assimilate school children into the system and make them work for the state.

Then, if a relative should visit their home, the children are required to report everything that was said. If a relative enters the home and leaves, the children absolutely must file a report. They will be severely scolded if they don't write down in that report everything that was said during the visit. That's the way it is. So, if the mother and father start a conversation with each other at home, the young children will keep going in and out of the room so that they can hear everything that is said. The older sister will hear a part of the conversation and the younger sister will hear another part. Then, they will compare notes with each other in order to make their report.

That is how the organization is structured. Centering on the reports of the students, people who are guilty of making statements or actions of a reactionary nature are branded as impure or deviant elements. These people will then have their rations cut. Because of this, people keep their mouths shut even when they can clearly see that something is wrong. Even though they have mouths, they cannot speak. If they say something critical and are found out, they will have their rations cut. (163-165)

Kim Man Chul led 10 members of his family in an escape from North Korea by sea in 1987, and his sons have given public speeches in which they describe the situation there. It's just the way I told you. If anything, it's even worse. It's even worse. Mr. Kim's sons said that people go to work in the morning and arenOt able to return until midnight. What they say in their speeches is correct. People don't leave their children at home. What do they think of the home? They say the home is a den of reactionary elements. If you read Marx's writings on Communist theory, you see that he considered the family to be an idol. He also said that the family is the origin of exploitation.

This is why they make absolutely sure that people do not develop an interest in their families. The children are embraced at school and educated in this way. Children are taught that the home is not a place where they can live with their hearts at ease.

It's not a simple matter, then, for us to step forward and say we will deal with this reality in North Korea and liberate it. (163-187)