How to make a call to North Korea (even from South Korea)

[@rsybing]

As an English teacher, I found this really hard to listen to, but only because the caller used relatively complex language ("I'm wondering if you could help me" and "How do we proceed?") that understandably made the operator give up and end the call. Short of learning the language of North Korea, I'd recommend a phrase sheet with much simpler language than this so you can get through a call without overwhelming the operator.

[@songyoung4969]

me too, he knew full well that the operator has difficulties understanding his language but still persisted in using an elaborated form of english... puzzling.

[@songyoung4969]

just sounded outright condescending

[@M0VER]

I understand proceed may be hard to understand but “I’m wandering if you could help me” is a very common British phrase. He wasn’t being condescending in my view.

[@Alex-bb1xn]

This guy is the sort of person who goes overseas and expects all the road signs and restaurant menus to be in English.

[@GameByGame]

wdym no? and also, they often are

[@mabirc2844]

⁠@@GameByGame Well why do you expect road signgs or restaurant menus in English in countries where english isnt the main language ? In tourist locations it makes sense, itherwise why ?

[@mx338]

@@GameByGame then you you just are in tourist area, no country does that everywhere.

[@GameByGame]

@@mx338 i never said everywhere?

[@GameByGame]

@@mabirc2844 because it is the primary language of trade, medicine, international relations, etc. Restaurants that expect any foreigners ever usually will, and countries with road borders with others often will have English signs, you know- because of international trucking

[@saharsharifi6138]

I think you should have used simple English or some Korean when speaking with the operator, she doesn't understand the difficult English words that you used

[@GameByGame]

generally with people in this position this type of technical language is easier than plain language

[@Wyrdwad]

@@GameByGame That's not been my experience with Japanese, at least. Technical language is going to go over most Japanese people's heads, every single time. Your best bet when dealing with someone who speaks minimal English is to use the simplest possible English phrases, enunciated clearly and spoken slowly and deliberately. The reverse was true, as well, when I was first learning Japanese: I had a hell of a time understanding Japanese people speaking polite Japanese, but the simpler and more casual the Japanese was that they spoke, the more I could pick up. I have no idea if the same holds true for Korean, but I strongly suspect it does, as Korean shares Japanese's complete lack of any common linguistic roots with English.

[@sagbon98]

He did use Korean. He referred to South Korea in the North Korean dialect.

[@k_wang64]

@@Wyrdwadi grew up speaking mandarin but I’m fluent in Japanese and i know some Korean. Korean honorifics are simpler than Japanese honorifics because it’s technically the same word plus the honorific infix -(eu)shi (oda -> oshida) whereas in Japanese it could be a completely different word (for example kuru becomes irasshyaru). In Japanese there are a list of words that take on a honorific form that doesn’t share the same root as its non-honorific counterpart, which is really rare in Korean. That being said, your point is still valid - back in the days when I was much worse at English I really wished that people spoke to me in plain language.

[@Laramaarchive]

My man is trying to get a random north korean arrested for speaking with westerners 💀

[@Steveinthailand]

My North Korean students in Vietnam use their embassy to call family and friends in North Korea.

[@santosoeg819]

Cool... Never knew that north korean student can study abroad..

[@Steveinthailand]

@santosoeg819 My students slso send and receive packages from DHL via embassy. And when a NK student got stuck in Thailand during lockdown and little income, the North Korean embassy actually gives their nationals stipends every month! Lol...my UK embassies abroad don't help a toss!

[@mr.simulator4724]

@@santosoeg819 only the most elite ones, no reason for them to run away

[@Kuricang31]

​@@santosoeg819Yes they can do that. They can also travel abroad but only for the rich and famous as travelling abroad is incredibly expensive. One week in Singapore costs the same as 100x or more monthly salary a North Korean worker receives

[@Darkest_matter]

@@Steveinthailand i didn't know north korea was this good.. i thought it was as bad as the news says... or maybe its like china

[@galt82]

If you want to make a phone call to North Korea, perhaps you should learn some Korean first.

[@bobjones1999]

I agree! It makes the whole process easier! I'm pretty sure NK News has a bunch of people capable of speaking Korean.

[@AunknownMan]

So basically like calling any german doctor office, nobody ever answers💀

[@ahmedkytkozrout7423]

yes even in other european countries lol

[@patnolen8072]

Gen Thomas Reed's 2004 book "At the Abyss" commented that statues in Soviet military cemetaries often show a high-ranking officer speaking into a telephone. In wartime Soviet society, telephones were scarce - using one means that someone is well-connected, literally and figuratively.

[@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367]

No thats not the reason.. In soviet criminal culture you have you "life" displayed on your toumbstone... Ushally things you do.. An image of you with an ak, vodka, bmw keys in hand, athletic tracksuit, gucci suit or other "trophy of life" ect.. The generals were mimicking soviet criminal culture. The phone was a generals tool, not the gun or athletic might like a bandit or criminal sportsman.. The call was their gun ect

[@nunyadambusiness3530]

@@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367 You're both wrong. I grew up in the USSR. It was like the USA, just a different language and economy. Russia today is what you think the USSR was. USSR was strong and prosperous when I was growing up. I live in Germany now.

[@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367]

@@nunyadambusiness3530 haah i remember the ussr it was NOT like the usa.. Even in the 80s it was a chaotic and bazaar place.. Peoples would hang around train stations robbing and killing people for their goods or their shoes back then. Serial killers were coman women were sacred to walk at night.. People sold alcohol out of plastic bags in the street.. . The ussr was shit.. And russia is shit today. They can do nuclear technology and rockets but cant make proper toilet paper. Gangster state..

[@Crypticstuff12]

I’ve been trying to do the same thing, I have the numbers but it’s busy every time I call. Hopefully I’ll get ahold of them one of these days. Would be really interesting to have a conversation with a North Korean

[@bobjones1999]

@graveplott47 There are plenty of most likely connectable numbers to North Korea but I would highly recommend you not to call them because every call you're essentially risking someone's life. Also, dialing North Korea is quite expensive. If you live in the United States you will spend at least $5 given that North Korea may not respond every time. The rate from Verizon is about $2.25 a minute. If you do want to call North Korea, I would recommend having a Korean friend to speak on the phone.

[@KandiKlover]

@@bobjones1999the rate from Verizon is a scam. Get a prepaid calling card. Like the AT&T phone card or AloWorld. 46 cents a minute but also hides your phone number like a proxy so useful for all other prank calls as well.

[@0raj0]

- Says "calling Pyongyang is relatively straight forward if you have the patience, time and money" - Is not able to finally make a successful call If you wanted to prove your point, you could at least try several times until you succeeded. Otherwise, what is the point of making this video?

[@VictorOvechkin]

Straight forward is not equal to something that can be easily done. Beating the shit out of a Mike Tyson is also pretty straight forward, but being straight forward business doesn't mean that it'll be easy to succeed in.

[@daeseongkim93]

Technically it is a successful call to North Korea because he at least got ahold of the operator in Pyongyang!

[@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367]

Views

[@creative-name5279]

Very fascinating. I did not know you could make calls to North Korea, nor how they worked. The women seem friendly. I wonder if you'd have better luck speaking to them in North Korean. It sounds like they had a difficult time understanding his accent.

[@Wandrative]

‘North Korean’ isn’t a thing. Its just Korean, and some parts of South Korean regions have it more similar to regions in North Korea in terms if dialect. He does not have a particularly good Korea accent.

[@creative-name5279]

@Wandrative What I'm saying, though, is that the Seoul dialect of Korean is actually illegal to speak in North Korea because it's deemed "anti-socialist." So speaking to North Koreans with the Seoul dialect would probably earn you some insults at the very least if they don't just hang up on you or don't understand you. The two countries have been separated for so long that their dialects have started to become mutually unintelligible. There was an incident where South and North Korean Olympic team members couldn't understand each other's dialects. Pyongyang has created many of its own terms to not borrow Western words and avoid Western influence, and has instituted that the Pyongyang dialect be the standard spoken across the country.

[@Wandrative]

@@creative-name5279 You are talking about vocabulary, which is different, The Seoul Dialect is used in the Kaesong region, and the closest linguistic relative of the Seoul dialect is the Pyeongahn dialect that is used in Pyongyang. North Korea has a pure Korean vocabulary policy whilst South Korea uses so many words that derives from either Chinese or English. Its relatively easier for a South Korean to fully comprehend a North Korean speaker, but a North Korean will have it hard due to many introduced vocabulary.

[@creative-name5279]

@Wandrative Yes, hence my point that it's better to speak in the Pyongyang dialect than the Seoul dialect when calling North Koreans over the phone. I just simplified it by calling it "North Korean" for people who aren't experts in Korean dialects. If you take a Korean class in the west, they'll probably teach you the Seoul dialect because that's what you're more likely to use, but it's a dialect that's ill equipped for communicating with North Koreans because the only North Koreans that would understand you are either older folk or people who watched a lot of illegal South Korean movies and TV shows.

[@tobfos]

Please redo this video with a Korean speaker, that would be very good.

[@reiyua]

Fancy, seeing you here! - HypeRayy

[@tobfos]

​@@reiyuawoah what - how are you doing??

[@reiyua]

@@tobfos i am poggers broski hbu

[@travelshad]

Video is more like "how to extend a video that shouldn't last 30 seconds to 8m 19s!" Ugh.

[@brassyknuckle2737]

"Can you alternatively connect me to the central public..." Guy is using language that's hard af to a north Korean.

[@Mr2Reviews]

I hope one day we'll be able to smuggle in Starlink satellites with batteries and solar panels to power it to multiple locations throughout NK and establish communication lines or just give them access to outside information.

[@miezimauzi6545]

Don't we have Starlink yet? What is missing to smuggle it in there?

[@HolowatyVlogs]

@@miezimauzi6545 Getting them online. Starlink terminals (for now) are geo-locked to “cells” and only work in countries that Starlink has enabled service for.

[@marcopisco]

We can't. Every computer and phone there is supervised, and even if a Citizen (which most are broke, and don't have money) manages to get it on a smuggled device, they most likely will get caught

[@Mr2Reviews]

​ @Miezi Mauzi @Holowaty Vlogs @@marcopisco Starlink is already working on a miniature version which uses less power which means it could use a smaller battery and solar panel making it easier to smuggle. Of course, you'll also have to provide a wifi enabled device, not a NK device which is obviously monitored. Starlink would also have to okay or enable it in NK, perhaps under a global roaming package. Of course there's always the risk of getting caught but can you put a price on freedom?

[@marcopisco]

@@Mr2Reviews Even if they do get access to information, what does it compensate for citizens? If they try to fight against the millions of military people will still end up dying, if they protest they will die, and I'm sure they don't care if they kill thousands of people, because they've managed to brainwash millions on the idea that anything other than what they teach is wrong. I'm sorry, went off topic, but it's the sad truth. Hope that some day everyone gets freed from that shithole.

[@svenfruiti494]

idk why but I'm sorry for that woman...same as for everyone who is living in north korea....

[@chrism1102]

Fascinating! I've heard there's only one exchange for the entire country of 25 million people. It's hard to wrap your head around....a small city of 100K has at least 3.

[@Caocao8888]

The people in the streets look healthy enough to me.

[@sambarrett3059]

It was way later than ww2 that BT were using operators moving cables about. My mother was a switchboard operator and was born well after the war

[@galaticwarrior213]

How didn’t this go viral

[@thepunisher2988]

You should have asked to be connected to Kim's office

[@Pranoy_chauaan]

The North Korean women asked for number this guy kept repeating same sentence how numb is your brain to pick up what is she asking for

[@konradxtofik]

Oh, how British-centric this was, poor job. The caller was all confused himself, he used complicated vocabulary and I could feel he wanted it to fail. I find his mindset to be along these lines: let me sound sophisticated and emphasize the massive gap between our nations, mocking you a bit while sounding clever, not being clear about why i contact you and watch you struggle, which i knew would happen. Absolutely no value, waste of time.

[@maestrovso]

The operators are not gatekeepers. They are human relays. I'd bet they will connect anyone speaking English because they were told just to. The call can be foreign bad actors helping the Rocketman with his financial and material coffers. These poor women are just being used as telephony switching relays that was 75 years ago in the free world.

[@nicklanier4041]

This man wants them to give him phone numbers so bad 😂

[@sugarmandeka4628]

Was he purposely choosing the hard words when he was on the phone?

[@American-Motors-Corporation]

He's adult Stewie from family guy!

[@plfarinha]

Very interesting video! How did you come up with the operator's number?

[@marcopisco]

On their public websites

[@MomMom4Cubs]

International gateway (for POTS).

[@jejh600]

I’ve a couple of times called the North korean embassy in my country they picked up but no one answered

[@johngraham8973]

They never answer in mine

[@timotiusherman7829]

ive called them (DPRK Embassy Jakarta), at the first they talk in korean, after i said i can't speak korean, they asked me what's my purpose calling (in "suspicious" tone) them, and i asking about tourism (how to travel there/visa for tourists/tour operator information) and they genuinely willing to help, i thought asking about tourism/making business trade is one of the easiest and most neutral topic to have a conversation with them.

[@physics77guy]

50c t0 $1 is cheaper than tariff's within Canadian provinces and within the province itself uptil 2012 or so.....lol

[@PX125E]

They accepted your call even with that scarf?

[@hans7856]

Thicc Dutch accent

[@schrutebuck88]

Speaking as someone who's been to the DPRK, I'm more worried about the fact doing this could result in serious punishment for whoever answers the call. Especially if calling from South Korea, especially if it's a South Korean or American calling, especially if the person who happens to answer decides to engage in some sort of conversation beyond redirecting it. But given it's an NK expert not only doing this but has made a video showing anyone how, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt (and seriously hope) he and NK News wouldn't be that callous and irresponsible and that's not a serious risk.

[@HardbassTV.]

Very true

[@yuripetrovic7606]

If I am visiting DPRK on holiday, can my wife or daughters call me from America or Russia at the evenings while I am back at the hotel?

[@mhashim6105]

no

[@nmiller4085]

Hotels for foreigners sometimes let you buy internet service, you could use that to make the call

[@Kuricang31]

No. If you wanted to call your families you need to make the call yourself through the operator. But i remind you the rate was quite costly. They charged me USD 15 for 2 minutes conversation with my mother back in Indonesia

[@TheLordOfNothing]

Why would you visit the DPRK?

[@點算-e5o]

I called random number too, same voice

[@averyjames4623]

Will I get in trouble for making prank calls?

[@GreggK6EGG]

So it's like calling united airlines?

[@AunknownMan]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@Kuricang31]

It's far better than calling United Airlines. At least North Koreans connect you to a human being instead of a not a robotic answering-machine like United Airlines does

[@MissesWitch]

3:51 i remember this when i was a little kid! wow!

[@OscarCeballos2]

where are your eyebrows dude

[@realhawaii5o]

The narrator is very Dutch. 😅

[@Kuricang31]

His haircut is also very Dutch

[@Drago1995]

7:37 *"90's internet connection sounds"*

[@Betzii]

i hope north korea opens up one day

[@Covid-me1xf]

no, see how the south struggles with their christian cults.

[@tobytheimposter]

Low key I wanna call North Korea just to ask them how their days going 😭🫶 those poor ppl need a hug

[@Quaagin]

Damn, I'd be flirtin' with that cute-ass sounding North Korean operator.

[@Mr2Reviews]

Bruh, someone is thirsty.

[@Quaagin]

@@Mr2Reviews ey bruh, yuh cors am thurstee bruhh aint yoo eva bee thrustee too bruh?

[@Mr2Reviews]

@@Quaagin lol

[@shariqmusharaf8123]

U should try and let us know

[@Crypticstuff12]

Bro is down bad 😂

[@ajarnolaf9034]

how about satellite phones?

[@ajarnolaf9034]

call Alejandro Cao De Benos! LOL!

[@_loaf0]

How is your youtube channel called North Korea news yet you dont have any korean speakers working for you ? Also do you expect people living in north korea to be fluent in english or what ?? Like i just dont get the point

[@tyecollaborator5017]

NK news has no connections with the North korean government.

[@tyecollaborator5017]

You can make a free call to the nearest embassy and hold a dialogue with a North korean from there. Why waste time trying to directly contact Pyongyang?

[@DrinkinZima]

So sad that they don't know about South Korea...

[@ozzierabbit587]

I want to call up Kim and ask him if he's seen Mike Hunt.

[@ZomeDash]

instead of constantly saying he or she, just say they. You can't be bothered to learn some Korean words when you're calling, but you could at least learn the basics of English

[@AndyNE1979]

The male version of Karen. 😂

[@CryptocurrencyInsider]

You’d think an operator can find a phone number 😂

[@bigmofarah9084]

Should have used a Korean speaker.

[@MusicShortsGlobal]

Is this Panda Express?

[@YiLunMusk]

Now i want Kim jong's number...Rumour says he uses instagram, youtube and twitter through VPN.

[@Kuricang31]

He also uses Steam and Playstation, much increasing your chances of playing God of War with Kim himself 😂

[@JK-cn5fy]

I hear Kim is also on Roblox 😊

[@julianpignat9095]

its not a problem to be made or called to the DPRK north korea

[@talkinghat88]

Journalism at its finest ……

[@uluerilimen3705]

You speak British English with a lisp, the letter t sounds like the letter s, that's why she can't understand you.

[@AunknownMan]

Speak in Korean to them not English obviously

[@Jake-hi9hq]

4:14 what a beautiful voice. She might be very beautiful 😍. Haha.

[@GlennDoes]

bro got that operator shot in the fucking head 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@xpmedia8660]

I'm saying... he's probably got her killed 😂

[@Kuricang31]

I laughed hard at this and now i feel guilty for that poor woman

[@carbontube7956]

That one call to somebody in english could have resulted in entire family being shot

[@KosherFinance]

Omg they have no insta influencers and Kim Kadrashan?😮 horrible!

[@survivor303]

Those innocent people from the country, can be very big problems now, just because you wanted to play with them.

[@Robert-qi6mb]

A lovely place north Korea

[@joselenyoung]

7:35 ' I do not know. How can we PRECEDE ? ‘ Gah I had to google that word. Everyone here must be well educated !!! 😅🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@FlamJongUn]

It's proceed. Basic English

[@nikolosbecker1363]

Remember it illegal for North Korean to call international

[@Caocao8888]

He sure seems like a real prig!

[@ThoughtCrimeCriminal]

Nice toupee. You can't even tell he's wearing a man wig 🙄

[@Headknocks]

😂

[@Tu.Mama.Perro.]

Why do they speak basic english if they hate us 😅

[@terere8323]

She is an operator for connecting international calls to the country. Why wouldn’t she speak at least basic English? Also you don’t know the woman.

[@chrisjackson8151]

Who exactly is “us?” Are you an American? If so, then English wasnt invented in your country 😂 Most likely, people in NK learn British English. NK and the UK do have diplomatic relations. Imagine thinking that English belongs to the US 😂

[@Tu.Mama.Perro.]

​@@chrisjackson8151well obviously otherwise she would be speaking like Austin Powers 😅

[@sheiladikshit5110]

"sorry mate, you calling telephone. with numbers. not email. no name. understand now?"