--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every so often the authorities registered…" description: "\"“Every so often the authorities registered voters in order to find out who was missing and why. I had turned eighteen and was old enough to vote in Nor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29e/hyeonseo-lee-20795_old-enough_every-so-often-the-authorities-registere_1141311.jpg" --- # Every so often the authorities registered voters in order… ![“Every so often the authorities registered voters in order to find out who was missing and why. I had turned eighteen and was old enough to vote in North Korea’s ‘elections’, which always returned Kim Jong-il, with a hundred per cent approval.” quote by Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29e/hyeonseo-lee-20795_old-enough_every-so-often-the-authorities-registere_1141311.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29e/hyeonseo-lee-20795_old-enough_every-so-often-the-authorities-registere_1141311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29e/hyeonseo-lee-20795_old-enough_every-so-often-the-authorities-registere_1141311.jpg) > ““Every so often the authorities registered voters in order to find out who was missing and why. I had turned eighteen and was old enough to vote in North Korea’s ‘elections’, which always returned Kim Jong-il, with a hundred per cent approval.”” [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She describes how North Korean elections are a façade, used to monitor citizens and enforce loyalty through fabricated unanimity. **In simple terms:** North Korean voting is a control tool. Key Takeaway Recognize how propaganda masks reality. Themes political control surveillance authoritarianism Mood critical defiant Type political historical When to use this quote - human rights advocacy - academic study - journalism - policy analysis Key Concepts totalitarianism social engineering citizen compliance Questions to Reflect On - How does forced unanimity affect personal freedom? - What mechanisms can expose such electoral fraud? A Different Perspective The system’s legitimacy rests on fear, not genuine support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Voters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voters/) ## Related quotes > [But you're almost eighteen. You're old enough. Everyone else is doing it. And next year someone is going to say to someone else 'but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/but-you-re-almost-eighteen-you-re-old-enough-everyone-else-is-doing/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [I'm going to lower the drinking age to eighteen. If you're old enough to die in Iraq, you're old enough to drink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/i-m-going-to-lower-the-drinking-age-to-eighteen-if-you-re-old-enough/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [“...she was only eighteen.” “Old enough to vote, fuck, and know better,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/she-was-only-eighteen-old-enough-to-vote-fuck-and-know-better/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [“The walnut tree told me when Emeline Margulies turned eighteen. Law-wise in Pennsylvania, a girl burns her ships at eighteen. Her daddy was dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-lindemuth/the-walnut-tree-told-me-when-emeline-margulies-turned-eighteen-law/) [Clayton Lindemuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-lindemuth/) > [“When, she wonders, did she stop being a child? The law says it was when she turned eighteen, but the law doesn't know her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/when-she-wonders-did-she-stop-being-a-child-the-law-says-it-was-when/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [“It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen All dressed in white Going to the church that night She had his box…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/it-was-two-weeks-after-the-day-she-turned-eighteen-all-dressed-in/) [Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/) > [Once I turned eighteen, I could cut myself off from everyone and finally get what I wanted, which was to be on my own,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/once-i-turned-eighteen-i-could-cut-myself-off-from-everyone-and/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“What happens to you when you get older? Do you just forget everything from before you turned eighteen? Do you make yourself forget?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/what-happens-to-you-when-you-get-older-do-you-just-forget-everything/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [ Elle Fanning was fifteen when we started \[The Neon Demon\]. She turned seventeen during the shoot. Four weeks before Cannes, she turned eighteen. She… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/elle-fanning-was-fifteen-when-we-started-the-neon-demon-she-turned/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [“On my birthday, every year since I turned eighteen, she called me at twelve twenty in the morning to wish me happy birthday and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-webb/on-my-birthday-every-year-since-i-turned-eighteen-she-called-me-at/) [T.A. Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-webb/) > [“She escaped from the schools when she turned eighteen. And she went on to be a Doctor, because the only way to fight what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-bobet/she-escaped-from-the-schools-when-she-turned-eighteen-and-she-went-on/) [Leah Bobet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-bobet/) > [“All cultures in human history have believed in God and an afterlife in eternity. There is an interesting story told about the parents of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-r-jeffrey/all-cultures-in-human-history-have-believed-in-god-and-an-afterlife/) Grant R. Jeffrey > [When I see a lot of young faces in the audience, it's just sort of sinking in how important that is. Because you're old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/when-i-see-a-lot-of-young-faces-in-the-audience-it-s-just-sort-of/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [ \[Sport officials\] blocked their support of us. But those individuals \[ Muhammad Ali, the Jim Browns, the Bill Russells, Kareem Abdul Jabbar \] were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/sport-officials-blocked-their-support-of-us-but-those-individuals/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [“You say halfer as if it's a terrible thing," he said. "But everyone I've ever known has been a halfer; if old enough t-to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-beddor/you-say-halfer-as-if-it-s-a-terrible-thing-he-said-but-everyone-i-ve/) [Frank Beddor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-beddor/) ## More by Hyeonseo Lee > [“The strength of my parents’ feelings for each other, however, was a worry to my grandmother. She warned them that if a couple loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/the-strength-of-my-parents-feelings-for-each-other-however-was-a/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“He’d valued his dignity more than his own life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/he-d-valued-his-dignity-more-than-his-own-life/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“It was the dilemma all three of us had. Every choice we made cut us off permanently from someone we loved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/it-was-the-dilemma-all-three-of-us-had-every-choice-we-made-cut-us/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“This was the first time I had ever known that North Korea has gay people. I am embarrassed to admit that I had thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/this-was-the-first-time-i-had-ever-known-that-north-korea-has-gay/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“There was just one problem, however, and it was a major one. I wasn’t choosing any of this. It was all happening to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/there-was-just-one-problem-however-and-it-was-a-major-one-i-wasn-t/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“Most of the brokers who help defectors are human traffickers. They help women escape, not men. They’re paid to bring us to China either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/most-of-the-brokers-who-help-defectors-are-human-traffickers-they/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“I had to learn Mandarin. And I had the best teacher – necessity. You can study a language for years at school, but nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/i-had-to-learn-mandarin-and-i-had-the-best-teacher-necessity-you-can/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“In her world, the law was upside down. People had to break the law to live. The prohibition on drug-dealing, a serious crime in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/in-her-world-the-law-was-upside-down-people-had-to-break-the-law-to/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“I’ll do whatever it takes. Humans are selfish and care only for themselves and their families. Am I any different?… Not only did I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/i-ll-do-whatever-it-takes-humans-are-selfish-and-care-only-for/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“Not only did I believe that humans were selfish and base, I also knew that plenty of them were actually bad – content to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/not-only-did-i-believe-that-humans-were-selfish-and-base-i-also-knew/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“Sixty thousand yuan – a fortune representing ten years’ wages at the restaurant – and a week’s imprisonment with the threat of rape, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/sixty-thousand-yuan-a-fortune-representing-ten-years-wages-at-the/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“At the end of that first year at secondary school the ceremonies held on the anniversary of the Korean War affected me deeply and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/at-the-end-of-that-first-year-at-secondary-school-the-ceremonies-held/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“Afterwards, wedding photographs were taken, as was customary, at the feet of the great bronze statue of Kim Il-sung on Mansu Hill. This was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/afterwards-wedding-photographs-were-taken-as-was-customary-at-the/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“It’s funny how the final straw is invariably a trivial incident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/it-s-funny-how-the-final-straw-is-invariably-a-trivial-incident/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“History lessons were superficial. The past was not set in stone, and was occasionally rewritten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/history-lessons-were-superficial-the-past-was-not-set-in-stone-and/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) [Explore all 30 Hyeonseo Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) ## More Old enough quotes > [“You say halfer as if it's a terrible thing," he said. "But everyone I've ever known has been a halfer; if old enough t-to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-beddor/you-say-halfer-as-if-it-s-a-terrible-thing-he-said-but-everyone-i-ve/) [Frank Beddor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-beddor/) > [ \[Sport officials\] blocked their support of us. But those individuals \[ Muhammad Ali, the Jim Browns, the Bill Russells, Kareem Abdul Jabbar \] were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/sport-officials-blocked-their-support-of-us-but-those-individuals/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [When I see a lot of young faces in the audience, it's just sort of sinking in how important that is. Because you're old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/when-i-see-a-lot-of-young-faces-in-the-audience-it-s-just-sort-of/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“All cultures in human history have believed in God and an afterlife in eternity. There is an interesting story told about the parents of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-r-jeffrey/all-cultures-in-human-history-have-believed-in-god-and-an-afterlife/) Grant R. Jeffrey > [“One of the great jokes of life is that by the time you're old enough to recognize how little you know, all you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-deberry-donna-grant/one-of-the-great-jokes-of-life-is-that-by-the-time-you-re-old-enough/) Virginia DeBerry Donna Grant > [ The Congressional Record will forever show that \[Obamacare\] was passed in a romper room of overgrown children seemingly barely old enough to keep from… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/the-congressional-record-will-forever-show-that-obamacare-was-passed/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [I looked at my mom and her life, and I thought, 'I don't want that.' I don't think my mom wanted it, either. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-lynch/i-looked-at-my-mom-and-her-life-and-i-thought-i-don-t-want-that-i-don/) [Jane Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-lynch/) > [The hardest thing is deciding what I should tell you and what not to. Well, anyway, I've got a while yet before you're old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-connor/the-hardest-thing-is-deciding-what-i-should-tell-you-and-what-not-to/) [Sarah Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-connor/) > [“And then, the last words Raspail ever said: 'I wonder why my parents didn't kill me before I was old enough to fool them.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/and-then-the-last-words-raspail-ever-said-i-wonder-why-my-parents/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [I am now old enough to make common cause with my predecessors against my successors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/i-am-now-old-enough-to-make-common-cause-with-my-predecessors-against/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [There was a period in my late 30s where work slowed down for me, as it does for a lot of women. You're no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-crampton/there-was-a-period-in-my-late-30s-where-work-slowed-down-for-me-as-it/) [Barbara Crampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-crampton/) > [“I would like to make arrangements with you--to take her as my wife. Not right away, of course. When she grows old enough.” The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/i-would-like-to-make-arrangements-with-you-to-take-her-as-my-wife-not/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [Do not spoon feed me. Let me face life's reality, I'm old enough to choose for myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshal-sino/do-not-spoon-feed-me-let-me-face-life-s-reality-i-m-old-enough-to/) Marshal Sino > [It's a sticky situation, if she ain't old enough to vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiss/it-s-a-sticky-situation-if-she-ain-t-old-enough-to-vote/) [KISS](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiss/) > [“Dr. Armonson stitched up her wrist wounds. Within five minutes of the transfusion he declared her out of danger. Chucking her under the chin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/dr-armonson-stitched-up-her-wrist-wounds-within-five-minutes-of-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) Browse all 732 Old enough quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Every so often the authorities registered voters in order to find out who was missing and why. 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