북한의 이모저모(사진)

As Cars Have Become More Widespread In Pyongyang, The Peasants Are Still Getting Accustomed To Seeing Them. Kids Play In The Middle Of The Main Avenues Just Like Before When There Were No Cars In Sight.

The Way You Dress Is Very Important In North Korea. In Town, You’ll Never Find Anybody Dressed Poorly. on This Day, Students Were Dancing In A Park. When I Asked To Take A Picture, The Girl Asked The Man To Straighten His Shirt.

A Rare Example Of An Undisciplined Kid In North Korea. The Bus Was Driving In The Small Roads Of Samijyon In The North, When This Kid Stood In The Middle Of The Road.

This Kind Of Picture Is Widespread In The West. The Caption Often Explains That North Koreans Eat Grass From The Park. The Guides Get Furious If You Take It.

Soldiers Often Help on Local Farms.

When You Visit Families, The Guides Love It If You Take Pics To Show The World That Kids Have Computers. But When They See There Is No Electricity, Then They Ask You To Delete!.

A Woman Standing In The Middle Of A Crowd Of Soldiers. This Picture Is Not Supposed To Be Taken As Officials Do Not Allow Army Pictures.

Pyongyang’s Subway System Is The Deepest In The World As It Doubles As A Bomb Shelter. Someone Saw Me Taking This Picture And Told Me To Delete It Since It Included The Tunnel.

Perhaps The Most Ridiculous Prohibition I Faced: This Official Painter Was Working on A New Mural In Chilbo. I Took The Picture, And Everybody Started Yelling At Me. Since The Painting Was Unfinished, I Couldn’t Take The Picture.

This very picture actually took a huge of risk as the area the photo was taken is reserved for just locals only. In fact Michael Huniewicz at that same time later recalled that he was only having 5 seconds before he will be kicked out, But fortunately, he was able to take the photo without being seen by anyone.

                                                                                       - Reuters

CNN reported that tourists who visit North Korea are deeply disappointed by the inability to explore the country on their own.

 

As every tour is organized and orchestrated by the state-run Korea International Travel Company, photos like this one of their countryside are really rare.

We mentioned before that photos of soldiers are against the rule, so again, it’s a wonder how this one of a white pickup truck carrying soldiers slid past the border officers.

These 50s-looking buildings are a perfect example of brutal architecture which used to dominate the landscape in Eastern Europe during the Cold War.

These gloomy grey buildings might as well be a perfect metaphor for the personal and social well-being of pretty much every suffering North Korean.

This is what rural North Korea looks like – miles and miles of green fields and nothingness.

 

As every undeveloped country lacking resources needed for technological progress and development, North Korea also relies on farming as the main key to survival.

What is a better indicator of poverty out there, than seeing unpaved roads, no cars, and peasants cycling and walking with no settlement in sight?

 

This is a completely opposite picture of the one Kim and his Party is painting of their evidently struggling country.

Now the whole world knows that the ‘prospering superpower’ which invests in nuclear weapons is rotten from the inside

Just by looking at this seemingly normal photo we doubt that anyone would suspect it was taken in one of the most oppressed countries in the world.

The people seem to go about their ordinary lives just like in any other country in the world, but most of them have either been victims of or know someone who suffered abuse in the form of enslavement, imprisonment, forced abortions and torture.

…so sad

Michael recalls playing with fire when deciding to snap this photo of North Korea’s countryside showing villagers next to their bikes waiting for the train to pass.

 

In spite of photography being encouraged in controlled conditions, it is absolutely prohibited to take photos of uniformed officers such as the one of the picture.

Another photo that appears to be normal, shows North Koreans during their daily commute.

 

Every other country in the world would not find this photo threatening, but Kim’s administration is notorious for being very secretive and does not allow unstaged photos like this one to be taken.

Tourists are encouraged to photograph only “designated places that are well-maintained”.

  

Michael remembers that all of the places their group was taken seemed to be nice and stage-managed, thus he was surprised to see this weird slum which reminded him of ‘communist-era Eastern Europe’.

The North Koreans on this photo surrounded by a socialist architecture of North Korean leaders are waiting to sell human waste which is used as fertilizer.

This picture shows North Korean workers on the main road walking and carrying equipment.

 

Michael stated that the poverty he encountered was expected and that the lack of technological resources only worsens the oppression.

However, one thing he did not realize is the mental strain on the people there that they had to endure on a daily basis

These well-dressed people would not be considered an unusual sight in any other country, but North Korea is a different story.

Even though Michael is unable to prove that this particular scene was staged, he strongly believes that it was the case as there were no other trains scheduled to arrive or depart that very same day.

The station also had a waiting room which, of course, is typically empty.

Bringing things into North Korea from the outside world is strictly prohibited.

 

On this photo, Michael has captured the customs declaration form he was given an entry which states that it is illegal to bring in laptops, Korean movies and even guidebooks.

You are probably wondering what are those watchtowers doing there in the middle of nowhere.

Well, due to the regime and the poverty many North Koreans are trying to flee to China, but Kim is determined to stop them at all costs.

The hills barren of trees and the guards make it more and more difficult for North Koreans to escape their terrible fate.

China has been described as North Korea’s ‘lifeline’ with the outside world and this picture shows why.

Just across the river from the poorly governed and oppressed country lies China with its tall skyscrapers and modern infrastructure.

If there is a picture worth a thousand words, then this is the one.

The Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge pictured above is one of the few entry points for foreigners from China into North Korea.

An interesting fact about this country is that it goes completely dark at night, making it easier to spot from the sky nestled between bright South Korea and China.

Driving trucks and cars is unseen and unheard of in North Korea.

Instead, people ride bicycles, walk and ride carriages in the countryside.

CNBC report revealed that for women it is again illegal to ride bikes – it seems that Kim Jung Unchanged his mind after he lift the ban off his father’s absurd law last year.

The city of Pyongyang is a complete contrast to rural North Korea.

 

Michael and the rest of the groups saw a number of vehicles and nicely dressed people.

However, they could not talk to any of them as their guides appointed by the country’s Ministry of Tourism closely followed their every move.

Apart from that, they were told when to go to bed and when to wake up too.