The Accusation Quotes

“Surely you know that whatever the play, the curtain always falls at the end.”
― Bandi, The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea

“Once upon a time there was a garden, surrounded on all sides by a great, high fence. In that garden, an old demon ruled over thousands upon thousands of slaves. But the surprising thing was that the only sound ever to be heard within those high walls was the sound of merry laughter. Hahaha and hohoho, all year round-because of the laughing magic which the old demon had used on his slaves. "Why did he use such magic on them? To conceal his evil mistreatment of them, of course, and also to create a deception, saying, 'This is how happy the people in our garden are.' And that's also why he put the fences up, so that the people in other gardens couldn't see over or come in. So, well, think about it. Where in the world might you find such a garden, such a den of evil magic, where cries of pain and sadness were wrenched from the mouths of its people and distorted into laughter?”
― Bandi, The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea

“What crime have I committed? Am I a thief or a murderer, to have to degrade myself like this? In this country of mine, is it a crime just to go and visit your sick mother?”
― Bandi, The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea

“Fifty years in this northern land Living as a machine that speaks Living as a human under a yoke Without talent With a pure indignation Written not with pen and ink But with bones drenched with blood and tears Is this writing of mine Though they be dry as a desert And rough as a grassland Shabby as an invalid And primitive as stone tools Reader! I beg you to read my words. —Bandi”
― Bandi, The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea

“Once upon a time there was a garden, surrounded on all sides by a great, high fence. In that garden, an old demon ruled over thousands upon thousands of slaves. But the surprising thing was that the only sound ever to be heard within those high walls was the sound of merry laughter. Hahaha and hohoho, all year round—because of the laughing magic which the old demon used on his slaves. “Why did he use such magic on them? To conceal his evil mistreatment of them, of course, and also to create a deception, saying, ‘This is how happy the people in our garden are.’ And that’s also why he put the fences up, so that the people in other gardens couldn’t see over or come in. So, well, think about it. Where in the world might you find such a garden, such a den of evil magic, where cries of pain and sadness were wrenched from the mouths of its people and distorted into laughter?” Mrs. Oh began to choke up again, though she herself was not aware of it. The calculation she’d made when she began the tale, that it might offer just a brief moment of respite, had been misguided. The night had deepened; yet another bout of “happy laughter” was spilling out from the loudspeaker, casting into ever-starker relief the plot of that old tale, which was not really old at all.”
― Bandi, The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea

“If Min-hyuk's uncle found out we were under surveillance, the shame and anger would cripple him. How could he bear to show his face after that? He'd feel as exposed as if his socks were inside out!”
― Bandi, The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea

“For God's sake, not that elm tree again! 'My elm' this, 'my elm' that, morning, noon, and night... Where are the so called fruits of this elm, eh, that you've worn your life out on? Still on the way are they? Soup with meat and pure white rice-"
"Stop flapping your tongue woman. They're awarding medals at the factory tomorrow; I'll need to be able to hold my head up then, won't I?"
"Another medal! What good is a medal to us? Will a medal keep us warm? Will a medal fill our stomachs? It's just a useless chunk of iron; it's a far cry from silk clothes and a tile-roofed house.”
― Bandi, The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea

“En aquest món, les coses que són més nocives sempre apareixen amb una imatge bella i atractiva.”
― Bandi , The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea

“The root of all human misfortune and suffering was that red European specter that the lion-headed man with the tobacco pipe had boasted had put down roots in this land, the seed of that red mushroom!”
― Bandi, The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea

“As a journalist, he always felt a sense of commitment not only to the piece he had written, but to the individual, event, or process he had researched to write it. The”
― Bandi, The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea