---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The possibility of change in North Korea…"
description: "\"The possibility of change in North Korea arose from its greatest calamity - the famine in the 1990s, in which over a million of its citizens died. Unti..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/tom-malinowski-5887_change_the-possibility-of-change-in-north-korea_2534370.jpg"
---

#  The possibility of change in North Korea arose from its…

![“The possibility of change in North Korea arose from its greatest calamity - the famine in the 1990s, in which over a million of its citizens died. Until then, according to defectors, most North Koreans were simply unaware that different ways of life or forms of government existed in the world.” quote by Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/tom-malinowski-5887_change_the-possibility-of-change-in-north-korea_2534370.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/tom-malinowski-5887_change_the-possibility-of-change-in-north-korea_2534370.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/tom-malinowski-5887_change_the-possibility-of-change-in-north-korea_2534370.jpg)

> “The possibility of change in North Korea arose from its greatest calamity - the famine in the 1990s, in which over a million of its citizens died. Until then, according to defectors, most North Koreans were simply unaware that different ways of life or forms of government existed in the world.”

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The 1990s famine forced North Koreans to confront the possibility of alternative systems, breaking prior isolation.

**In simple terms:** Famine revealed other ways of life to North Koreans.

Key Takeaway

Recognize crises can spark openness to change.

Themes

politics history humanitarian societal change awareness

Mood

somber reflective

Type

analytical informative

When to use this quote

- policy analysis
- human rights advocacy
- educational programs
- media reporting

Key Concepts

totalitarianism information scarcity collective trauma

Questions to Reflect On

- How can external actors support informed discourse?
- What role does collective memory play in reform?

A Different Perspective

Change may be limited by ongoing repression and limited information flow.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Famine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/famine/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korea/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [North korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-korea/) [North korean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-korean/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [“Nobody knows how many North Koreans have died or are dying in the famine—some estimates by foreign-aid groups run as high as three million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/nobody-knows-how-many-north-koreans-have-died-or-are-dying-in-the/)

[Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/)

> [“The result was a serious famine between 1994 and 1998 that claimed the lives of between 200,000 and three million North Koreans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tudor/the-result-was-a-serious-famine-between-1994-and-1998-that-claimed/)

[Daniel Tudor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tudor/)

> [Like every country, North Korea has some very smart people. They could be contributing a lot more to science and other areas, but North…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/like-every-country-north-korea-has-some-very-smart-people-they-could/)

[Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/)

> [The point is, once they have a missile that can hit the United States, we are now back in the kind of game we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-eagleburger/the-point-is-once-they-have-a-missile-that-can-hit-the-united-states/)

[Lawrence Eagleburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-eagleburger/)

> [We would welcome that, but it's going to require a commitment on the part of the North Koreans to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-earnest/we-would-welcome-that-but-it-s-going-to-require-a-commitment-on-the/)

[Josh Earnest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-earnest/)

> [With Albright at the helm of the State Department, Osama bin Laden ran wild throughout the Middle East, the North Koreans began feverishly building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/with-albright-at-the-helm-of-the-state-department-osama-bin-laden-ran/)

[Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/)

> [All North Koreans know the risk of all their actions. Yeonmi Park grew up in North Korea and says watching outside videos changed her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kang-chol-hwan/all-north-koreans-know-the-risk-of-all-their-actions-yeonmi-park-grew/)

[Kang Chol-hwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kang-chol-hwan/)

> [ I think the fact that this was a essentially a person under \[China\] protection and the North Koreans went and assassinated \[Kim Jong-nam\], this… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-r-hill/i-think-the-fact-that-this-was-a-essentially-a-person-under-china/)

[Christopher R. Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-r-hill/)

> [Some people criticize North Koreans and ask, 'Are they stupid? How can they believe those ridiculous things?' But I say, It doesn't matter if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/some-people-criticize-north-koreans-and-ask-are-they-stupid-how-can/)

[Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/)

> [There is reason to say that negotiations with the North Koreans are not easy, they may not succeed, but they may be a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gallucci/there-is-reason-to-say-that-negotiations-with-the-north-koreans-are/)

Robert Gallucci

> [I don't think there's much chance that the North Koreans would attack Guam or any other territory out of the blue. They would only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-k-armstrong/i-don-t-think-there-s-much-chance-that-the-north-koreans-would-attack/)

Charles K. Armstrong

> [We are people who lived in absence of freedom. We know how precious it is. I want to give all these people their freedom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kang-chol-hwan/we-are-people-who-lived-in-absence-of-freedom-we-know-how-precious-it/)

[Kang Chol-hwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kang-chol-hwan/)

> [The North Korean Communists are implacably pursuing their military buildup in defiance of the international trend toward rapprochement and of the stark reality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/the-north-korean-communists-are-implacably-pursuing-their-military/)

[Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/)

> [“Kim Jong-il also invented the hamburger. Almost touchingly, North Koreans have a lot of pride in their heritage, though it’s for absurd reasons. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euny-hong/kim-jong-il-also-invented-the-hamburger-almost-touchingly-north/)

[Euny Hong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euny-hong/)

> [North Korea is not the dictator's country; it's 25 million citizens' country, and they are suffering under the dictator. North Koreans are really nice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korea-is-not-the-dictator-s-country-it-s-25-million-citizens/)

[Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/)

## More by Tom Malinowski

> [Ever since the end of the Cold War, it has been our paramount interest in Europe to strengthen NATO and to extend it -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/ever-since-the-end-of-the-cold-war-it-has-been-our-paramount-interest/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [Arresting opposition leaders and restricting civil society will not stop people from protesting, but it can create leaderless movements that leave no one with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/arresting-opposition-leaders-and-restricting-civil-society-will-not/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [Let's face it: much of what we truly value in life is rooted in our experience of repression and conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/let-s-face-it-much-of-what-we-truly-value-in-life-is-rooted-in-our/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [Kim Jong Un, like all totalitarian leaders, wants above all to ensure his survival. He is convinced that a nuclear strike capability is necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/kim-jong-un-like-all-totalitarian-leaders-wants-above-all-to-ensure/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [I haven't met a single person, Republican or Democrat, who thinks it's just fine for members of Congress to sit on the boards of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/i-haven-t-met-a-single-person-republican-or-democrat-who-thinks-it-s/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [Words matter. Words can be a fire to the gasoline of disturbed minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/words-matter-words-can-be-a-fire-to-the-gasoline-of-disturbed-minds/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [The rule of law that China's dissidents ask for is important to U.S. businesses investing in China as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/the-rule-of-law-that-china-s-dissidents-ask-for-is-important-to-u-s/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [We already ban foreign donations to political candidates, and we should strengthen that ban with closer scrutiny of credit card donations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/we-already-ban-foreign-donations-to-political-candidates-and-we/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [Protecting those with pre-existing conditions was one of the greatest health care reforms in our country's history and must be protected at all costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/protecting-those-with-pre-existing-conditions-was-one-of-the-greatest/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [As a former Assistant Secretary of State, Senior Director on the National Security Council, and Washington Director for Human Rights Watch, I hope to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/as-a-former-assistant-secretary-of-state-senior-director-on-the/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [Putin interfered in our election because he wanted an American president who sees the world as he does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/putin-interfered-in-our-election-because-he-wanted-an-american/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [The House Foreign Affairs Committee can and should become the principal institution in Washington exercising foreign policy oversight and serving as an alternative voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/the-house-foreign-affairs-committee-can-and-should-become-the/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [In a totalitarian state like North Korea, a group of neighbors gathering once a week to watch the latest episode of a forbidden soap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/in-a-totalitarian-state-like-north-korea-a-group-of-neighbors/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [In America, we have holidays and monuments that celebrate heroes from our past, most of whom have legacies that are settled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/in-america-we-have-holidays-and-monuments-that-celebrate-heroes-from/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [By the time I joined the Obama administration in 2014, it was widely expected that the president of the United States would raise human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/by-the-time-i-joined-the-obama-administration-in-2014-it-was-widely/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

[Explore all 100 Tom Malinowski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

## More Change quotes

> [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/)

Phil Hogan

> [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/)

[William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/)

[Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/)

> [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/)

[Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/)

> [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/)

[Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/)

> [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

[Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The possibility of change in North Korea arose from its greatest calamity - the famine in the 1990s, in which over a million of its citizens died. Until then, according to defectors, most North Koreans were simply unaware that different ways of life or forms of government existed in the world.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tom Malinowski"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/the-possibility-of-change-in-north-korea-arose-from-its-greatest/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Change"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/the-possibility-of-change-in-north-korea-arose-from-its-greatest/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/tom-malinowski-5887_change_the-possibility-of-change-in-north-korea_2534370.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/tom-malinowski-5887_change_the-possibility-of-change-in-north-korea_2534370.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/tom-malinowski-5887_change_the-possibility-of-change-in-north-korea_2534370.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The possibility of change in North Korea arose from its greatest calamity - the famine in the 1990s, in…” — Tom Malinowski",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Tom Malinowski",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The possibility of change in North...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/the-possibility-of-change-in-north-korea-arose-from-its-greatest/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/the-possibility-of-change-in-north-korea-arose-from-its-greatest/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
