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Discover all statistics and data on Internet usage in South Korea now on statista.com!

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How do you get a job in North Korea? | NK News - North Korea News

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Every week we ask a North Korean your questions, giving you the chance to learn more about the country we know so little about. This week Matthew M. asks: What are the differences in jobs in North Korea, how frequently can you change jobs, and what about pay?

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Think of North Korean style and, inevitably, images of Kim Jong-un's disconcertingly sharp fades and menacingly wide trousers, billowing in the Pyongyang breeze, crowd into your mind. But it turns out there's far more to the state of fashion in the hermit state than its great leader's odd affectations.

While you might expect North Koreans to be too busy navigating the minefield of day-to-day police state life to worry much about their clothes, it would appear that there is a distinct sense of personal style amongst many of the country's population.

In a recent article on the New York Times, Carol Giacomo and photographer Ed Jones travelled to Pyongyang to report on what real people wore to work, on the weekend and in the capital's dimly-lit arcades.

Take a look below at a selection of the fascinating images.

All photos by Ed Jones / Getty

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Here's What Street Style Looks Like In North Korea

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Think of North Korean style and, inevitably, images of Kim Jong-un's disconcertingly sharp fades and menacingly wide trousers, billowing in the Pyongyang breeze, crowd into your mind. But it turns out there's far more to the state of fashion in the hermit state than its great leader's odd affectations.

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i got the power of anime and god on my side

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i got the power of anime and god on my side

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The Educational System in North Korea - StudyCountry.com

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Browse StudyCountry and get a wide range of information about the formal education system in North Korea, from primary education to advanced higher learning degrees.

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Editor's Note - This story is part of a series highlighting superlatives of countries and cities around the world. Click here for pieces on Italy, France, the United States, Canada, Taiwan, India, Hong Kong and Mexico, and watch for upcoming installments featuring other countries.

Occasionally that news is grim -- something to do with a troublesome cousin across the border.

From the weird to the wonderful to sci-fi stuff from a Samsung galaxy far, far away, here are things South Korea pulls off more spectacularly than anywhere else.

Want to see what the future looks like?

Book a ticket to the country with a worldwide high 82.7% Internet penetration and where 78.5% of the entire population is on smartphones (as of 2013).

While they're chatting away on emoticon-ridden messenger apps such as Naver Line or Kakao Talk, South Koreans also use their smartphones to pay at shops, watch TV (not Youtube but real-time channels) on the subway and scan QR codes at the world's first virtual supermarket.

Hyundai plans on rolling out a car that starts with your smartphone in 2015.

Samsung in the meantime has been designing a curved phone.

Crazy displays of technology already in place but not yet distributed can be seen (by appointment) at T.um, Korea's largest telecom company SK Telecom's future technology museum.

, Jung-gu, Euljiro 2-ga 11, Seoul; +82 2 6100 0601

2. Whipping out the plastic

While Americans made 77.9 credit card transactions per person in 2011 and Canadians made 89.6, South Koreans made 129.7.

It's technically illegal for any merchant in the country to refuse credit cards, no matter how low the price, and all cabs have credit card machines.

South Koreans are so used to studying -- the country has the highest education level in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, with 98% of the population completing secondary education and 63% with a college education -- they can't get out of the habit once they reach the work force.

According to this quirky map from thedoghousediaries, Brazil sets the standard for FIFA World Cup titles and North Korea leads in "censorship," but South Korea takes the crown for workaholics.

You can see it in any Korean city, where lights in buildings blaze into the late hours as workers slave away.

According to 2012 data from South Korea's Ministry of Strategy and Finance, South Koreans work 44.6 hours per week, compared with the OECD average of 32.8.

And according to a study released in August 2014, along with Tokyo residents, Seoulites get the least amount of sleep of any residents of major cities in the world, just less than six hours a night.

When they're not working, Koreans are celebrating their latest deals or drowning their sorrows in soju.

While many leading companies are trying to curb the working/drinking culture, there are still plenty of bosses who drag their teams out for way too many rounds of soju/beer/whiskey "bombs."

Those who opt out are considered rude or hopelessly boring.

Yes, Japan and a few other countries can stake reasonable claims to this title, but South Korea has stats to back up the barroom brag.

The South Korean distilled rice liquor manufacturer outsold Smirnoff vodka, which came in second by 37.48 million cases.

When it comes to makeup and cosmetics, South Koreans can't stop experimenting with ingredients or methods of application.

Snail creams (moisturizers made from snail guts) are so 2011.

Now it's all about Korean ingredients such as Innisfree's Jeju Island volcanic clay mask and fermented soybean moisturizer.

At VDL, Korea's latest trendy cosmetics line, products change monthly.

Right now, they're pushing "hair shockers" -- neon tints for hair -- and nail polish with real flowers in it.

Just as Korean men are less wary of going under the plastic surgery knife (see point 10) than their foreign counterparts, they also snap up skincare products and, yes, even makeup, namely foundation in the form of BB cream.

South Korea is by far the largest market for men's cosmetics, with Korean men buying a quarter of the world's men's cosmetics -- around $900 million a year, according to Euromonitor.

"Why are Korean women so good at golf?"

The rankings were staggering.

Of the top 100 female golfers in the world, 38 were Korean.

Inbee Park, 25, is the second-ranked player in women's golf and was the youngest player to win the U.S. Women's Open.

In January, Ko, 14, set the record for the youngest woman to ever win a professional golf tournament.

Chalk it up to crazy Korean competitiveness or to the Tiger Mom/Dad theory (golfer Se-Ri Pak's father is infamous for making her sleep alone in a cemetery every night to steel her nerves), but the phenomenon certainly begs study.

Widely thought to be a response to Korean domination of the sport, the U.S.-based LPGA passed a requirement in 2008 mandating that its members must learn to speak English, or face suspension.

Starcraft is actually a legitimate career in South Korea, with pro gamers raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars in earnings in addition to endorsements.

Since the game launched in 1998, nearly half of all games have been sold in South Korea, where boys, girls, men and women drop by for a night of gaming in giant video game parlors.

There are cable channels devoted solely to the games, and the culture has led to approximately 14% of Koreans between ages 9 and 12 suffering from Internet addiction, according to the National Information Agency.

To try to crack down, the government passed a ban dubbed the "shutdown law" or "Cinderella law" two years ago, prohibiting anyone 16 and younger from game websites. The ban has been widely ignored.

Flight attendants from airlines around the world come to Korean airlines' training centers to learn proper airborne charm.

Ask anyone who's ever flown a Korean airline and dare them to say the service isn't the best they've ever had.

It's not just the sweet smiles that greet every little request, but the almost comical looks of suicidal despair when they somehow run out of bibimbap in the row before yours.

"When's your next sogeting (blind date)?"

That's one of the most frequently asked questions of any Korean single.

The standard answer is the epic horror story that was the last blind date, often involving a crippling Oedipus complex or intolerable physical flaw.

Followed immediately by a chirpy, "Why, do you know someone you can set me up with?"

Due to the high volume of blind dates, when Korean make up their minds, they move quickly.

According to data compiled by South Korea's largest matchmaking company, Duo, the average length of time of a relationship from the (blind) first date to marriage is approximately 10.2 months for working people, with an average of 62 dates per couple.

In a survey conducted by Duo, working singles interested in marriage say they typically go on two blind dates a week.

They should know. Of the top four matchmaking companies in Korea (there are 2,500 companies in the country), Duo has a 63.2% marketshare.

Whether it's a lantern jaw, wide forehead or long teeth, there's no feature doctors can't beautify in the Asian capital for cosmetic surgery.

Russians, Chinese, Mongolians and Japanese flock to South Korea on plastic surgery "medical tours," not only for the skill of the surgeons, but for the good deals.

"An average -- not excellent -- face-lift in the United States will set you back about $10,000," Seoul National University Hospital plastic surgeon Kwon Seung-taik told CNN. "But in Korea you can get the same service for $2,000 or $3,000."

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10 things south korea does better than anywhere else  - cnn

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10 things South Korea does better than anywhere else

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Editor's Note - This story is part of a series highlighting superlatives of countries and cities around the world. Click here for pieces on Italy, France, the United States, Canada, Taiwan, India, Hong Kong and Mexico, and watch for upcoming installments featuring other countries.

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The South Korean education system focuses on hard work, but the side effects mean other countries might not want to replicate this. Shutterstock

In Korea, perhaps more so than anywhere else, educational success equals socioeconomic status. South Koreans view education as the main driver of social mobility, for themselves and their family. Graduating from a top university is the ultimate marker of high status and the pressure is on from an early age.

Competition and studying hard to be the best is deeply ingrained in the psyche of Korean students; the entire environment surrounding the child (parents, family, and teachers) is actively involved and geared towards the same goal: to be test-ready and succeed. Students have a clear path and a clear purpose in mind at the start of their educational journey.

Why do South Korean students consistently dominate league tables?

According to global expert on education reform Sir Michael Barber, Korean culture "prizes effort above inherited 'smartness'", and believes long hours studying and hard work will eventually pay off.

Research has found the attitudes and strong beliefs of Asian parents make an important contribution to their children's academic success. Researchers from Stanford University say Asian children find motivation to succeed in parental expectations.

Australian children with East Asian parents outperform their Australian peers, with researchers finding East Asian children spent 15 hours a week studying after school (9 hours for Australians), and have a stronger work ethic and higher aspirations (94% of them expect to go on to university).

Experts and heads of state, from US President Barack Obama to former Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard, often cite Finnish schools or the "Asian Model" as the panacea to improve our education systems.

The fact that American children "spend over a month less in school than children in South Korea" will, according to Obama, in "no way prepare them for a 21st-century economy". This belief seems to increasingly resonate in the corridors of power in many parts of the educational world.

Is the South Korean educational model replicable?

"To be a South Korean child ultimately is not about freedom, personal choice or happiness; it is about production, performance and obedience," argued Yale academic See-Wong Koo. This statement seems miles away from recent reports by education company Pearson and the OECD placing South Korea at the top of the education league tables.

While Finland is considered a non-competitive system of education, South Korea's is often described as very stressful, authoritarian, brutally competitive and meritocratic. It emphasises high pressure and high performance, particularly for the 640,621 students who took the eight-hour long suneung (College Scholastic Ability Test) nationwide in November 2014.

This event is critical in the life of South Korean families - entry to one of the three most prestigious "SKY" universities (Seoul National, Korea and Yonsei) will basically determine social status for most of their lives and will secure a highly-paid job in one of the chaebols (family-owned business conglomerates).

Education at all levels and particularly in science and engineering, is viewed as a key to upward mobility in the still highly stratified Korean society. As a consequence, a new phenomenon has emerged in recent years: Dwaeji Omma, or "Pig Mums".

A Pig Mum does her research thoroughly and keeps her eyes on the ultimate target: a Korean Ivy-league university for her child and her "adopted" children (those belonging to her Pig Mum network); she plans every step of her kid's educational journey and all the extracurricular (studying) activities, attends all the best schools' open days, organises strategic planning reunions, bullies, lobbies and even bribes private schools and private teachers to skip admission lines if necessary.

Should South Korea's system be adopted to remedy Western education's ailments?

The intense pressure to succeed no matter the cost is taking its financial and social toll: as university places are limited, Koreans spend over $18 trillion won (A$20 billion), around 20% of household income to pay for after-school private academies called hakwon. 75% of all children attend a hakwon, mainly at DaeJi Dong, Seoul's study Mecca.

Research has found that Asian-American students are more likely to have conflicted relationships with their parents over unmet expectations and more self-image issues than white students.

The 2014 Youth Happiness Index found for instance that only 67.6% of Korean youth said they are satisfied with their life (OECD average is 85.8%), mostly because of study pressure.

The conclusion of a 2013 study was that Tiger Parenting (strict parenting, often in Asian cultures) is less effective and more demanding than a supportive parenting environment.

South Korea has one of the highest rates of suicide (28.9%) in the OECD. South Korean novelist Young Ha Kim wrote in an op-ed that suicide is the "No.1 cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 30".

Korea also ranks among the highest for household debt, depression, divorce, and alcohol consumption. It has been argued South Korean education produces overachieving students who pay a stiff price in health and happiness.

Neither does a focus on credentials, tests and entrance exams give South Korean students the skills (like creativity and teamwork) to succeed in higher education or in an increasingly difficult local job market.

So while other countries may envy South Korea's positions in the league tables, there are cultural factors that mean this focus on hard work probably can't be replicated elsewhere, and given the societal collateral damage, probably wouldn't want to.
Further reading on what Australia can learn from education abroad.

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South Korean education ranks high, but it's the kids who pay

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South Korean students consistently top the league tables - leading Western leaders to look to Asia to fix our education systems. But South Korean students pay in other ways, meaning we shouldn't be so quick to try to replicate their system.

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Trading Economics members can view, download and compare data from nearly 200 countries, including more than 20 million economic indicators, exchange rates, government bond yields, stock indexes and commodity prices.

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South Korea Employment Rate | 1999-2018 | Data | Chart | Calendar

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Employment Rate in South Korea decreased to 60.20 percent in December from 61.20 percent in November of 2017. Employment Rate in South Korea averaged 59.52 percent from 1999 until 2017, reaching an all time high of 61.50 percent in July of 2017 and a record low of 56.10 percent in February of 2001.

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New World Encyclopedia website

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Treaty of Ganghwa - New World Encyclopedia

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The following year saw a Japanese fleet led by Special Envoy Kuroda Kiyotaka coming over to Korea, demanding an apology from Joseon government and demanded that Korea sign the Treaty of Ganghwa, a treaty of commerce between the two nations.

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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

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Prezi

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Prezi

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Food Tour article

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Vietnam has been conquered by France for more than 80 years (1859-1945), at that time, the Vietnam's society and culture was affected by France partly, especially the culinary culture. French has a positive influences on Vietnamese cuisine. The French love the dishes with sophisticated decoration to attract people from the first sight. They are finical about their food, how about the Vietnamese? How French influences on Vietnamese Cuisine?

Top 5 Things that French influences on Vietnamese Cuisine

1. Color

Color is the solution that people in Vietnam make the food become more attractive to table companions. From the green color of herb to red tomatoes, all the materials are carefully prepared for the most suitable combinations or processes of food.

2 Ingredients

The French brought many ingredients and flavors to Vietnam, most popular and noticeable is probably the baguette, which the Vietnamese adapted and today create their own style of baguette using rice flour. Many of the vegetables introduced to the country are common in Western cooking, and their names in Vietnamese reflect their origins. Potatoes, carrots, artichokes onions and asparagus are just some of the most obvious vegetables that are included here, with the Vietnamese word for potato khoai tây literally meaning 'Western yam'. Onions are called hành tây (literally "western shallots"), asparagus as măng tây (western bamboo shoots). Influences are numerous and not limited to simple ingredients, but stretch to methods of cooking too, with the use of butter and wine in the preparation of meals as a nod towards the French:

sa lát (salad), pâté, patê sô (a Brittany pasty called "pâté chaud"), bánh sừng trâu (croissant), bánh flan, ya ua (yogurt), rôti (rotisserie), bơ (butter), vịt nấu cam (duck à l'orange), ốp lết (omelette), ốp la ( œufs au plat), phạc xi (farcies), bít tết(beefsteak), sốt vang (cooking with wine), dăm bông ( jambon), and xúc xích ( saucisse).

3. Banh my

I use a special sauce made from juices of the smoked pork," explains Madame Phuong

"Bánh mì'- Vietnamese baguettes

Baguettes was introduced to Vietnam by the French, which were then combined with Vietnamese stuffing to become a popular fast food in Vietnam called bánh mì and known overseas as "Vietnamese baguettes", though different from the French counterpart in that the baguette is normally made entirely of rice flour . Nowadays, we can find Vietnamese baguettes in any road in Vietnam or even in many places in the Western countries. A delicacy found from street vendors and Vietnamese bakeries, its availability makes it a regular chew for both locals and tourists. Instead of using forks and spoons, baguettes of Vietnamese style is very convenient for busy people. Usually containing grilled meat, coriander and pickled carrots, the use of rice flour for the baguette makes it a lighter option to the heavier French loaf.

If you visit Hoi An, don't forget to try Madam Phuong banh my- best baguettes in town.

4. Coffee

All over the nation, from avenue to small lane in France, people can find out some coffee shop opening all day. The French love coffee or the true is that they love the quiet atmosphere with a cup of coffee. Since the French introduced coffee to Vietnam in the 1800s, it has become one of the most integral parts of modern Vietnamese social culture. Consumed morning, noon and night, coffee shops are a hub of social interaction for everyone from businesspeople to young socialites. Vietnam grows an incredible amount of coffee beans, and it is the world's second largest exporter of coffee.

Vietnamese iced coffee, the sweetened version loaded with lots of condensed milk, has been the favourite snack of many in the western world. Photo by: Anhsfoodblog
You can check Anhsfoodblog for more information about Vietnamese coffee
5. Crème caramel

"Bánh flan" or simply, crème caramel is a dessert served chilled with a coffee or caramel saucepoured over the soft caramel top, and the Vietnamese make it even tastier by adding some coconut milk to the mixture when creating the custard base. Since its arrival here, it has become incredibly popular throughout the country and is known by different names, bánh caramel or kem caramel in northern parts of Vietnam, and bánh flan or kem flan in southern regions of the country. In addition to adding coconut milk, the adaptation of caramel sauce to black coffee means that the dessert bears new and more distinctive flavors, a far more interesting end to a meal than the slightly over sweet pudding that we are all accustomed to.

Passing nearly 100 years living under the reign of romantic and luxurious France which is famous for their dishes around the world, Vietnam has acculturated selectively. Therefore, Vietnamese can be pound of their own culinary culture.

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How French influences on Vietnamese Cuisine - Hoi An Food Tour

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Vietnam has been conquered by France for more than 80 years (1859-1945), at that time, the Vietnam's society and culture was affected by France partly, especially the culinary culture. French has a positive influences on Vietnamese cuisine. The French love the dishes with sophisticated decoration to attract people from the first sight.

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Ba'get: Vietnamese street food | Melbourne VIC

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Ba'get: Vietnamese street food | Melbourne VIC

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Ba'get is Melbourne's best Vietnamese street food and catering family business

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The Culture Trip - article

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From 1887 until the Geneva Accord of 1954, Vietnam was part of French Indochina, a colonial possession which also included Laos and Cambodia. Even now, more than 60 years later, it's easy to find French influences throughout the region. Those years under French control brought on rapid change, forever leaving their mark on Vietnam-good and bad. Despite the efforts of the Vietnamese government to erase anything they perceived to be out of line with their image of a unified and independent Vietnam, French culture is too deeply ingrained. It's part of the fabric of Vietnam now.

Many staple foods in Vietnam are French dishes modified to include local ingredients: omelets, baguettes, croissants and anything fried in butter. Certain ingredients-cauliflower, zucchini, pate and potatoes, among others-were introduced to Vietnam during the colonial years. Some dishes arose from the demands of French authorities and their families, while others came from Vietnamese cooks, incorporating their new ingredients. Much of what we know as distinctly Vietnamese cuisine has French influences.

Linguistics

While China has undoubtedly had more influence over the Vietnamese language, anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of French will hear familiar words in Vietnam. The words for cheese, neckties, butter, bread, father (pa), beer and many, many others are all phonetic copies of French words.

Besides sharing words, Vietnamese as you see it today only looks the way it does because French colonial authorities promoted the Romanized version created by Alexandre De Rhodes, a Jesuit missionary who also helped to bring about the next major cultural influence.

Catholics in Vietnam make up approximately seven percent of the population. Holidays like Easter and Christmas, while not nearly as widely celebrated as they are in the West, have their own Vietnamese traditions. It's common to see people wearing a cross around their neck, and many families have an alter to Jesus in their home, near their ancestor shrine. Vietnam is officially atheistic, but the government doesn't interfere with people practicing their faith these days. Also, some of the most famous buildings in Vietnam are churches.

Architecture

In certain cities-most notably Dalat, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Hanoi-there are still wonderful examples of French architecture, with their high arches, balconies, columns and pleasing symmetries. Some of the more remarkable buildings are the Hanoi Opera House, the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon and the many colonial villas and mansions in the hills surrounding Dalat. Even today, rich Vietnamese still build villas with French architectural features, whereas government buildings tend to be more austere.

If it weren't for the colonial French and their preference for Dalat's cool mountain climate, this little city would be a very different place. For a time, it was the summer capital of French Indochina. The colonial authorities couldn't handle the oppressive heat and rains of the lowlands, so they retreated to their villas and mansions around Dalat. Because of the unique climate, the colonial French also helped to make Dalat into an agricultural powerhouse. Many ingredients used throughout Vietnam can only grow around Dalat.

Elsewhere in Asia, bread isn't as popular a dish-at least, nothing like it is in Vietnam. Here, millions of people eat banh mi sandwiches for breakfast every single day. Baguettes were introduced by the French, but Vietnamese use rice flour instead, for obvious reasons. The bread is more airy and porous, distinctly Vietnamese. Today, there are French-style bakeries throughout Vietnam, part of a resurgence of international culture making its way back into the country as it modernizes.

While the white suits of the early 20th century are gone, there are still other fashion influences that remain. The ao dai, a traditional Vietnamese outfit, is the best example. Prior to the French, the ao dai was more conservative-a flowing robe which didn't accentuate the sexual parts of the body. The influx of French tailors, along with the tastes of the colonial rulers, changed the ao dai into what we know it as today: a voluptuous outfit which accentuates curves, made of thin silk. For men, the trousers and collared shirts, still popular among even workers, were first introduced by French tailors. Though now, American styles have taken over.

In the days before French Indochina, education was reserved for elites-for mandarins who served as bureaucrat scholars to the dynastic Nguyen emperors. Under the French, the education system became westernized. People could specialize, rather than studying broadly for the purpose of ruling. The French also introduced schooling up to the third grade-but not out of some sense of egalitarianism. They needed to train more clerks and assistants to handle the mundane duties of colonial rule.

Infrastructure

The colonial French-behind their facetious notion of spreading civilization to their colonies-did leave behind modern infrastructure which Vietnam still uses to this day. The famous Reunification Express, the railway line between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, was originally built under French rule. Many of the roads and bridges in Vietnam were also first built under French supervision. Probably the most famous example is the Long Biên Bridge in Hanoi-formerly the Paul Doumer Bridge. One unsung hero of French infrastructure is the sanitation system they left behind, especially in Ho Chi Minh City. Without French infrastructure, this city of almost ten million would've been much smellier.

Long since replaced by bicycles and motorbikes, you can still find these holdouts of the French colonial days in the touristy areas around the country-near the Citadel in Hue, District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City and in Hanoi's Old Quarter. They conjure images of French aristocracy chauffeured around Saigon, fanning themselves under the scorching midday sun. They're a strange reminder of a different era.

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A Number Of Ways France Influenced Vietnamese Culture

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Learn about how French colonial rule in Indochina still influences Vietnamese culture to this day.

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The Conversation

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The latest bombing campaign in Syria bears a remarkable and worrying resemblance to one of history's most infamous and flawed military interventions. Operation Rolling Thunder was the aerial assault on North Vietnam which lasted from 1965 to 1968. It was a massive bombardment, hugely destructive and, ultimately, ineffectual.

Because for all the staggering tonnage of bombs dropped (643,000 tons), the ruthless communist regime in North Vietnam - careless of the lives of its people and secure in its support from the USSR and China - was neither deterred nor materially prevented from prosecuting its war against America's doomed client state in South Vietnam.

One of the reasons for the aerial campaign's failure was that it was planned around a wholly flawed strategy, based upon an utter miscalculation of how the targeted regime would respond to the bombing. That situation now appears to be repeating itself in Syria.

Read more: Syria: who's involved, and what do they want?

Shutterstock/EverettHistorical

'Bomb them back into the stone age'

It is often assumed that the US pursued an unrestricted bombing campaign against North Vietnam, a view captured most graphically in General Curtis LeMay's often quoted threat to " bomb them back into the stone age". It did not. The policy underpinning the bombing campaign was devised by US Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara and President Lyndon Baines Johnson - and it was based on "graduated escalation".

North Vietnam would be encouraged to enter negotiations by a decrease in the intensity and frequency of air raids and punished for any aggressive action by a commensurate increase. It was a policy that, 30 years later, MacNamara himself would describe as " wrong, terribly wrong ".

In Hanoi, the waxing and waning of the bombing was perceived not as strength but as weakness, much as the periodic flinging of cruise missiles at a restricted number of targets in Syria, interspersed with long periods of inaction, probably seems to Bashar al-Assad.

Fear of a superpower confrontation

Furthermore, the bombing itself, besides not delivering the intended political dividends, had little material impact on North Vietnam's capacity to wage war. Johnson, with good reason, was terrified that the conflict might escalate into a superpower confrontation because of the Chinese and Soviet presence on the ground. For much of the war, therefore, no attacks could be made on the harbour at Haiphong, for fear of hitting Soviet ships. So, these could carry on supplying Hanoi with war materials essentially undisturbed.

China was even more of a concern. A deep buffer zone along the North Vietnamese border with China was, for most of the conflict, off-limits to air attack. And, by 1967, some 170,000 Chinese troops were serving in North Vietnam. Some were killed in US air raids but fear of causing significant casualties to Chinese forces caused further restrictions to the bombing campaign.

For two months in 1965, US aircraft were not allowed to attack a formidable belt of surface-to-air missile launch sites that were under construction for fear they might trigger a Chinese or Soviet military response. These missiles would eventually shoot down the fighter of Senator John McCain and hundreds of other US servicemen.

What is the strategy?

The presence of around 4,000 Russian troops in Syria today is exercising a similar influence on the conduct of air strikes.

There are other depressing similarities, too. What, strategically, is the purpose of the air strikes against Syria? As in Vietnam, one intention seems to be to change the behaviour of a brutal and repressive regime. The purpose of air strikes, we have been told by the US president "is to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread, and use of chemical weapons". However, given that his last missile strikes against Assad seem to have failed to have any such deterrent effect, why assume this one will?

Another rationale is UK Prime Minister Theresa May's extraordinary claim that "hitting these targets with the force that we have deployed will significantly degrade the Syrian regime's ability to research, develop and deploy chemical weapons".

The very notion that a missile strike by four of the RAF's elderly Tornados would have a significant effect on Syria's capacity to wage chemical warfare is arrant nonsense. And if more chemical weapons attacks do now occur in Syria, where will our policymakers go? Will they escalate the pressure - firing more missiles, expending more blood and treasure as America did in Vietnam, to no purpose?

The concern here is not the legality of the air strikes on Syria, a valid question though that is. Rather, now that the decision has been taken to engage in military action, the citizens of the UK, the US and France surely have a right to know why, exactly, it is being done? What is our strategy here and how should we gauge if it has been achieved?

The fear is that world leaders do not have a very convincing answer. Perhaps they have no answer at all. The echoes of Rolling Thunder are there to be heard by those who will listen. Sadly, those in charge so far seem to be deaf to them.

Read more: Syria's latest chemical massacre demands a global response

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Syria bombing has troubling echoes of Vietnam's Operation Rolling Thunder

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The latest bombing campaign in Syria bears a remarkable and worrying resemblance to one of history's most infamous and flawed military interventions. Operation Rolling Thunder was the aerial assault on North Vietnam which lasted from 1965 to 1968. It was a massive bombardment, hugely destructive and, ultimately, ineffectual.

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For jigsaw activity

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March First Movement - New World Encyclopedia

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The March First Movement, or the Samil Movement (in Korean, samil means "three-one" or "March 1") was one of the earliest manifestations of Korea's independence movement during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The name refers to an event that occurred on March 1, 1919, also referred to as the Mansei Demonstrations ("ten thousand years," in Korean).

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Interactive Map

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After defeating the Chinese in Korea in 1894, Japanese forces invaded China itself, occupying the Liaodong Peninsula and destroying the Chinese fleet in the battles of the Yalu River and Weihaiwei. With the loss of its navy, China sued for peace. At the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Japan was granted control of the Liaodong Peninsula and the island of Taiwan.

Notes

Treaty Ports

Treaty ports - the small unlabelled circles on the map - were towns opened to foreign trade by unequal treaties in China, Japan, and Korea. Foreigners operating within treaty ports enjoyed extraterritoriality, being subject to their home country's laws. Unlike concessions such as Hong Kong, these territories were not directly leased by the foreign powers and did not have sizable foreign garrisons.

Only treaty ports that were opened by treaty and used are shown on the maps. Treaty ports are also not generally shown in places which are already covered by concessions or under occupation. Treaty ports are not shown after the 1911 Chinese Revolution, although they continued on into the 1940s.

Yangtze River

By the terms of the Treaty of Tientsin (1858), foreign vessels including warships had the right to free navigation on the Yangtze River. In practical terms, this right extended only as far as Yichang until 1900, when advances in steam navigation allowed access as far inland as Chongqing.

Main Events

Battle of the Yalu River

Ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the Chinese Beiyang Fleet in the Yellow Sea, off the mouth of the Yalu River on the Korean-Chinese border. Although the Chinese had the superior ships - including the only two battleships in the conflict - the Japanese were better trained and their ships were faster. After a day of battle, the Japanese prevailed, forcing the remnants of the Chinese fleet to withdraw to Lüshunkou.

Battle of Ugeumchi

The Second Donghak Revolt began in early October 1894, when anti-foreign Donghak peasant forces under Jeon Bongjun rose up against the Japanese domination of the Korean government. The rebels confronted the Korean army in Ugeumchi, southern Korea, but were routed when Japanese reinforcements arrived. The Donghak army scattered, with Jeon Bongjun eventually caught and hanged in March 1895.

Battle of Lushunkou

After landing in the Liaodong Peninsula in southern Manchuria in early November 1894, Japanese troops advanced on the heavily fortified Chinese naval base of Lüshunkou (later to become the naval base of Port Arthur), prompting the Chinese to withdraw their Beiyang Fleet across the Yellow Sea to Weihaiwei. On 20 November, the Japanese reached the outskirts of Lüshunkou, capturing the town in an assault starting early the following day.

1895 Wilcox Rebellion

Hawaiian Royalists launched a rebellion to overthrow the Republic of Hawaii and restore Queen Liliʻuokalani to the throne, persuading Native Hawaiian revolutionary Robert Wilcox to lead them. In three largely bloodless battles on the island of Oahu, the Royalists were defeated by Republican forces. As a result, Liliʻuokalani was forced to abdicate, ending any serious attempts to restore the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Battle of Weihaiwei

On 20 January 1895, Japanese forces landed on the Shandong peninsula to the east of the Chinese naval base of Weihaiwei, where the remnants of the Beiyang Fleet had taken refuge. While their troops advanced on the town from multiple directions (capturing it on 2 February), Japanese torpedo boat attacks wreaked havoc on the anchored Chinese ships. On 12 February, the Chinese fleet and remaining forces surrendered, leaving China without a navy and prompting it to sue for peace with Japan.

Pescadores Campaign

While negotiations to end the First Sino-Japanese War were underway, hostilities in northern China were brought to a halt. The armistice, however, excluded the south, allowing the Japanese to land forces in the Pescadores Islands between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland in March 1895. The seizure of the Pescadores prevented the Chinese reinforcing Taiwan, giving Japan a claim to that island in the final peace treaty.

Treaty of Shimonoseki

The Empire of Japan signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki with the Chinese Empire in Shimonoseki, Japan, bringing an end to the First Sino-Japanese War. By the terms of the treaty, China agreed to recognize the complete independence of Korea; cede the Pescadores, Taiwan, and the Liaodong Peninsula to Japan; pay Japan a 200 million Kuping tael war indemnity; open four ports to Japan; and grant Japan most-favored-nation status.

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Historical Atlas of East Asia (17 April 1895): Treaty of Shimonoseki

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After defeating the Chinese in Korea in 1894, Japanese forces invaded China itself, occupying the Liaodong Peninsula and destroying the Chinese fleet in the battles of the Yalu River and Weihaiwei. With the loss of its navy, China sued for peace. At the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Japan was granted control of the Liaodong Peninsula and the island of Taiwan.

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Infants have their social status stamped on their files from birth, says Fyodor Tertitskiy in the first of a three-part series

As one of the world's most isolated countries, North Korea tends to do things differently. Since the division of the Korean peninsula in 1948 it has grown into a rigid and idiosyncratic society, shaped around the personality cult of the Kim dynasty.

While most North Koreans alive today have never known a different way of life, to the outside world it remains an enigma.

But as economic reforms slowly erode the system of regulation, this series traces the path of an average North Korean - from cradle to grave.

Birth

Parents are required to register the birth of a baby, with information about the the new citizen kept in three places: at the local town hall, with the police and with the secret police.

The first thing a newborn gets from the state is its songbun - one of the five social statuses allocated to all North Koreans. Depending on the status of its father, the infant will be classified as either "special", "nucleus", "basic", "complex" or "hostile".

A policeman will stamp the songbun on the baby's new file, establishing where this North Korean will be allowed to live, which university it will be able to enter, where it might work and whether it will be able to join the Korean Worker's party.

The newborn becomes entitled to access the Public Distribution System of goods, which, theoretically, will provide everything it needs. In practice, the system has largely been dysfunctional since the 1990s.

Soon after birth the baby is inoculated against tuberculosis. Although the DPRK's health system is not in great shape, vaccinations are routinely performed - which is rare for such a poor country.

When a child turns five she usually goes to kindergarten, where her education begins. The North Korean education system is filled with the state ideology, and the child learns that she owes everything to the immeasurably great men from Paektu Mountain: the Great Leader comrade Kim Il-sung, the Great Guide comrade Kim Jong-il and to the beloved and respected Supreme Commander Kim Jong-un.

Therefore, their names are always to be written in bold and they are to be spoken about with deepest respect.

Moreover, the child learns that it has enemies: American imperialists, Japanese militarists and the South Korean "gang of traitors". They are to be hated, so one should say not that "an American died," but rather "an American scum kicked the bucket".

All the ideological terms - such as the Kims' titles - are to be memorised.North Koreans learn words such as "marshal" and "generalissimo" much earlier than "lieutenant" or "colonel".

The child learns that s/he owes everything in life to the immeasurably great men from Paektu Mountain

Schooling

The North Korean school system consists of two stages. Primary school is called "people's school" and secondary is "middle-high".

The curriculum consists of classes such as Korean language, mathematics, literature and "socialist ethics" - which may be a remnant of the Japanese colonial age. Imperial Japan was fond of teaching ethics in school.

There's also a lot of ideology: subjects include The childhood years of the Beloved and Respected Leader Generalissimo Kim Il-sung, The childhood years of the Great Guide Generalissimo Kim Jong-il, Revolutionary activities of the Beloved and Respected Leader Generalissimo Kim Il-sung, Revolutionary activities of the Great Guide Generalissimo Kim Jong-il, Revolutionary activities of the heroine of the anti-Japanese struggle mother Kim Jong-suk and, more recently, Revolutionary activities the Beloved and Respected Leader Marshal Kim Jong-un.

Foreign languages are taught from secondary school. The most common one is English and then Russian. British English is taught as a standard, but the quality of education is poor as the DPRK uses its own textbooks rather than ones published in the UK or Russia.

Native British or Russian textbooks would contain too much "dangerous" information so they are not permitted. North Korean textbooks are badly written and littered with mistakes. It also doesn't help that children are supposed to learn phrases such as "Long live Great Leader Generalissimo Kim Il-sung" before "Hello, how are you".

The best North Korean schools are known as Number One schools. A small town usually has one of these, while Pyongyang has several.

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North Korean dancers after a performance to mark the founding of North Korean Youth League. Photograph: Reinhard Krause/Reuters

Number One schools are among the least corrupt institutions in the DPRK. It may be possible to bribe a principal to gain entry but after that one has to perform well and study hard to get good results.

At 10 all children join the Children's Union - there are no exceptions. The admission is usually done in three stages. First, the best pupils in the class are admitted, then the average ones and then the rest. The Children's Union members have a distinctive trait of wearing red neckties, a custom that comes from the USSR.

The child reads an oath of allegiance during an admission ceremony, the text of which has varied from time to time. It reds something like this, although it will have changed a bit as North Korea no longer uses the word communism:

I join the ranks of the Korean Children's Union, founded by the Great Leader Generalissimo Kim Il-sung and shined upon by the Great Guide Commander Kim Jong-il, do hereby swear to always and everywhere think and act according to the teaching of the Generalissimo Kim Il-sung and Commander Kim Jong-il and to become a good reservist of the brilliant cause of constriction of Communism, which is carried along from generation to generation by the great revolutionary deed of Juche.

So the Children's Union is the first of many organisations a North Korean will join in their lifetime. Other possible ones are the Youth League, the Korean Workers Party, the Women's Union, a labor union and the Farmers' Union. These groupings run regular "organisational life" seminars for members, instructing them in the official ideology. i.e. regular ideological sessions, among its members
Part two: Coming of age - how joining the Worker's party is the best way to avoid working A version of this article first appeared on NK News - North Korean news Topics

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Fyodor Tertitskiy for NK News, part of the North Korea network

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Infants have their social status stamped on their files from birth, says Fyodor Tertitskiy in the first of a three-part series As one of the world's most isolated countries, North Korea tends to do things differently. Since the division of the Korean peninsula in 1948 it has grown into a rigid and idiosyncratic society, shaped around the personality cult of the Kim dynasty.

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Microsoft Publisher is an Office application that allows you to create professional documents such as newsletters, postcards, flyers, invitations, brochures, and more using built-in templates. After selecting one of Publisher's built-in...

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History Channel website

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On this day in 1895, a group of Japanese assassins murdered Empress Myeongseong, the last empress of Korea, in the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul. The assassination is known as the Emuli Incident, and despite the subsequent uprising, Korea fell under Japanese colonial rule shortly afterwards, lasting until 1945.

According to eyewitness reports the assassination was carried out by a group of Japanese swordsmen dressed in robes. Led by the Japanese resident minister, general Miura Goro, the Japanese overcame the palace guards and burst through to the empress's chambers. Korean women of this era, especially royals, lived in intense secrecy and the Japanese had trouble locating the empress who is reported to have lived in a constant state of extreme vigilance-complete with trap doors and escape routes. Nonetheless, Goro and his men killed Myeongseong-along with a number of courtiers-burnt her corpse and dispersed the ashes.

Empress Myeongseong, also known as Queen Min, had advocated strong ties with Imperial Russia in the face of growing Japanese strength in the region. Following the assassination, the King and the Crown Prince fled to and sought refuge in the Russian legislation in Seoul. With Russian support they regained the palace, but their power was short-lived in the face of an aggressive Japan.

Photos of the funeral procession of Queen Min show an extraordinary display of mourning and ceremony. Huge wooden horses are accompanied by thousands of soldiers in traditional dress, lanterns and scrolls-all to accompany the empress in her afterlife.

The Gyeongbokgung Palace, which translates in English as "Palace of Shining Happiness" has undergone extensive restoration and is now open to the public after its near destruction by the Japanese. It houses the National Folk Museum of Korea and the National Palace Museum of Korea. Queen Min is buried east of Seoul in Hongeung.

Credit: Library of Congress, Frank and Frances Carpenter Collection
Caption: An alleged photo of Queen Min's funeral procession, replete with oversized models of horses to accompany her in the afterlife.

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Korea's Queen Min Killed by Japanese Assassins | History Channel on Foxtel

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On this day in 1895, a group of Japanese assassins murdered Empress Myeongseong, the last empress of Korea, in the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul. The assassination is known as the Emuli Incident, and despite the subsequent uprising, Korea fell under Japanese colonial rule shortly afterwards, lasting until 1945.

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C-Pop, J-Pop and K-Pop are types of pop music produced in three different Asian countries. Which countries do you think they are? Can you identify them on your map? C-Pop What are the similarities and differences between these three songs (and their music videos)? What do these

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