The best graduates are offered a choice: you could join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or become a guide who works with foreigners, for example. Those who choose the former and pass all inspections are given a red diplomatic passport and sent to an embassy to work.This is not always glamorous. Under Kim Il-sung North Korea did not have enough money to support low-ranking diplomats, so an attaché or a third secretary in the DPRK’s embassy in Romania, for example, would have had to take a train though the Soviet Union instead of a flight.
North Korea is a one-party state led by the Workers’ Party of Korea. The ruling Kim family — currently Kim Jong Un — has maintained power for three generations. The government exerts strong influence over every aspect of life, including employment, education, housing, and access to information. Citizens are expected to show loyalty to the leadership through political participation and public displays of devotion. Criticism of the government is considered a serious crime.
