A rare insight into the ‘Hermit Kingdom.’
The so-called Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) – North Korea – is a country still caught in the past, where absolute authoritarianism is retained and a compliant populace live in total abeyance to the whims of the State hierarchy… whose ruthless totalitarianism is matched only by their pathological-level paranoia.
It is certainly not the favoured choice to live in by emigrants worldwide, and who can blame them?
Like all dictatorships that seek to suppress the human spirit under the jackboot of loyalty to the party/state/revolution – the rhetoric is interchangeable – the DPRK tightly restricts photographs from foreign visitors, controlling the country’s image with a vise-like grip.
But every so often, photos will emerge from the hermetic nation that makes for wonderful images and sometimes interesting human stories, far away from the militaristic, jingoistic façade so favored by the ruling Marxist elite.
This article will show the more human side of North Korea, of the small but telling moments of life in an otherwise oppressive state;
Windows to the World
The skyline of Pyongyang with colorful tower blocks, highlighting how prosperous DPRK is. Unfortunately, most of these buildings are empty shells built entirely for show… right down to window covers for stopping ‘unwanted spying’ by foreign entities.
Move, damn you!
Even the stern and taciturn DPRK has limits to its patience when dealing with the stubbornness of farm animals. Goats don’t care about the merits of Marxist thought, they just want their dinner, thank you very much.
Anything Goes
DPRK military showgirls perform to a (quite literally) captive audience. Pictured at an event in Moscow, where one potential genocidal dictatorship entertains an actual one.
All Adrift
Two North Korean ladies are all prepared to survive the DPRK’s waterlogged economy. 45% of its citizens are undernourished but the state would rather build weapons for war than care for their own people.
Girl Power
DPRK military gals share a (no doubt rare) moment of levity together. Until recently, women serving in the DPRK armed services were voluntary… not now.
Snap Happy
Official DPRK photographers get ready to take pictures at a military parade. They don’t want to miss an opportunity to capture a celebration of weapons of mass destruction.
Happiness is Universal
Even while malnourished, DPRK kids can laugh and enjoy life. And strangers with a camera will always provoke a predictable response from little ones.
Road Warriors
DPRK kids are determined to have fun… wherever that may be. Traffic was rare in Pyongyang until recently and it shows.
Inner Sanctum
Even at home, the State and its Glorious Leaders must be obeyed. In the DPRK, there’s no separation between private life and public life.
Exercise For Life
DPRK soldiers do calisthenics out in the open air of a field. The nation’s leaders clearly want their future cannon fodder to be healthy for a long time to come… at least, until the next war.
Even in the most oppressive country on Earth, the decent folks of North Korea – both civilian and military – simply get on with normal life, ready to be caught on camera by a photographer with an incisive eye for the human story behind the headlines.
