Jean Lee, the Associated Press bureau chief in Seoul, recently was allowed to tour rural areas of North Korea. It was an unusual gesture by the hyper-reclusive Pyongyang regime, and her reporting was laced with fascinating revelations.

However, she stubbed her toe when describing the conditions of her tour. She wrote:

“We traveled into the countryside, accompanied by North Korean journalists, not government minders.”

‘Scuse me, ma’am.  There’s no difference. In any totalitarian system (and some democratic ones), journalists are government employees. They are motivated by one thing–keeping their jobs and the privileges that come with them.

I attended a seminar on northeast Asia security issues years ago in Hawaii. One of the featured participants was a North Korea “journalist.” The poor guy walked into something of an ambush because the panelists also included several South Korean journalists, who outted him in an instant. While trying to defend himself, his apologetic babble on behalf of his bosses left no doubt who put the dog meat on his table.

So if Ms. Lee thinks her journalist-escorts weren’t ordered to guide her on her way through North Korea, she is either in denial, naïve or (my guess) regurgitating the government line to ensure future access.

Nevertheless, her reporting on North Korea is worth a look. You won’t get a better glimpse inside that enigmatic prison-state.