How do we know that the US government isn't lying and the standard of living is actually good in North Korea?

There was an interesting report on North Korea that Lisa Ling did for National Geographic a few years back. Basically we know that people get really bad eyes do to malnutrition. People starve there, but Kim Jong Il gives his troops and people who represent his country the best life possible. Somalia is just poor, and pretty soon it will probably be a manufacturing headquarter once China is done modernizing.