If you want to arrange something quickly between nations you go through their respective three letter agencies.
(Saying that, I remember reading once that high-flying UK diplomats might be offered something less desirable as a ‘test of nerve’ - to see whether they had enough confidence and self belief to hold out for something better. It’s a never-ending test of character and ability to know which way the wind is blowing, I suppose)
Personally I would have loved the job. Seems like they had lots of free time. Very secure country without much crime. Really not much to worry about, just a bit isolating. Plus some cool stories to tell when you are back home.
Sure, not the type of job for people with family.
What good is that in North Korea? The whole country is basically a prison, and after what happened to Otto, anyone with any sense of self-preservation should want to avoid the place.
Saudi Arabia isn't North Korea, but it's still a lot less free than most developed countries, especially for females like my mother, who were not allowed to drive or work, could not go out alone, and legally forced to wear a stupid black thing in insanely hot weather while all the males of the country wore comfy white clothing.
I don't know the full story of their financials, but all I know is we got free housing, 1 free trip to the US every year, and 3 free vacations per year anywhere in the world, flights, lodging, and all expenses covered. We did lots of things that I believe they wouldn't have been able to do on their own money at the time. They also rented out their house in the US for extra income.
I wouldn't be surprised if diplomats who voluntarily take posts in North Korea also get a shitton of compensation benefits like that.
Less prestigious jobs but also desirable to some are sailors, or worse, submariners, and people working in Antarctica and other remote, hostile places.
Speaking about countries, North Korea is an oppressive dictatorship, but at least, it is not at war, and crime is limited. There are countries where your freedoms are just as or even more limited because you risk getting killed, mugged, kidnapped, etc... if you leave your armored vehicle and armed escort.
The positives of living in North Korea includes getting familiar with one of the most secretive culture in the world. There are some reports about North Koreans being quite joyful. People can have really shitty lives: war, crippling diseases, etc... and still find joy, so that shouldn't be surprising. And also, the article mentions travels, so, not really a prison.
And of course, there is the obvious aspect of compensation, which is probably substantial.
> The World Food Programme (whose Head at the time was an American called Reagan!)
But I can't find him here or elsewhere:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embassy_of_North_Korea,_London
Is that a flagpole in the front garden?
Clearly the days of spycraft aren't over.
Those kinds of embassies don't need to be in the fancy embassy district.
(its just that electronic warfare is a natural extension of long range, lets call it, interference)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Space_Operation...
Open channels of communication and all that.
An alternate explanation is that countries would like to have the appearance of being as shadowy and influential as what the CIA has going on. I'll quote (AFKA) mos def [0] and also link to the 99% invisible episode in number stations [1]. Some countries broadcast codes nonstop A in case they ever need to, no one can tell they just started and B to have the appearance they have covert agents behind enemy lines, just to be spooky.
Mentioned that he worked for the embassy
People seem to find that interesting
High status, intrigue and mystery
Special code name on the hotel registry
I love it when they say
"Enjoy your stay"
They say it how they mean it
'Cause that's the way they been trained
Show you to your room
A suite with a view
When, if anything at all
Do not hesitate to call
...
Salutations, congratulations
Reservations, exclusive arrangements
Dinner with the patrons, the scenery is amazing
It's so outrageous, they whisper when they say it
When it's really real it's even realer than "The Matrix"
Classic, modern, ancient, flagrant
Get a special thrill every time they get to say it
Peace! I work with the embassy
[1] https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/numbers-stations/
Every room had a picture of Kim, obviously.
There are quite a few in houses like this along Somerset Street if I'm remembering correctly.
In Dublin there are a few big embassy compounds (US, Russia, UK, Germany are the only ones I can think of). Everyone else, even big dogs like China and India, has a converted house or a floor in an office block. Lots of pictures on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_in...
How much have things changed there in terms of technology, food security etc?
Documentary about getting s haircut in North Korea
Which means any conversation on the internet about NK is likely to be polluted with propaganda, even if none of the participants themselves are operatives - all it takes is someone unwittingly ingesting a bad fact once for that bad fact to get circulated.
When I say dragons fly over the rainbows, I need to source the claim. When I say that the sky is blue, it's you who needs to look it up if you doubt it so much.
Anything said about north Korea that is not absolutely bonkers is propaganda?
that's the point, you poison the well once and everyone keeps drinking from it, forever.
Check "North Korea Confidential" by Daniel Tudor and James Pearson from 2015.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpdYcy8JtiisXTMb4zug_oCIB...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZgzAquCs-o&list=PLk70D7sV6Q...
There was a few playlist from central asian travellers and with Chinese business man exploring with more casual minders a few years back but I can't find them. I know a few PRC nationals who made the trip for business, TLDR is NK cities and towns feels like PRC in the 90s with energy of PRC in the 80s. Some of the villages/hamlets seem like PRC from the 70s (which I guess is what most ppl think of NK). Other era reference points probably not helpful for ppl without context of growing up in PRC. So it's worth scrubbing through some of the videos, a lot of it is city and keep in mind NK is 60% urbanized.
Educationally speaking, the DPRK would catch up pretty quickly if they were able to liberalize their economy as much as China, even without all the help they could get from ROK, Japan, USA. It isn't Afghanistan (where liberalization wouldn't stick), or even Laos where there is a lot of work to do on modernizing society, which makes its current state even more depressing.
So some things have probably changed a lot since then.
A fascinating read regardless.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embassy_of_the_United_Kingdom,...