Charlene Leigh
Stories (8)
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Ch7: The Teacher Who Changed Everything
It was during my four years at "People’s School"—North Korea’s version of elementary school—that I first began to develop a sense for evaluating adults, especially teachers. When I first became a student, everything seemed exciting and new. But by the time I was seven, I had already grown to resent my homeroom teacher. She praised only the top students, while those of us who struggled—even just a little—were humiliated with cruel insults. Maybe being scolded for poor performance was normal, even expected, but something about it felt deeply unfair to me. It wasn’t just “you need to do better”—it was “you’re not worth my attention.” I couldn’t stand it.
By Charlene Leigh7 months ago in Humans
Chapter 6: Lessons from a Tough Childhood: Growing Up in North Korea”
When people think of North Korea, they often picture the three generations of rulers—Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un. Their didn't just dominate the government; it shaped every corner of society. The culture of control trickled down into every level of daily life. In the military, dictatorship was expected. At home, fathers—or sometimes mothers—held absolute authority. At school, teachers ruled with unquestioned power. In workplaces, it was the team leaders. In factories, the managers. In the countryside, the chairmen of local committees. Everywhere, someone stood at the top, and everyone else was expected to obey.
By Charlene Leigh7 months ago in Humans
Chapter 5: The Big Brother Who Came Back in Debt
In the 1990s, people shouted "Unification Soldier" like it was a sacred title. It was an honor, a promise, even a dream. They believed that marching off in uniform meant you would come back as a hero—respected, decorated, maybe even reunited with a united Korea.
By Charlene Leigh7 months ago in Humans
Chapter 4. An Eternal Goodbye to My Two Older Brothers.
When you open the window in our house, you can see everything—from the kitchen all the way up to the room at the very top. Our home is built like a tunnel of warmth and noise, one long stretch that holds all our lives inside it.
By Charlene Leigh8 months ago in Humans
Chapter 3 Ordinary North Korean Love.
The Cost of Love and Marriage in My Parents’ Time I think about my parents’ generation, I’m always left wondering—how did people even fall in love back then? During my teenage years, just before the year 2000, love in North Korea was not something you boasted about. In fact, romantic relationships were treated more like a shameful secret than something to celebrate. Even if you had a boyfriend or girlfriend, you wouldn’t tell your parents, siblings, or relatives—maybe, just maybe, you’d whisper it to one close friend. But even that felt risky.
By Charlene Leigh8 months ago in Humans
Chapter 2.The Woman Who Waited: My Grandmother’s Love That War Couldn’t Kill
My brothers and I spent nearly all of our early childhood in our grandmother’s care. She was more than a guardian—she was the steady presence who fed us, protected us, and filled our days with love, even if we didn’t always recognize it at the time.
By Charlene Leigh8 months ago in Humans
chapter 1: The Woman Who Waited: My Grandmother’s Love That War Couldn’t Kill
She met my grandfather through relatives. He was from Seoul, South Korea, which—ironically—was not considered a desirable trait. In her North Korean hometown, people thought Seoulites were snobbish—more so even than the elite from Kaesong. Her parents disapproved, but she married him anyway.
By Charlene Leigh8 months ago in Humans
The Surprisingly Simple Diet Lessons From North Korea
Let’s face it. We live in a world where people drink butter in their coffee, track every calorie with smartwatches, and survive on green powders that taste like lawn clippings. Meanwhile, over in North Korea? People are basically eating like it’s 1963… yet somehow staying trim. Crazy, right? Now, I’m not saying you should pack your bags for Pyongyang to drop a few pounds. But there are some oddly inspiring diet lessons from the Hermit Kingdom. Ready?
By Charlene Leigh8 months ago in Humans
