What is life in North Korea like?

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or "North Korea") was formed in 1948, following the surrender of Japan at the end of the Second World War. The Korean peninsula was split into the American-occupied South and the Soviet-occupied North. This division in government and cultural influence has shaped North Korea into the rather closed socialist state it is today.

North Korea has been criticized as an oppressive, totalitarian state for the fact that the State owns and controls all means of production. In North Korea, all control is essentially in the power of the Supreme Leader-- currently Kim Jong-Un. Though the country holds elections for government officials, they are a one-party state, so voters do not really have any say in who is elected.

As a whole, North Korean culture emphasizes self-sustainability and support for the leader as a nationalist icon. On a more day-to-day level, many people are involved with the military, and North Korea has the world's largest military. Those not involved in the military primarily work in industry or food production. Education and media are entirely controlled by the State, only allowing for a narrow (re)production of the ideals of North Korea. Interaction with and distribution of foreign media carries a very high risk.

Because I have never lived in or had contact with someone from North Korea, I cannot really tell you whether the people consider their lives to be good. The ideals of North Korean culture are structured in such a way that anything in life, however short it may fall of human standards, is seen as a blessing from the State. There is an illusion that the Supreme Leader advocates for the well-being of the people, but much of North Korea's infrastructure and economy suffer. Due to crop failure and an opposition to foreign trade, many North Koreans are malnourished and have resulting health problems. Health care and housing are free or subsidized, but are of poor quality. 

It is not the place of an outsider to criticize North Korean society, because North Korean people (presumably) feel that their lives are satisfactory. What I can say is that when compared to other nations, North Korean life is quite restrictive in terms of intellectual culture, economy, and personal agency.