AS IT IS 2016-09-26 Travel Blogger Criticized for ‘Fun’ Trip to North Korea

AS IT IS 2016-09-26 Travel Blogger Criticized for ‘Fun’ Trip to North Korea

A popular travel blogger is being criticized for writing only good comments and posting fun videos from a trip to North Korea.

British world traveler Louis Cole posted the videos on his YouTube channel last month. The videos were recorded during a 10-day trip with a group of friends. His YouTube channel has nearly two million subscribers, and he has more than 800,000 followers¹ on Twitter.

Some social media followers and the activist² group Human Rights Watch criticized Cole for not showing the realities of life in North Korea.

One user responded to a photo Cole posted on Instagram of him surfing with a smiling North Korean boy. “You have to be realistic, man. Not everything is smiles and rainbows.”

The user said Cole’s information was usually realistic and useful for travelers. “I’m disappointed that you weren’t just as honest and realistic on this latest trip. Sure, this was probably 100 percent orchestrated and you weren’t allowed to film anything they didn’t allow you to.”

Cole says he purposely tried to focus on the “beautiful, positive things” from the trip. His videos showed him surfing, visiting a water park and sightseeing across the country. He did not focus on the fact that North Korean government officials controlled where he could go and who he could talk to.

After his visit, Cole released a video explaining his postings about the trip.

“I am not an investigative journalist. I don’t really do political commentary and there are other places on the Internet you can go to find those kind of things...”

He denied a suggestion that he might have been paid by the North Korean government to make a propaganda video.

“The assumption I made, which may have been wrong of me, was that people watching my North Korea blogs would have already had a broader perspective on North Korea..."

Another social media critic said the video and photo postings did not show the real North Korea, “The one in which the majority of North Koreans live in poverty and have their rights stripped from them. The pictures you’re posting are just a glimpse of what THEY want you to see.”

The Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch for Asia, Phil Robertson, told VOA he agrees with the criticisms.

“Our concern was that this guy was portraying⁴ such a relentlessly⁵ positive message about North Korea that is completely out of line with what we know about the human rights abuses there.”

The United Nations General Assembly has voted to refer North Korea’s leadership to the International Criminal Court.

A UN report documented between 80,000 and 120,000 political prisoners inside the country. It also linked North Korean officials to acts including murder, torture, rape⁶, forced abortions⁷ and sexual violence.

Cole answered his social media critics in a post on Instagram.

“Many people saw our trip to North Korea & our positive interaction with people as controversial,” he wrote. “It was moments like this, breaking down the barriers that separate this beautiful country from the rest of the world, that make me honored to have been a part of this group.”

Robertson, however, said he does not believe the travel posts were building cultural bridges. He said Cole did not research the real North Korea and gave the country’s government a lot of free publicity⁸.

Words in This Story

blogger – n. a person who writes about personal opinions, activities and experiences on a website.

rainbow – n. curved line of different colors that can appear in the sky when the sun shines through rain

orchestrate – v. organize something to achieve a specific goal

assumption – n. something thought to be true without real proof

broader perspective - adj. see something from a larger point of view

glimpse – n. to look quickly at something, glance

portray³ – v. to describe something or someone

relentlessly – adj. continuing without stopping or getting weaker

controversial – adj. relating to or causing much discussion, disagreement, or argument

1 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

4 portraying   

v.画像( portray的现在分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• The artist has succeeded in portraying my father to the life. 那位画家把我的父亲画得惟妙惟肖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ding Ling was good at portraying figures through careful and refined description of human psychology. 《莎菲女士的日记》是丁玲的成名作，曾引起强烈的社会反响。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

5 relentlessly   

adv.不屈不挠地；残酷地；不间断

参考例句：

• The African sun beat relentlessly down on his aching head. 非洲的太阳无情地照射在他那发痛的头上。
• He pursued her relentlessly, refusing to take 'no' for an answer. 他锲而不舍地追求她，拒不接受“不”的回答。

6 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

7 abortions   

n.小产( abortion的名词复数 )；小产胎儿；（计划）等中止或夭折；败育

参考例句：

• The Venerable Master: By not having abortions, by not killing living beings. 上人：不堕胎、不杀生。 来自互联网
• Conclusion Chromosome abnormality is one of the causes of spontaneous abortions. 结论：染色体异常是导致反复自然流产的原因之一。 来自互联网

8 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。