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Why are there so many homeless people around Seoul Station?

 You may notice quite a few homeless people around Seoul Station. A lot of visitors ask me, “Why are there so many homeless people here?” One of the biggest reasons goes back to 1997, during the Asian Financial Crisis. In Korea, we usually call it the IMF Crisis . A lot of companies went bankrupt, unemployment rose very quickly, and many people suddenly lost their jobs and income. Some people eventually lost their homes as well. And many of them came to Seoul Station . Why here? Because this was one of the main places to find day labor and temporary jobs , and it was also the main railway station if they wanted to go back to their hometowns. But some had no money left and nowhere else to go, so they stayed around the station. That is one reason Seoul Station became one of the main gathering places for homeless people after the 1997 crisis. Then another thing happened. Once many homeless people were here, churches, charities, NGOs, and the government started providing help here. Th...

North Korea election system.

Is there an election in Korea? 

Yes, North Korea also has elections. In North Korea,  Voting is mandatory for anyone above the age of 17 or over regardless of their gender or occupation. The turnout of the North Korean election is always almost 99.9% and votes were 100% in favor of the ruling party.  


North Korea ballot. 

Why is turnout 100%? 

Here's a funny thing. Each voter has been given a ballot paper with a single name on it which they then place in a ballot box located out in the open. No marking no choice in candidates. Voters cast their ballots publicly and election wins are always landslides. 

While there are private voting booths, few people use them crossing out a candidate's name. Anybody who crossed out a candidate's name and abstaining are both considered acts of treason. 








Who will North Koreans vote for? 

The election for deputies to the supreme people's Assembly and provincial governors, mayors, and other local officials is held every four years and is closely overseen by the ruling Worker's Party. 

The election for the Supreme Leader of the Supreme People's Assembly is held every five years but the supreme leader, who has been hereditary for three generations, is not elected by the residents but rather chosen by the members of the supreme people's Assembly showing the ballot in front of all people. 



That's the only positive I can think of is that it's a lot less stressful than normal elections because they don't have to worry that they voted for the wrong person. so people enjoy this election day that it's more like a party. 


What's unusual about North Korea's election? 

There is a dress code worn on election day. People have to wear suits. Men should wear formal attire and women must wear hanbok which is Korean traditional clothing. However, many North Koreans do not have hanbok or suits so they often borrow clothes from their neighbors. 

Since they are a single candidate, there's no campaign so residents have no information about the candidate. 


**Deputies to the supreme people's Assembly: 최고 위원회 대의원 

**최고 지도자 김정은 (Supreme Leader) 


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