A young defector summed the allure of pop culture to North Koreans best: "No matter how many people die, the sensational popularity doesn't die...that is the power of culture."

While only 0.3 percent of Korean residents describe themselves as Muslim, Islam has left an indelible mark in Korean history.

After the first meeting between North and South in 1972, the North Korean delegation already noted a marked change in the Korean language that both sides spoke, changes that have made a marked difference in each dialect that goes beyond regional differences.