you gotta watch this

Shane Smith, co-founder of Vice magazine, gives us a rare look inside North Korea -- well, more precisely, it's the North Korea Pyongyang wants you to see. This three-part series is fascinating because it vividly captures the disparity between reality and propaganda, a gulf that's so immense it's difficult -- and heartbreaking -- to believe that a country's people can exist in such a secluded, solitary state.

The series was posted on Vice magazine's VBS.tv way back in March 2008, but, for some reason, CNN, which is where I discovered the series, recently posted a blurb about it and VBS.tv, calling the site a "transparent approach to journalism."

During part one, Smith calls the border between North and South Korea "the end of the world." Indeed, after getting such a rare glimpse inside North Korea, it would be hard as a North Korean to imagine anything existing beyond your borders. "Vice Guide to North Korea" made me appreciate the World Wide Web -- and my freedom. There are too many memorable moments to mention, so watch all three parts. Great stuff.

(Also check out Boston Globe's "Recent Scenes from North Korea" for some interesting pics.)

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