While on exchange in Beijing from 2018-19, I took 12 days in September 2018 to visit North Korea with Koryo Tours, a travel company known for their trips to the DPRK (highly recommended by the way). Below is a selection of the 2000+ photos I took during my time there. Click the images to see their Google Map location.
things / Pyongyang / September 3, 2018
The Mansu Hill Grand Monument. Two bronze statues of North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, standing in front of a mural depicting Mount Paektu, an important mythological and cultural symbol for both North and South Korea.
Many of the main attractions in North Korea are the massive monuments. Both of the figures here are 20m (66ft) tall; the scale is easier to comprehend when compared to the tiny guard standing next to the monument. Like portraits of the leaders, rules also exist of these statues: visitors to the site, both locals and foreigners, are expected to bow and leave flowers in order to show respect. Photos of the statues are permitted, but the photos must capture the statues in their entirety.
The Mansu Hill Grand Monument. Two bronze statues of North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, standing in front of a mural depicting Mount Paektu, an important mythological and cultural symbol for both North and South Korea.
Many of the main attractions in North Korea are the massive monuments. Both of the figures here are 20m (66ft) tall; the scale is easier to comprehend when compared to the tiny guard standing next to the monument. Like portraits of the leaders, rules also exist of these statues: visitors to the site, both locals and foreigners, are expected to bow and leave flowers in order to show respect. Photos of the statues are permitted, but the photos must capture the statues in their entirety.
places / Pyongyang / September 2, 2018
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A view of the Pyongyang skyline from the Tower of Juche Idea. The large, triangular building on the right is the Ryugyong Hotel, an unfinished project started in 1987. Directly in the centre of the photo is the Grand People's Study House (similar to a national library) and Kim Il-sung Square. Throughout the country, buildings are painted quite colorfully, as is seen here.
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A view of the Pyongyang skyline from the Tower of Juche Idea. The large, triangular building on the right is the Ryugyong Hotel, an unfinished project started in 1987. Directly in the centre of the photo is the Grand People's Study House (similar to a national library) and Kim Il-sung Square. Throughout the country, buildings are painted quite colorfully, as is seen here.
things / Pyongyang / September 2, 2018
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⠀Portraits of the two former leaders of North Korea, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, are commonly found hanging across the country, in both private and public places.
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⠀Portraits of the two former leaders of North Korea, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, are commonly found hanging across the country, in both private and public places.
people / Pyongyang / September 2, 2018
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A photo of a man walking, with a public bus and the roof of the Grand People's Study House in the background.
If you've watched any documentary on North Korea (especially the Vice ones), they often claim that tourists are forbidden from speaking to locals. In reality, the language barrier and general unfamiliarity with foreigners makes most locals warry or uninterested in speaking with those visiting their country (similarly, most of us in our own countries would be unlikely to engage with tourists without reason). There were some opportunities to chat with locals through our Western guide's translations, but I felt that photos such as these reveal just as much about what North Koreans' lives are like.
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A photo of a man walking, with a public bus and the roof of the Grand People's Study House in the background.
If you've watched any documentary on North Korea (especially the Vice ones), they often claim that tourists are forbidden from speaking to locals. In reality, the language barrier and general unfamiliarity with foreigners makes most locals warry or uninterested in speaking with those visiting their country (similarly, most of us in our own countries would be unlikely to engage with tourists without reason). There were some opportunities to chat with locals through our Western guide's translations, but I felt that photos such as these reveal just as much about what North Koreans' lives are like.
places / Pyong-song / September 7, 2018
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A snapshot of the Pyeong-seong Student and Youth Palace (평성학생소년궁전). In North Korea, youth palaces are essentially after-school activity centres, where children practice martial arts, dance, music, and so on. With just 1 or 2 per city, these buildings are usually quite grandiose (the portraits of the two leaders here certainly support this fact).
Note: as we traveled by bus and weren't able to stop in every place we saw, many of these photos will have weird glare + bits of chairs and curtains due to taking them as we were moving (also everything was taken on a camera phone). However, these photos of everyday life are incredibly interesting in my eyes, so I hope you find them interesting regardless.
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A snapshot of the Pyeong-seong Student and Youth Palace (평성학생소년궁전). In North Korea, youth palaces are essentially after-school activity centres, where children practice martial arts, dance, music, and so on. With just 1 or 2 per city, these buildings are usually quite grandiose (the portraits of the two leaders here certainly support this fact).
Note: as we traveled by bus and weren't able to stop in every place we saw, many of these photos will have weird glare + bits of chairs and curtains due to taking them as we were moving (also everything was taken on a camera phone). However, these photos of everyday life are incredibly interesting in my eyes, so I hope you find them interesting regardless.
places / South Hwanghae Province / September 4, 2018
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People cycling in South Hwanghae Province. Because private car ownership in North Korea is rare, transportation outside of cities is primarily done by bicycle or public transportation.
Scenes like this outside of the cities were a serene contrast to the megacity of Beijing that I had been living in for the previous year. As an underdeveloped country, North Korea has vast farmlands that (try to) support the population of around 25 million.
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People cycling in South Hwanghae Province. Because private car ownership in North Korea is rare, transportation outside of cities is primarily done by bicycle or public transportation.
Scenes like this outside of the cities were a serene contrast to the megacity of Beijing that I had been living in for the previous year. As an underdeveloped country, North Korea has vast farmlands that (try to) support the population of around 25 million.
people / Nampho Dam/ September 4, 2018
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People cycling over the Nampho Dam, southwest of Pyongyang.
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People cycling over the Nampho Dam, southwest of Pyongyang.
things / Sariwon / September 6, 2018
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A young girl walks past a monument of an AK-47, with murals depicting scenes of combat in the background.⠀⠀⠀
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North Korea is a highly militarized society. Beyond national conscription leading to one of the world's largest armies, the state ideology of Juche emphasizes self-reliance, and this influences things such as the amount of money that is poured into national defence (you've likely seen countless articles about their missile launches and nuclear program in spite of sanctions). Messaging that glorifies the military is generally abundant throughout the country - this is just one example.
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A young girl walks past a monument of an AK-47, with murals depicting scenes of combat in the background.⠀⠀⠀
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North Korea is a highly militarized society. Beyond national conscription leading to one of the world's largest armies, the state ideology of Juche emphasizes self-reliance, and this influences things such as the amount of money that is poured into national defence (you've likely seen countless articles about their missile launches and nuclear program in spite of sanctions). Messaging that glorifies the military is generally abundant throughout the country - this is just one example.
things / Pyongyang / September 6, 2018
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The Arc of Reunification (조국통일3대헌장기념탑), depicting two Korean women (representing the North and South) together holding a map of a unified Korea.
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The Arc of Reunification (조국통일3대헌장기념탑), depicting two Korean women (representing the North and South) together holding a map of a unified Korea.
things / Pyongyang / September 6, 2018
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The Arc of Reunification (조국통일3대헌장기념탑), depicting two Korean women (representing the North and South) together holding a map of a unified Korea.
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The Arc of Reunification (조국통일3대헌장기념탑), depicting two Korean women (representing the North and South) together holding a map of a unified Korea.
