North Korea is one of the world’s most secretive states – known for its dictators who are treated like gods and their iron-clad grip on citizens.
So much so that the population are told former ‘Supreme Leader’ Kim Il Sung was born under a double rainbow, invented the hamburger, and never needed to use the toilet.
Back in 1988, six members of the Official IRA made their way to North Korea to receive ‘state of the art’ training.
Dressed in the uniform of the Korean People’s Army, they were taught North Korean style fighting and given lectures about the great leader Kim Il Sung and the wonders of one-party rule.
But after a drunken brawl, the trip ended in embarrassment as the group had to leave the country.
Some members began to question their beliefs in communism as they suffered with hunger and watched locals’ poor living conditions.
The unusual alliance came as secretary general of the Irish Workers Party Sean Garland allegedly laundered millions of fake dollars alongside the Kim regime.
Why did the ‘Stickies’ make the trip, what did they learn, and what was in it for the North Koreans?
Olivia Peden is joined by journalist John Sweeney, author of ‘North Korea: Inside the world’s most secretive state’ – he visited the strange nation as part of a BBC panorama documentary.
Hunger, Money Laundering and getting kicked out: The Official IRA’s ‘training’ trip to North Korea
