Just read first-hand accounts from the many people that have escaped the country.

It's important to note that most North Koreans escape to South Korea, where it is illegal to say anything positive about North Korea, and from where they cannot leave for some number of years. So I would completely trust such accounts.

Also reports about North Korea often contradict other reports about North Korea. It's a mess of truth, exaggeration, rumours, stuff somebody made up, and in one case a satirical news article from Japan or China that Western media took at face value.

Just read first-hand accounts from the many people that have escaped the country

Those accounts aren't credible because at any time they can called a spy and imprison. Also because they include laughable claims like that there is only 1 train in North Korea, which they have to pull by hand and "In North Korea, every room has to have a portrait of the Kims. The inspector comes out of nowhere in the middle of the night and touches the portraits. If they see any dust... you can get executed."

The same person making those claims also says their friends entire family was executed in a stadium for watching TV.

If they literally make it illegal for their citizens to have real Internet

Alternatively, they're just trying to avoid the US using the internet to feed their citizens propaganda and organize a color revolution, as they constantly do to all of there adversaries.

I continue to have no judgement on what NK is like because again, no reliable data.

Sure, was this after they required everyone in North Korea get Dear Leader's haircut, while also executing anybody who got his haircut?

Western news sources are not reliable when covering America's enemies. I will develop an opinion when I talk to people who've traveled there, and aren't in danger of being thrown in prison/executed if they don't promote the state department line.