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The Meta-Anti-Propaganda In Photos I Took On My Trip To North Korea
Conscious that the very idea of propaganda often stretches the truth (or the lie), I always wanted to experience empirically the land of North Korea.
This September I finally had the possibility of turning my will into reality, as I visited Pyongyang, DMZ, the Diamond Mountain and more. And it appears it doesn’t seem as bad as the world wants to convince you it is. A lot has changed since Kim Jong Un came to power.
Don’t get me wrong; I am aware that I had been shown only a part of this country. But even so, if you’re being told by someone that they’ve brought ‘illegal’ photos from DPRK, please note that for example taking photos in North Korea is as legal as taking it anywhere else in the world. Of course, you are limited as where to go by your security and the tight schedule of the trip, but other than that, you can take photos as far as your camera shoots them. And no action is taken against you taking them out of the country; I haven’t had the memory cards of my camera checked and neither did any other member of the group of my trip. Anyway, please enjoy a fraction of life in the DPRK!
More info: mruffs.blogspot.com
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Me in the DMZ. What you can see behind me is the South Korea
Suburban areas of Pyongyang
Putong River on the way from the airport
Stainless railings and the quality of the road are ought to convince the tourists and new-comers of Pyongyang’s well being.
On my way to the hotel
Early afternoon in the Capital of North Korea
You think the British like to que? I think that the culture of queing in DPRK is even higher
Everyone’s standing in line and waiting for their turn, no pushing, no angry atmosphere, just politely waiting for the bus.
Even in the country of Eternal Sun, there happens to be a sunset
Do you really think that “Kim doesn’t want you to see these pictures”?
The entrance to one of many Funfairs in the Capital. Even in my hometown there is none!
Is it an avenue in the most socialist and usurper country in the world or a lane in Los Angeles? You tell me
Unfortunately, I don’t think you can call these buildings inhabited in a satisfactory degree.
The Kim-Ir-Sung Square. This is where all those parades you hear from the country’s national news happen
This is a view from my hotel window. It looks awesome, right?
Pyongyang by night. But don’t worry about wasting so much electricity. Everything is shut down about midnight.
Picturesque countryside. This is a photo you can call prohibited, as it depicts a soldier
But taking pictures of soldiers you can consider limited in most countries in the world, including the ones we call ‘civilized’.
Everyone can see the poverty, but it is not different than any other form most Asian countries
Don’t think his job is useless and created for the sole purpose of creating jobs in view of the socialist ideas. There is traffic; we are in a bus after all, aren’t we?
The main mean of transport is either by foot or by bike. That’s rather eco-friendly and Netherlandish of them, right?
There’s a big number of these kiosks with snacks and food articles around the country (that are either red or white)
A typical ‘traffic jam’. Notice the red flags that are waving by the road; it is quite a common view
Our bus we drove around the country with. Our guide, Song, is standing by the entrance. She spoke English and Russian and was pretty awesome
The Ninth Muse, and simultaneously a big love of Kim Jong Il
Folklore street in Pyongyang
You know what? Koreans also like to BBQ and are very hospitable. After all, I got a chicken leg, 100 ml of vodka in a yogurt cup and a little plate with spices
In many tourist stops, like this waterfall, new stands begin to appear with souvenirs and food
Picnicking Koreans
Now that’s a treat! During my stay I got the chance to take part in Pyongyang International Beer Festival
And yes, it is still in this ‘terrifying country’, not in Europe or US
I came across a group of children carrying flowers for the dear comrades Kim Ir Sung and Kim Jong Il
A bus stop. The city lacks benches, so Koreans tend to squat
The Ryugyong Hotel, or, as it is also called, The Ghost Hotel
Its construction begun in 1987 and as of 2016 it still remains unfinished and unopen.
The breathtaking Metro station inspired by Moscow’s underground masterpieces of architecture
Casual street view in Pyongyang
If you happen to see a car in DPRK the are always mind-blowing and dissonance-creating between them and the reality that surrounds them
The city is kept clean, but none of the work is done by automatic devices
These gentlemen not only are just doing the all-so-important job of holding posters in place, but they also closely watch the tourists
Somewhere in Korea
Even in the highest tourist point in one of the National Parks, there are already locals trying to make a living
The essence of world collision
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What do you think ?
Tiny Dynamine 8 years ago
What you are showing here is a version of propaganda. You were only allowed to see certain places there, ones which the officials think will look quite good to other countries. It is just a form of cherry picking, which most people do with their holiday photos anyway. Plus your images of scenery don't say a thing about the quality of life for the citizens whose lives will be in constant poverty.
Gwinevere von Ludwig 8 years ago
exactly, Tiny Dynamine! Also, only a select group of people get to live in the capital...
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Violaine LB 8 years ago
I can't believe Bored Panda would agree to publish these pictures with this text. For the record, Nazi Germany also had pretty stunning monuments and food and beautiful landscapes; it was still a country that actively sought Jewish people and organised their mass-murder. Nobody cares about whether North Korea looks "nice" or if the food is amazing or if they have lovely blue rivers. It doesn't make it "not as bad as we believe". It's still a place where people have no rights, where there is no freedom of speech, where people are interned for having different political views, where tourists have to be followed by a guide everywhere they go, where rape is used as a weapon against female prisoners, where forced abortions are practiced, where there is forced labor (just like in Nazi work camps), where people cannot choose their religion. I struggle to see how it is "not that bad" and how it could be worse. But yay! You can picnic by the river and they even have a beer festival!
Paul 8 years ago
Thank you. It's amazing how so many people think that a proctored trip to North Korea gives them the right to ignore the first-hand accounts from refugees of the Nazi Germany scale atrocities that are going on there. It's exactly like going to Nazi Germany pre-WW2 and getting a official Josef Goebels tour of Berlin, and then coming back and saying, "All the media reports about the Jew are kinda wrong 'cause life is pretty good for the Germans." Naivety and egoism ("I've been to North Korea. So there.") all rolled into one.
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Master Markus 8 years ago
But there are also people in North Korea in internment camps for crimes their ancestors committed so... yeah, maybe there's a reason we think it's bad.
Joanna von Mruff (Post author) 8 years ago
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
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Tiny Dynamine 8 years ago
What you are showing here is a version of propaganda. You were only allowed to see certain places there, ones which the officials think will look quite good to other countries. It is just a form of cherry picking, which most people do with their holiday photos anyway. Plus your images of scenery don't say a thing about the quality of life for the citizens whose lives will be in constant poverty.
Gwinevere von Ludwig 8 years ago
exactly, Tiny Dynamine! Also, only a select group of people get to live in the capital...
Load More Replies... Violaine LB 8 years ago
I can't believe Bored Panda would agree to publish these pictures with this text. For the record, Nazi Germany also had pretty stunning monuments and food and beautiful landscapes; it was still a country that actively sought Jewish people and organised their mass-murder. Nobody cares about whether North Korea looks "nice" or if the food is amazing or if they have lovely blue rivers. It doesn't make it "not as bad as we believe". It's still a place where people have no rights, where there is no freedom of speech, where people are interned for having different political views, where tourists have to be followed by a guide everywhere they go, where rape is used as a weapon against female prisoners, where forced abortions are practiced, where there is forced labor (just like in Nazi work camps), where people cannot choose their religion. I struggle to see how it is "not that bad" and how it could be worse. But yay! You can picnic by the river and they even have a beer festival!
Paul 8 years ago
Thank you. It's amazing how so many people think that a proctored trip to North Korea gives them the right to ignore the first-hand accounts from refugees of the Nazi Germany scale atrocities that are going on there. It's exactly like going to Nazi Germany pre-WW2 and getting a official Josef Goebels tour of Berlin, and then coming back and saying, "All the media reports about the Jew are kinda wrong 'cause life is pretty good for the Germans." Naivety and egoism ("I've been to North Korea. So there.") all rolled into one.
Load More Replies... Master Markus 8 years ago
But there are also people in North Korea in internment camps for crimes their ancestors committed so... yeah, maybe there's a reason we think it's bad.
Joanna von Mruff (Post author) 8 years ago
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
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