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I Made North Korean Propaganda

Song Byeok is a former North Korean propaganda artist who now uses his skills to satirise the regime. He spoke through an interpreter to Matthew Bannister.

Song Byeok is a former North Korean propaganda artist who now uses his skills to satirise the regime. He came from a poor family and dreamt of being an artist but had to take a job as a manual labourer. He continued to draw pictures in his spare time, and one day he was spotted by a government official, who offered him work as a propaganda artist - a job he loved. But things changed for Mr Song when famine struck the country and he ended up in a labour camp.

Professional ballet dancer Gray Davis was on his way home after a day of performances when he saw someone on the New York subway tracks. Using his dance training he was able to leap on to the tracks and lift the stranger to safety.

Donald MacKenzie is the resident organist at the Odeon in Leicester Square, London. The cinema is home to the Duchess, built in 1937, one of the best remaining examples of an organ designed to accompany the silent movies of the day.

On the border between San Diego in the USA and Tijuana in Mexico there's a place called Friendship Park. Since 1971 divided families have gone there to re-connect with each other through the mesh fencing. Brooke Binkowski has been to speak to people on both sides of the fence.

Image and credit: Song Byeok

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Thu 29 Jun 2017 06:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Wed 28 Jun 2017 11:06GMT
  • Wed 28 Jun 2017 15:06GMT
  • Wed 28 Jun 2017 17:06GMT
  • Thu 29 Jun 2017 03:06GMT
  • Thu 29 Jun 2017 05:06GMT
  • Thu 29 Jun 2017 06:06GMT

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Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

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