[imagesource: Reuters]

Look at that smile.

What’s not to love?

Well, the fact that Kim Jong Un ordered the execution of one of his uncles and then fed his remains to a pack of hungry dogs.

Except that story has never been verified, like much of what we read and hear about North Korea.

Those who defect from the country and escape south can offer some insight into what happens inside the dictatorship.

For the rest, it’s a little bit of guesswork and a lot of filling in the gaps when it comes to the goings-on in an incredibly secretive regime.

So why are unverified stories regarding North Korea of so much interest to the rest of the world? The BBC spoke with two experts on the topic to find out:

If that video doesn’t work you can watch it here.

Perhaps South Africans find it so intriguing because it’s something of a relief to ogle a more dysfunctional country from time to time.

[source:bbc]