Ridiculous History – "The Ridiculously Disturbing History of North Korea"

Hosts: Ben Bowlin & Noel Brown
Date: October 7, 2025
Podcast: Ridiculous History (iHeartPodcasts)

Episode Overview

In this captivating episode, Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown delve into the bizarre, brutal, and truly ridiculous history of North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK). The hosts explore the historical roots of the peninsula's division, the emergence and resilience of the Kim dynasty, the omnipresent cult of personality, the nation’s oppressive policies, and the surreal tourist experience at the DMZ. Throughout, they maintain their trademark blend of irreverence and deep research, offering context, parallels to other divided nations, and personal anecdotes about travel in the region.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Anecdotes and Episode Framing

• [01:02] Noel recounts his recent travels in Germany, narrowly missing a bombing at Oktoberfest.
• [02:22] Ben thanks Noel for zeppelin photos, segueing into a fascination with specific, peculiar museums—including those on the Korean border.

2. The Division of Korea & Early History

• [06:27] Ben establishes that for nearly 80 years, Korea has been split into South Korea (ROK) and North Korea (DPRK).
• [09:11] Noel draws parallels between the division of Korea and Cold War-era Germany:
  • "The history of the DPRK is relatively Recent, like you mentioned, beginning at the close of World War II ... The Korean peninsula was split in twain down the 38th parallel between Earth's biggest modern frenemies, the USSR, China and the United States of America." — Noel [09:11]

3. The Korean War & Ongoing Conflict

• [12:30] Ben explains that both North and South Korean governments claimed the entire peninsula, creating deep geopolitical tensions and setting the stage for the Korean War (1950-1953).
• [13:40] Discussion on how each side refers to the war, e.g., "the Fatherland Liberation War" in the North and "625" in the South.
• [15:13] The war technically hasn’t ended—there's still only a ceasefire, not a peace treaty:
  • "This war has not ended as you are hearing this episode ... It’s a temporary ceasefire. So these folks have been on timeout for decades and decades." — Ben [14:33]

4. The Cold War’s Legacy and Modern Geopolitics

• [17:51] China continues to ally with and protect North Korea, complicating refugee issues and international interventions.
  • "China is investing in a bulwark in a buffer zone. Right. So North Korea is kind of its own bigger DMZ for China." — Ben [19:02]
• [19:44] North Korea as a nuclear power, and China's strategic interest in its survival.

5. The Rise of the Kim Dynasty and Juche

• [24:47] Ben details how Kim Il Sung, the original "Eternal Leader," leveraged Soviet and Chinese backing to create a unique regime.
  • "North Korea began and continues to worship this man as a God. His family has ruled the area ever, ever since." — Ben [23:56]
• [28:51] The emergence of "Juche," North Korea’s ideology of self-reliance mixed with hypernationalism and anti-Western sentiment.

6. Cult of Personality & Theocracy

• [33:01] The Kims' cult of personality is likened to a secular theocracy.
  • "This cult of personality is ... probably the best example of a pure cult of personality. I literally just googled North Korean religion, and the religion in North Korea is Juche, right? It is. You are meant to worship the leaders." — Noel [33:01]
• [34:17] Severe consequences for any perceived disrespect, with punishments extending to entire families.
  • "Anybody who doesn't comply is gonna be punished with incarceration, losing job opportunities, sent off to forced labor for life. They might be killed and not just them, but their families as well unto the third generation. These folks hold grudges." — Ben [33:19]

7. Brutality and Human Rights Abuses

• [38:22] The hosts discuss notorious prison camps like Hwasong (Camp 16), forced labor, famine, infanticide, and increasing surveillance.
  • "We know the horrors of these prisons ... there are real, actionable and substantive human rights abuses occurring over there in the north of the peninsula." — Ben [39:17]
• [44:50] Many anti-state activities, even minor ones, are punishable by death or labor camps; all media is tightly controlled by the government.

8. DMZ Tourism and North Korean Products

• [47:13] Ben shares first-hand accounts of DMZ visits:
  • "It’s one of the most heavily surveilled and militarized areas of the world ... It’s also heavily monetized. There are tons of tourist trap things and there’s a lot of South Korean propaganda too."
• [48:12] Show-and-tell: Ben presents souvenir North Korean blueberry wine, noting the surreal experience and strict controls on what tourists can buy or do.

9. Warnings for Would-Be Tourists

• [49:22-50:58] Dramatic reading of travel advisories for North Korea—highlighting the real dangers, lack of diplomatic help, and the risk of imprisonment, torture, and death.

10. Nature Thriving Amid Division

• [53:52] The DMZ has become an accidental wildlife preserve hosting endangered species like the Amur leopard and Siberian tiger.
  • "The DMZ ... it’s a textbook example of how the natural world can flourish when the humans are removed from the equation." — Ben [53:46]

11. Lasting Effects and Historical Palimpsests

• [55:09] North Korean citizens are, on average, 1-3 inches shorter than South Koreans due to decades of malnutrition and stunted development.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Cult of Personality:
  "Juche might itself be kind of a grift. … Basically just translates to 'the subject.' And then other people are using the fig leaf of communism to rationalize this worship of this one particular family." — Ben [33:01]

• On Prison Camps:
  "We know the horrors of these prisons, all right? And even knowing that the west has a lot of silly anti North Korean propaganda, there are real, actionable and substantive human rights abuses occurring over there in the north of the peninsula." — Ben [39:17]

• On North Korea’s Isolation:
  "Depending on your nationality, depending on how things are going, entering North Korea can be either impossible or fatally dangerous." — Ben [48:43]

• On Irony and Absurdity:
  "Yeah, it’s a family business. It’s communism for 95% of the country. … It’s also a theocracy but if you’re at the top." — Ben [32:21]

• On the Parallels to Germany:
  "There's so many parallels between this situation and what happened there in Berlin. The idea of a Cold War being that sort of like, technically, we're on pause, but life goes on, and tensions do tend to simmer." — Noel [15:15]

Important Timestamps by Segment

| Timestamp | Content Summary | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 01:02 | Noel’s travel story in Germany and near-miss at Oktoberfest | | 06:27 | Intro to Korea’s split and historical peninsula context | | 09:11 | Division after WWII, comparison to Berlin Wall | | 13:40 | Multiple names/perspectives for the Korean War | | 15:13 | Korean War’s unresolved status; ongoing ceasefire | | 19:02 | China–North Korea relationship and geopolitics | | 24:47 | Emergence of Kim Il Sung and the personalized cult | | 28:51 | Juche ideology—self-reliance and nationalism | | 34:17 | Aggressive enforcement of loyalty; multi-generational punishment | | 38:22 | Prison camps and satellite imagery; human rights abuses | | 44:50 | All activity controlled; punishment for minor infractions | | 47:13 | Ben’s DMZ visits and North Korean tourist products | | 49:22 | Government warnings against traveling to North Korea | | 53:46 | The DMZ as a wildlife preserve | | 55:09 | Lasting effects: North vs. South Korean height differences |

Tone & Style

The hosts retain a candid, conversational, and sometimes darkly humorous tone, balancing scholarly research with relatable analogies and cultural references (80s sitcoms, personal travel, food). They occasionally slip in jokes to break tension, but consistently circle back to deeper ethical issues and the ongoing tragedy of life in North Korea.

For Further Listening & References

• "Stuff They Don't Want You to Know" – Related episodes on North Korea's mysteries and cult of personality
• Film Reference: "JSA – Joint Security Area" by Chan-wook Park [52:42]
• Recommended Read: "Depraved and Insulting English" (mentioned by Ben near the end)

Conclusion

This episode of Ridiculous History offers a dense, enlightening, and unsettling look at North Korea—its history, the personality cult surrounding the Kim dynasty, the devastation wrought by governance, and the strange worlds on either side of the DMZ. For those unfamiliar with the peninsula’s tortured story, it’s an engaging and informative primer, laced with memorable banter and a genuine spirit of historical inquiry.