In this article, you will see some intriguing, documented pictures of North Korea depicting life in the mysterious country. How did we get a hand on these North Korea pictures, you ask? Let us tell you the story.
Photographer Eric Lafforgue is one of the very lucky few who have had a chance to see what North Korea is really like. “Since 2008, I have ventured to North Korea six times,” he said. “Thanks to digital memory cards, I could save photos of North Korea that I was forbidden to take or was told to delete by the minders.”
He’s actually a regular Bored Panda user who is responsible for some of the most popular posts on our website, for example, Highway To Yell In North Korea Which I Captured During The Last Trip and I Introduced Polaroid To North Korea, And It Made People Open Up And Tell Their Stories.
Is Taking Pictures of North Korea Illegal?
You can take North Korea images only of the things permitted by the government. There are restrictions on particular things that you can’t photograph. Let us dive deep into Eric’s story and understand through his experience what is allowed to be photographed and what is banned.
Lafforgue wasn’t interested in the carefully orchestrated tourist trips to the mysterious country, revealing only fake North Korean facts. He wanted to go beyond that, to catch a domestic glimpse of the land and people that aren’t under the regime’s complete control.
“I was treated like any other tourist,” Eric told Bored Panda. “They didn’t allow me to take pictures of the police, the army, etc. But I could take so many with a 300mm zoom lens and a seat in the back of the bus.”
He shot thousands of pictures, showing citizens and government officials going about their everyday lives. “As soon as they were opening a new area to visit, I tried to go and see it, documenting the life in North Korea.”
What Happens If You Take a Photo of North Korea?
If the North Korean government finds out that you have taken photos of North Korea illegally or captured some things that are restricted from photographing, things might go wrong for you. Let us see what happened with Eric Lafforgue.
After Lafforgue returned from his 6th trip to North Korea in 2012, the government discovered him sharing secretly taken North Korea images online. They demanded he take down the images.
“I refused as I showed all the aspects of the Hermit Kingdom: the good and the bad. Just like I do with any country I visit. I refused to make an exception for North Korea, and they didn’t like this.” Soon, the regime banned Lafforgue from crossing its border ever again.
“During homestay meals in the countryside, I could speak with the locals for hours, thanks to my guides. They told me so much about how they live, what they dream of, and so on. The main thing to know is that North Koreans are warm people, very curious about the visitors, and very generous, even though most of them own nearly nothing.”
Scroll down to see Eric’s North Korea pictures for yourself.
Updated: Our video team has gathered more information on those images and contacted Eric for additional footage. Check our video for more information.
More info: ericlafforgue.com | Instagram
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Such an amazing contrast! You must be having balls of titanium to click this image!
if you want to eat you need a job... the only one available in NK is in the army. can't blame them.
Serving in the military in NK is not optional. It's required.
Load More Replies...Why aren´t army pictures allowed though? Thought the military and their "strength" was the pride of north korea according to Kim?
Officially sanctioned photos are allowed, not visitor's photos. I've visited countries where we've received official warnings at the border about not photographing railroad stations, bridges, railroad tracks, government buildings etc.
Load More Replies...i think so. the "blackness" of her hair somehow looks out of place with the sea of black haired soldiers. and her size feels wrong too, even if she is of a smaller build. might be "photoshopped".
Load More Replies...A woman standing in the middle of a crowd of soldiers. This rare North Korea picture is not supposed to be taken as officials do not allow army pictures.
North Korea is so advanced they have computers that don't need electricity.
My heart goes out to all the kids who are living under such regime and missing the world beyond. They don't have internet access like we do or social media or access to actual news. They are not allowed to travel outside their country. I hope someday they will be free as rest of us.
The thing is that they don't even know that they live so differently (which doesn't make it less sad, because no one would love to see his whole family get killed, just because they watched a forbidden movie)
Load More Replies...I'd never get any work done! I thought at first this was two girls, two computers, then realized it is a mirror image....
So sad, guarantee that most, probably more than 80% of Americans do not know most N. Koreans do not have running water or electricity!
I remember one documentary about North Korea where the interviewer asked about a Hello Kitty shirt that one woman was wearing. That North Korean woman did not know the name of the character or that it was originally a Japanese character. She just liked the picture. In North Korea there are some clothes and items available from the other countries but most people do not always know the names of the characters. So it would be interesting to know does this girl know Mickey Mouse.
Load More Replies...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 it!
They are required to do 10 years of military service and they start training at 15 or 16 years old. It's so sad. And everyone is starving there.
Load More Replies...It's really obvious the population is deprived; everyone is too thin.
Soldiers often help on local farms.
I have also read many times that on Sundays, most people must 'volunteer' to work, even if they want to sleep in, and this could mean "mowing" the grass in public areas, using their hands, because there is NO gas for lawnmowers. There are no lawnmowers.... so they do it by hand.
We lived in a town house in Indonesia once, where some of the other more ‘important’ residence didn’t like the noise of a lawn mower, so the poor gardeners had to mow by picking with their hands. So I wouldn’t be surprised if this were also true... ☹️
Load More Replies...And their leader is only busy in making nuclear weapons and ready to start a war... my heart goes out to these people who have to eat grass for living...
Unfortunately yes. I’m korean and my father has told me horrible stories about the lives of North Koreans. It’s very very sad
Load More Replies...It does look like most of what is in his hand, and sticking out of his bag, is something with a broader leaf than grass. Dandelion and it's family are edible and have a nutritional profile between lettuce and spinach. Clearly this is a very sad scene, but free salad is still free.
Hard to believe after such photos that NK REALLY threatens US with a nuclear war. I would say it´s just a propaganda to draw attention away from REAL problems like GUNS open availability even in shopping malls :/
and yet he has weeds in his hand and in the bag. I wonder if my neighbor eats grass as I saw him doing exactly this today.
All over the world people collect greens to feed their pets / chickens / rabbits / lambs etc.For humans, "there are two main problems with a grass diet. The first is that human stomachs have difficulty digesting raw leaves and grasses. Animals such as cows, on the other hand, have a specialized stomach with four chambers to aid in the digestion of grass (a process called rumination)." www.livescience.com/32435-why-cant-humans-eat-grass.html
Load More Replies...A fű között lehet olyan növényt találni , ami ehető szaueramfen auf deutsch
Rough translation from Hungarian (?): "There is a [ plant that grows among] grass you can eat called saueramfen in German". Saueramfen is a type of sorrel plant. So, sorrel, clover, dandelions, wild mustard, wild onions, wild garlic and other plants might also be gathered, but grass is the most abundant and readily available.
Load More Replies...This kind of photo of North Korea 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.
"What do you want to do when you grow up?"; "Defect!"
Load More Replies...The kid's not undisciplined, he's trying to end his own miserable life.
Both, undisciplined in North Korea means you're an actual person.
Load More Replies...Is he the guard dog to make you stop an all hell break loose ;=[] that is sad to use little kids like they need to be playing an have fun not in a uniform !
Funny how a simple act is undisciplined. I wish this was the extent of undisciplined kids in America.
A rare example of an undisciplined kid in North Korea. The bus was driving on the small roads of Samijyon in the north when this kid stood in the middle of the road.
Those are forced smiles. So no, not 'cute'.
Load More Replies...I've read from other people who have visited NK that "happy" scenes like this are often deliberately staged, by people paid to fool foreigner visitors into thinking that everything's just fine there and people have good lives. The fact that the photographer was told these people were "students" is suspicious; they are way too old to be students. They make these kinds of stupid mistakes because they think Westerners can't tell the differences in age in Asian people. Rather like the 35-year-old men with beards and receding hairlines who come to Europe and claim to be 15-year-old "child refugees".
LOL the caption said students dance in the park, not this couple is young or students
Load More Replies...There's nothing strange about this. My wife checks my clothes before I walk out the apartment each day. It's a universal trait among women.
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 of them, the girl asked the man to straighten his shirt.
Lots of room to play kickball...............IF they HAD a ball.............
Kickball?! Is that anything like proper football?
Load More Replies...In all pics of North Korea, I have seen super quality roads and that too quite wide ones in comparison to rest of world. If they don't allow citizens to use cars easily, for what purpose they built these roads for? Again a sign of idiotic supremacy.
I believe in the 70's, there WERE a lot more cars there.... but as time went on, less and less were used. Now, it's an issue of finding gas, and affording it. Plus, the govt has to gift you a car. Just to buy a tv, you have to put in an application to purchase one, which must be approved. Doesn't matter if you have enough cash to buy 3.....must have govt. approval first. Imagine how it is to buy a car!
Load More Replies...OMG! this can have a terrible ending to some of these little kids.
Look at the shadow of the two kids. There is a difference in which angle the shadow falls. Compare the shadow of the kid standing to the car closest to him, they fall in different angels too. How close or far you are to the sun, the shadow will fall in the same angle. The only thing that makes a shadow fall in a different angle is if a photo is taken at a different time. Look at the height of the car and the boy standing and then look at their shadows. A higher item casts a longer shadow. In North Korea however, it looks like kids are taller than cars. Another thing that alters the length of your shadow is when it is taken. As the sun sets, shadows get longer. As much as I love watching photos of the forbidden country, I like to look at authentic ones. If we start to photoshop photos to make North Korea look worse, we are no better than North Korean officials who constantly release photoshopped pictures to look better.
Really? U mean no smoke belching and traffic and cars pollution and people hurrying to their jobs? Duhh!! Silly me..of course Kim Jung Ong wants all tbe cars and jobs all to himself alone..tsk..tsk..tsk..this dildo looking man really!!
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.
I don't understand why this photo would be illegal. It looks perfectly fine and nothing too.. well.. North Korean.
Because it is N Korea. The government doesn't want anything to look out of order, broken down empty or poor. That is why it is illegal to take photos of soldiers relaxing etc. All these shots are set up. Soldiers are typically used for menial labor and scheduled to attend places that there are guided tours. No one can freely walk around as a guest of the country. It is required to have a guide and translator. People are told to attend areas where the required guides take the pre approved photographer (or guest with hidden camera). They have empty buildings that their sole purpose is to look like a building inhabited or used by people. They can't even afford to keep up maintenance work. There is so much known now about N Korea and the regime by people who have escaped and the few tourists and reporters who have been allowed in. These images have been circulating for a few years and probably one of the most extensive collections. It's sad and fascinating to get a glimpse into their lives
Load More Replies...You're not allowed to take pictures of the metro system in Shenzhen, China, either. There are signs everywhere, and I got yelled at by security one time when I was trying to take a picture of the crowds. They didn't confiscate my phone or anything, so it's still not quite the same, but yea.
I remember the same thing about the subway in Moscow like 14 years back... No pictures were allowed, even the ones with just the sculptures there
The Regime is not worried about the girls holding hands? (Must add it doesn't bother me)
It's not seen as a lesbian or gay thing to hold hands in China and so possibly not in Korea either. It's quite common for people who are simply friends, which the same with men also.
Load More Replies...I got the exact same photo and guard is posing in the photo, this is not illegal
Wow, now that's amazing, imagine an underground train system that has tunnels.
No garbage, graffiti or homeless. Now if the would incorporate democracy, they would have a good thing going.
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.
Hi Ladies and Gentlemen, just like to ask, what's up with this sexist reply you made a while ago? Lucky you! Without being biased on any gender, I would say most men would not miss a chance! Its just how they are wired, biologically by nature, to keep producing babies to avoid the extinction( and you can enjoy the sex too) :P
Load More Replies...This is actually a superstition from where I come from. Show someone an unfinished work and it will go wrong in some way. Maybe you'll never finish.
What is wrong we these people don't they think for themselves God I am so lucky to not be born in such a suffocating country
What? We're to believe no one requires time to paint something? Art work just magically appears overnight? One would think they would WANT pictures of talent. This is just one of MANY reasons I won't ever go there and cannot understand why anyone does.
But it is wonderful seeing and perhaps even capturing an artist at work, as long as he or she doesn't mind.
Even unfinished, I still like this man's painting. Credit to him for his natural talent and gift, even if it IS used in this horrible country. He can't help that, and for him, being able to perform such a service is an honor.
so what, even a photographer won't give a pic to a customer as raw or non-processed
Heights of idiocy ... What has a painting got to do with laws ? Honestly I don't get this anymore ... Dictatorship sucks
Its incomplete. hence it shows NK in poor light. Thats the "logic"
Load More Replies...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.
Even in malnutrition, he is wearing military cap and pin-button of his supreme leader.
What’s difficult to comprehend is that at some point an entire nation will have to cope with a different view of the outside world.
Just maybe he should feed his country and not starve them like he likes to ,by looking at him { KIM } could go a few weeks wiht out eating an not hurt him ;=[]
I'm a little surprised the red star pin is worn and the paint is coming off. But then I realize, the average person doesn't have access to paint. These pins, and the pins of their leaders, are handed out by The Worker's Party. This poor guy looks like he's not feeling well at all.
a lot of children in USA are suffering malnutrition. There are no nutritions in McCrap and Starbucks
Yep, the US is just as bad as NK, got it. That's why people are risking their lives to leave the USA and people are risking their lives to enter NK illegally. Oh, wait...
Load More Replies...These children don't know any better than to do what they are told and like it.
Maybe in the civilized world, but not when you are a Dictator who says what is or isn't a crime.
Load More Replies...It is forbidden to photograph malnutrition.
I've stayed in this hotel. It was extremely nice and the star were so friendly - we were only the second group of foreigners ever to stay there. Anyway - I see streets like this in my town in UK - and usually there is more rubbish!
There's no rubbish in NK because they have to eat it all.
Load More Replies...Everything is so grey and empty. Nice to see kids beings kids (wearing parents' shoes).
It might be the only pair of shoes she has.
Load More Replies...Ohh...thin and malnourished childten and people...only the supreme leader is FATTTTTTT!!!! Damn it!!
Interesting crumbling stonework, and brickwork.... I would like to see the inside of these buildings. I bet there is NO lights, NO running water, and no mattress, only a mat....
Those kids are NOT starving. Kids regularly wear parents slippers/shoes. Most images here are blatant propaganda by Westerners! Look closer - the housing is nice, roads kept clean/manicured, people holding hands and dancing. Much of what this as**** 'opinion' article claims just doesn't hold water - "Eating grass...?" Such a stupid claim. Your prejudice and need to believe BS propaganda is why North Korea (and many other great nations) cannot get a break. America is a shythole country! Come to Los Angeles and see how we treat homeless and mentally ill. Look at our tent cities and the filth that is our city. Watch the people who live in this city and how dirty some are or how unhappy they look. Try taking photos of buildings downtown and you'll have security shoo you away. What's the main difference between America and North Korea? We have nuclear weapons and are PROVEN irresponsible with them.
When you sleep in Kaesong, near the DMZ, you are locked in a hotel complex composed of old houses. It allows the guides to say, “Why do you want to go outside? It’s the same as in the hotel.”
No, it’s not.
Please be careful if you would like to do pictures of people faces where they might personally be prosecuted because you caught them in a bad situation , this is North Korea.
So true, I never thought of that, I hope this poor boy didn't get in trouble :/
Load More Replies...Well then you are a blithering idiot for posting this photo online. For all you know it could have led to those soldiers being arrested, or possibly even killed. Nice going.
I am curious to learn which brand of cigarette that is. Most of the citizens cannot afford pre-rolled / manufactured cigarettes like this; they sometimes must use corn husks, or even newspaper scraps they find, to roll cigarettes made from their own tobacco harvests. Can you imagine how HARSH that kind of smoke must be, compared to a manufactured branded cigarette? Real cigarettes are highly coveted in this regime country.
If you were asked to DELETE so many pictures, how do you still have them?
He duplicates the pic onto a removable SD card that he palms when he deletes the pic from the camera’s internal memory. The guard/guide sees the pic deleted from the camera’s internal memory, thinking that’s it gone, not knowing that the photog has a copy of it on an SD card he secreted away. And being a typical journalist, the photog puts his career ahead of anyone harmed by his journalistic actions.
Load More Replies...People look malnourished, yet they have cigarettes. That is a tragic situation.
I thought you said it was forbidden to take a picture of soldiers earlier...you know prior to the picture of the soldier that was looking directly at you posing for a shot.
Great picture even though it was a spy click. What sort of camera do you use?
It is forbidden to take pictures of soldiers relaxing.
I'm from India, and this is actually pretty common here. Many people use tubes to float on the water ajd fish in small lakes, ponds etc.
This is common in Asia, particularly in small fishing villages.
North Korea's attempt to keep its 'perfect' militaristic image that these poor people are forgotten
I love using inner-tubes (not tires) as boats! It's even better if you find a fast flowing river and a bunch of friends with inner-tubes! Heck, my friend uses an inner-tube as a float while fishing. He even uses ridiculous waders that come up to his chest. How stupid, right? He must be from another country or something! smh
On a little lake on the way to Wonsan, this fisherman uses a tire as a boat.
I was a camp counselor whit underprivileged kids in Québec. We took them to a national museum one day, and we had to ride up and down the escalator a few times, since some had never been on one... So this happens in the West too.
I grew up in LE HAVRE (France, Normandy) if you want to locate it on a map, google it ;) My mother worked for a year in a holiday camp center. During summer, they organised a trip to the beach and among her groupe of 32 kids (6 to 10 years old) , 5 were discovering the sea... They were living in an estuary town, in France, and had never seen the sea....
Load More Replies...Sweet that the boy on the right seems to be trying to comfort his friend who seems wary. You see the desolate environment in all these pics and this is a reminder that they are just kids. Kids' friendships can some of the purest friendships.
Haha, maybe he's pushing him forward: you go first and if you survive, I'll consider it.
Load More Replies...Hahahah that is really funny and sweet. Even as an adult, I still feel a little trepidation when first stepping upon an escalator!
You know how s****y work a govt. is doing when you read this line - "To show the youth of this country are having fun"!!
I took my niece and nephew to a museum, they had never been to one; There were escalators there, they had never even seen a picture of one! We had to teach them how to get on and off, they were terrified! (Happened in Milwaukee, WI)
My mother, living in a small town, finally joined me on the newly installed escalator in a shop after initially refusing. "Come on mum! Dare to live dangerously today! Go for it" Onlookers were grinning broadly :-)
I note how skinny these kids (and everyone pictured in the photos so far) are. They are not outright starving, but I'd bet most are borderline and malnourished.
There's a difference between being "skinny" and being malnourished or underfed. Whether or not these children are malnourished, their weight is actually normal for a healthy human being - all the kids in my extended family display exactly the same degree of 'skinniness' as these children, and ours are well and truly properly fed. If these NK children appear "skinny" to people reading this it's probably a reflection of Western biases toward overweight...
Load More Replies...Most kids are afraid of escalators their first time. And at this age, many parents would tell their kids to 'not ride them' alone. I'm getting sick of this prejudiced article. This asshat is a great reason for North Korea and other countries to forbid photographs....they get deliberately taken out of context to hurt the country's attempts to gain freedom in the world. Thank you America and your allies - you bigoted racist f's
I got my shoelace caught in the treads of an escalator when I was a kid. My dad literally ripped me out of my shoes before the escalator ate them. Those kids are wise to be afraid!
The pioneer’s camp of Wonsan is often visited by tourists to show the youth from all over the country having fun. But some children come from the countryside and are afraid to use the escalators, which they’ve never seen before.
Even on their time off, they must wear uniforms. Just like the schoolkids-- when they leave home, even on the weekends, to go to the shops or whatever, they must have on their school uniforms. This country loves uniforms!
Uniformity of dress is a psychological trick that enforces mental uniformity. It stamps out individuality.
Load More Replies...They can have huge tanks for dolphins, but they wont/cant feed their people...hmm, something is wrong here, very wrong! And with that being said how in the hell are they feeding the dolphins...
This is so sad, everywhere there is only soldiers and soldiers and soldiers. I wonder if they are allowed to clap or laugh or to enjoy!
My gut feeling is that they'd better clap or else!
Load More Replies...We have JROTC - Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps - and even pay students to wear their uniforms. Some countries, including the occupation of Israel, require all able-bodied persons to do service at 18... are you all laughing at Israel? The US military is wrought with dysfunction and false-pride, and showiness of the uniform reminds me of the SS bragging. Pretty amazing how everyone things NK is backwards; yet, they have dolphin shows and give reduced-rate entry to those in the military. SAME AS IN AMERICA.
A delphinium is a flower; I think you mean dolphinarium. (Which are cruel wherever they are.)
When visiting the Delphinium in Pyongyang, you can photograph the animals but not the soldiers, who make up 99% of the crowd.
I don't mind the queue, it represents order. But here meaning of this image is so different, they are shepherded like sheep's by a mindless leader. This shows desperation, unavailability of travel resources and failing of govt doings.
Order is what North Korea is about. Enforced, blind order, with no place for individuality and creative chaos.
Load More Replies...WHEN there is electricity to power the trams. Often, in the subways, the power just stops and everyone has to get off and walk wayyyyyy back up to ground level, a long long LONG way.
How do you even fit all those people in there? I'm from China and man I haven't seen these trams since my childhood!
Thank Christ we never have to queue for anything in western nations. I mean those 3 second lines at amusement parks are my favorites.
Come to Britain, we have the art of queueing down to a T, this isn't oppression, this is just about being polite and patient
Busing to work is orderly. Unlike the chaos in the US and other countries - like superior Japan, where you're pushed/packed on to a train. You have no idea what this line is for, you're creating nonsense fantasies for your prejudiced pleasure. Sickening.
Sheep not sheeps......................The plural of sheep is sheep, no S and no apostrophe. An apostrophe never signifies a plural of any word, even the ones with an S on the end.
I don't get what's wrong with queues. I think there were several pictures of queues in the BoredPanda page on Japan? And there are A LOT here in China. Queues just mean there are a whole lot of people.
Queueing is a national sport for North Koreans.
With the window behind him and the light in the ceiling, i think he's seen in a pretty good light. I mean look at his shining head; It's brighter than my future
Can this image, and images like it, showing up online be dangerous for these people?
I agree this could endanger the individual and should be blurred at least to protect his identity (responsible journalism)
Load More Replies...These pictures will get these individuals into horrible, Kafkaesque trouble.
I feel like ... if they banned u bc they saw your photos .. they could persecute anyone shown in a bad light, in your photos?
In a Christian church, this official was dozing off on a bench. You must never show the officials in a bad light.
Families carefully selected by Government?? what the hell? and what happens to those who govt rejects?
People who live in Pyongyang have all been selected by the government. People who are visited by tourists and officials are all selected because they reflect true Communist values and won't try to communicate with tourists or flee the country. This is how far the propaganda can go, where people are scared to say a bad word and "disappear" forever.
Load More Replies...Because there is no electricity to power water...... and no way to heat it either. Brrrrr in the winter, like right now. Folks, be glad we can turn on our taps at will and voila! Hot water comes right out!
the ones rejected llive in squalor no water or electricity like in the dark ages and most are starving
As per the title... not sure if times have ever not been hard in North Korea (maybe, before WW2?).
Netflix or YouTube (forget which) had a documentary on North Korea. These "selected" families have to show ABSOLUTE love of their leader in EVERYTHING. Even after they are selected, ONE slip yanks it all out from underneath. BAM! In the street or worse. Just. Like. That. Everything the families are given in these houses is EARNED.
If this is the home of those selected to impress tourists, I despair for those who don't reach this standard - which will be most of them.
This is a way to fill the tub. There's nothing wrong with this bathroom, just an unusual way to fill the tub.
The mirror is clean and spotless... there is nothing to dirty it with.
A visit to a rural home. Those houses and the families who live there are carefully selected by the government. But sometimes, a detail like a bathroom used as a cistern shows that times are hard.
At times I wonder if we try a little too much to show the dark side of the country. I am aware of how weird, cruel and wary the rules in North Korea are but I dont see anything wrong with this soldier sleeping on the grass.
I think some of it is to illustrate the point of how heavily censored everything is. It's not so much his sleeping as it is the photographer taking a picture of it.
Load More Replies...I can't help but wonder if he is wiped out from malnutrition and from being overworked... a photo like this could certainly and almost definitely, would land this soldier in hot water--in a labor camp or worse!!!
He's not sleeping, this is performing "Inner eyelid maintenance" Very common in all Army's =D
Perhaps times have changed in the US military, but when I was in the Air Force in the 60's it would have been frowned upon to sleep on the lawn in uniform.
This soldier was sleeping in a field.
Sure, these are children working.....laboring........but they are the lucky few, for they actually have on shoes and what appears to be clothes that are in pretty good condition, and are not torn, dirty, or ragged.... They even have bands for their hair and pigtails....
Can you blur their f*****g faces?! They all probably got shot!
What's wrong with this pic? It's just two cute kids working hard. It's not like they're barefoot and in rags!
But then again, kids all over help with the chores. Well, they're supposed to, anyway.
For those of you who keep asking the same question, "If photos are forbidden, how is it you were allowed to keep it..?" Keep asking yourself that same question till you realize that these articles are propaganda pieces designed to keep you hating foreign people - which, sadly, seems all too easy in a nation that claims to be all about ingenuity, freedom and diversity. You seem to know nothing about that.
Wich you not see, not exist... or just people like to think that way.
here i agree, Poverty Exists All Around The World, why do you need to take pictures to pose their country in a bad image ? same thing happened in romania, yes we have a million people like this and millions with some of the most expensive cars in the world, same thing or worse in usa, france, uk, dubai, china, australia, etc ; in fance, this fall, people making expensive wines stole grapes from one another because of a pore harvest, france, usa, uk, etc have people living in unhumane conditions by the thousands in their biggest cities , dubai is full of expensive lifestylers and underpaid immigrant workers, china have the richest cities with amazing buildings surrounded by poor people an bad air
I'm not trying to argue, but I think N Korea is singled out because their leader claims the opposite to be true- he claims all are equally rich and sharing in the bounty of their land but photos and brave journalists like this show the world the reality, not just the claims of an egomaniacal dictator. The people need help and air from the world, a world willing to help, but they are forbidden to accept such aid because it would make the Supreme Leader appear less than perfect. Poverty exists everywhere, and only by shining a light into the topic can we truly begin to fight it.
Load More Replies...The North Korean officials hate when you take this kind of picture. Even when I explained that poverty exists all around the world, in my own country as well, they forbade me from taking pictures of the poor.
That's filmception. Video shoot the video shoot of a video shoot.
Intimidation tactics. I've read many times and heard from travelers there that even the minders have minders sometimes. And sometimes the NK gov't is just trying to "show off" by appearing with a cameraman of their own, to try to prove the point that they too have modern technology. But I bet you a thousand yuan $$ that the camera isn't even working and/or has NO FILM in it whatsoever....!
I really wonder what kind of movies you are allowed in a factory in North Korea.
So photos are forbidden, yet, this asshat claims to have an entire TV crew? For those of you who commented stupid insults and anecdotal concerns, why not go back and edit your comment to reflect how misinformed you were.
No, only CERTAIN photos are prohibited at all, in or out of NK. But NO photos can LEAVE NK.
Load More Replies...Only in North Korea: I was at a factory shooting with my TV crew. We were followed by a local cameraman who filmed throughout the trip (on the right). On this day, the government sent another cameraman to film us all! Very meta.
Lol, I love how you give no context or evidence.
Load More Replies...The really horrifying situation here is what happens when one DOES hurt himself? Or herself? Breaks a leg, or worse? There is virtually no medical help. Sure, there are hospitals in Pyongyang, but if you watch the vids on YT, you will learn that they have no medicine, no electricity most of the time, no MRI machines, no ambulances.......out in the other areas of the country, you get hurt, you are own your own, brother! Good Luck!!!!! Isn't that scary as hell??????? Step on a rusty nail, there is NO tetanus shot and you WILL have lockjaw in weeks....then what?!!! And that is only a simple accident!
This is disgusting treatment. How dare he treat his people like they are disposable
Exactly! It's like they think they're Mexican workers or something.
Load More Replies...Anyone notice the beauty of this wall? The Knots? Thoser R Pros BOIs ;) <3 ♥
Unfortunately this is normal in Asia and Easter Europe, North Korea has a lot of faults but this isn’t the worst!
It’s not a circus; they are workers in a country with low safety standards.
I suspect that a flashing camera might indeed be scary for people who had never seen a picture being taken before, especially in the case of small children.
More like they will think it's a muzzle flash from a weapon, which I bet they are all too familiar with.
Load More Replies...I doubt very much that they are prayer flags.
Load More Replies...That colored flags are Buddhist prayer flags. I am shocked to see them, for any religion in this country is outlawed. Although there IS a Buddhist temple that is kept up and has a Buddhist monk there, but it's all for the tourist's advantage... so I'm thinking that temple must be very close by and I wish I could see what kinds of items this stall is offering for sale....
I'm sure they know what cameras are, but a flash might make them think its artillery/gun fire.
The flash would draw attention to the illegal activity of taking photos.
Great reason! Photographers are some of the most intrusive and rude people on the planet. Paparazzi the worst.
That's a sad but somewhat normal response to pics being taken compared to others. :p
LOL and this was allegedly taken with a flash? What size? 50 terawatts? Surely there are other photographers on here that can see this is nothing but b******t.
He didn't say it was taken with a flash, he said he was told not to use a flash.
Load More Replies...One night, on the way back to the hotel, my bus had to take an alternate route due to street closures. As we passed by old buildings, the guides asked me not to shoot with a flash. The official reason was “to avoid scaring people.”
That is one beautiful dress, that shows we all are same inside no matter where are we from. She must be wife of some high-ranking govt. official to be able to wear such colors.
They're a similar size in Japan. Often people in Japan but a basket inside it.
Load More Replies...that's an incredibly small shopping trolley. it might as well be a handheld shopping basket.
I hate shopping with huge carts xD I always go for the little baskets, so I don't pick up more stuff than I can carry!
Load More Replies...Oh, and what kind of crazy shopping cart IS that? It's certainly not meant for a large order!!! What does THAT tell you about this country?? And look, there's hardly anything IN that store. No signs, no advertising, nothing.
WOW!! check out the size of the shopping trolley, maybe only the elite can shop there but it looks like even the elite are restricted in how much they can buy at any one time. and what the hell is she wearing?? a shower curtain by the looks of it.
It's a traditional Korean dress; probably only very elite women wear them there now because they're very impractical. Sort of like showing off the fact that you don't need to work for a living.
Load More Replies...the size of a basket is ridiculous. So she can buy everything, but not too much of everything?
You can find all kinds of food and drinks in Pyongyang’s two supermarkets, where things are sold in both euros and wons. They even have Evian water. Only the elite can shop there.
The "Kims" are neither that tall nor that slim... just saying. Looks more like a british soldier- weird!
WOW!!! I have NEVER EVER seen a statue from behind like this! And I have watched hundreds of hours of videos and shows about the DPRK!!! I have never seen a photo like this, and kudos for the ballsy photographer who took it and got it out of the country! This is now my most favorite photo to come out of the DPRK!!!!! This is amazing. And I truly hope the rest of the people here, reading this article and seeing these photos, can appreciate how daring this photo really is! This image was risky enough to get the OP landed in a camp himself!!!!!!! He took a HUGE, and I mean a HHUUGGGGEE chance on this one!!!!!!!!
He looks so tall in this picture. It's either distorted or the statue was made long and lean to fool people into thinking the little man is bigger than he really is.
Taking a picture of the Kim statues from the back is absolutely forbidden. It is considered very rude.
Probably just curious. Tourists are a rarity, especially Western ones.
Load More Replies...Hmm. The TV guy is 'elite' while in HK? Something is more than disturbing about the person making these claims. And to Tiny Dynamine...'suspicious eye on right..'? More like 'Who is this asshat taking a photo of us while eating privately?'
How paradoxal is to see the elite dining and shopping in locals for the upper class in a communist country. This shows the absurdity and failure of Kim Jong - Un's regime and communism in general. He's just an egotistical sick sociopath who manipulates and exploits the lower class.
There are lights though. In the balcony-like thingy on the sides (don't know the name I'm afraid).
Load More Replies...And yet it looks like a $12 buffet from where I live with the colors removed. Just shows how pervasive the poverty is that even the luxuries are cheap by US standards.
Brand new restaurants have opened along the Taedong River in the new center of Pyongyang. Only the elite can afford to eat there for the equivalent of a few euros. The sturgeon I had was actually very tasty.
"oh some hard pointy sharpy blunty rocks. What a comfy places to take my lunch nap"
Any place is comfortable when you're tired out of your skull.
Load More Replies...Perhaps because the guide redularly sees dead bodies of people who throw themselves off cliffs onto rocks out of desperation. I'm sure it's a regular occurrence, and kept hidden with extreme effort. It didn't occur to e the man was dead - ecause I don't see such a thing ever, much less regularly.just guessing... so tragic if true.
I like the title " a hard end" this man lost his balance on a tightrope attempting to impress the supreme leader...falling to his doom to the jagged rocks below. how's that for propaganda?
That is a really exhausted man there, folks, who can find enough comfort on ROCKS to take a break or nap! Can you imagine?!! Even on the sand near the sea it would be more comfortable! It just goes to show you how intense this country is. And he DOES look dead, even though the OP promises he isn't, LOL.
This man was resting on the rocks by the sea in Chilbo. My guide asked me to delete this for fear that Western media could say this man was dead. He was alive.
Lemme guess....... I'm writing this without seeing the comments....... Daniel Losinger has said "these children died of starvation soon after this picture was taken."
Geez, I'm an American and I worked in the fields on summer breaks since I was 6 years old.
you had access to food and water after working, right? These kids hadn't.
Load More Replies...All kids, except the elite in Pyongyang, must work.................even on Sundays.
In Soviet Union time in 1960 ties it was very common that children worked on fields and earned money during Summer holidays to by school stuff. I did it every Summer from 11 years of age.
yes, I know the ex-slaves in Punch Bowl USA did too , as did the citizens of the Ukraine in the first half of the 20th century, as did many Albanians during the war with Turkey - but in China they all lived, which we know know because China has the worlds biggest population ;-p
no education nothing as they might end up brighter than their dumb leader
This happens everywhere in the world. Where I'm from in the Netherlands people started doing some work before the age of 12.
When times are hard (as they usually are here), kids can be found working for the farming collectives.
It is illegal to photograph anything broken down (such as a broken down bus). It makes the country look poor and reflects negatively against the image the government thinks they project. The citizens are taught they are the greatest nation on earth and the world bows to their leader.
Kind of the same for the people who love Donald Trump!
Load More Replies...Because some crazy leaders like to say things like "we have the BEST buses! Bigger than anyone else's! And they NEVER break down!"
"Maybe one day someone will figure out how to install brakes on the cars and buses."
I guess it´s dumb to even question...But whats so shameful with a broken vehicle? It happens all over the world, it´s not even the governments issue if a random bus breaks, you got people whio can fix such things for a reason, because it can and will eventually break.
There's a lovely article at the very beginning of these pictures that can answer your multiple irrelevant posts.
Load More Replies...Something you can see often in North Korea but are still forbidden to photograph.
Really? From what I can see they look like the kind of mass-produced rubbish you can buy for a few dollars here.
Load More Replies...Do they blame every negative thing on Americans? Do they REALLY not realize it is their "leader" who forces them to live this way??
They are propagandised pretty much from birth, even their lullaby's are song about how their great and beloved leaders defeated the "American Imperialist dogs". As children their sports days at school consist of "killing the imperialists" which are always depicted as US Soldiers with big ugly faces with long noses. Of course there are some who will believe the propaganda without hesitation, but there are also plenty who know that their leader is responsible for their situation, but are in no position to complain. There are literally thought police; you get rewarded for letting the military know if a friend/neighbour is speaking poorly of their leader or country.
Load More Replies...Us "Imperialist American Dogs" are blamed for everything there....because of the Korean War. They think WE did it.
It is because of the American embargo, what do all you negative commentators think? They can import food with the money from exports? Oh right, can't, there is an embargo.
I think it’s sad all countries refer back to America. I guess we have to save you all from yourselves.
Load More Replies...Art always finds a way. The worst times can create some of the most beautiful art.
Ahh, yes, it's because of the Americans! We are a very busy, malevolent lot.
In the art center of Pyongyang, we experienced a power outage, a daily event the North Koreans hate to show. When it happens, they tell you it’s because of the American embargo.
You say you were asked to delete some of these photos but you didn't so what happened when you refused to?
If you refuse to delete the pics, they confiscate your camera. This is the nicest punishment. They can either delete the pics themselves or keep the camera altogether.
Load More Replies...Well, there you have it folks. this Daniel Losinger a*s**** admits that North Korean hosts don't trust him AT ALL. And neither should any of us! His article here is so offensive and ridiculous he should be banned from owning a camera. The belligerence of being 'asked' to not take offensive photos and ignoring that request, makes you a serious A-hole Daniel Losinger
I don't think I've seen any homes/houses in these photos - except the govt picked family with e cistern. Maybe they don't have their own homes? Or many might live in barracks type buildings? I wouldn't be surprised.
Some things in NK are the same as anywhere else in the world.... a mother and her tired child, taking a break.... Can anyone tell what the tiny round item is on the bricks to the right?
A cursory glance doesn't reveal common indicators of homelessness. Also, any actually homeless persons would not be permitted in any area where outsiders might visit.
Load More Replies...So, are they extremely delusional or just idiots? We know NK isn't "the place to be." Do they really think the rest of the world thinks they're the s**t? What a sad, sad existence.
Paranoia is too strong in North Korean minds. I took this picture at a fun fair of a tired mother and child resting on a bench. I was asked to delete the picture since the guides were certain I would have said those people were homeless.
there's a lot of this in Tijuana, Mexico. I'm certain other countries experience similar situations.
Here, our cops choke them to death for selling cigarettes on the street.
Load More Replies...I think this photo has a certain timeless quality. Impossible to nail down when it was taken.
I've seen this photo many times. I wish I could see what she had there for sale.
Bans against black market sales have been strictly enforced for a long time. Grey market vendors are more common. They earn a little money selling cigarettes or sweets.
In NK women and girls are NOT allowed to ride bikes! It is FORBIDDEN! So while the men cycle, the women cannot. I'm not sure if they are allowed to ride 'sidesaddle' on the back or not, I haven't seen anyone doing that!! And it makes you wonder, out in the countryside, WHERE do they get new innertubes when they get a flat?!!! Are the tires stuffed with grass maybe????
No trees, no green grass. No nothing. Absolutely nothing seems to grow. Everything is grey and barren. What a s**t hole of a nation.
I see no obese people in these pictures. And generally everyone seems happy and playful. Pretty sure the pollution levels in NK are low, but likely register high due to South Korean manufacturing and traffic.
There are a lot of tired people since many have to ride their bikes for hours to go to work in the fields. Taking pictures of them is forbidden.
Citizens need permit to go from one place to another??? Jeez. That's unreal. I wonder how long it will take for North Koreans to stand up against this mindless tyrannical govt. and start a revolution and throw the govt. out.
Send starving, weak little people against thousands of well-fed, kempt army men? That really wouldn’t do anything. It’s like sending a little kitten to defend itself against a lion.
Load More Replies...S Korea drops usb sticks, pamphlets etc. with information about the outside world. More and more N Koreans are learning about life in the outside world and more importantly, learning that we want freedom for the N Korean citizens and the removal of the dangerous dictator.
I was on a night train going from Amsterdam to Copenhagen around 1978-79. After a while, the train stopped and people in uniform boarded and checked our papers. There was a middle-aged American gentleman in my compartment who was shocked, to say the least. He was asking if Europeans needed permission to go to another town. Well, we had just passed the border and entered Germany! Some years after that, I went swimming in a lake in the USA - only to find out that it was illegal to swim if there is no lifeguard ...
Even if you are a male and own a bike, it's still a lot of uphill battles....................
They don't think it is a problem. Ahh how easy to brainwash and spin public opinion.
Public transportation connecting the main towns is nearly nonexistent. Citizens need permits to go from one place to another. On the highways, you can spot soldiers hitchhiking.
Wondering where he got the idea to wear his cap like that.
Despite attempts to suppress access to the outside world, many people see smuggled or airdropped materials, in addition to exceedingly outdated western movies and tv. Hence the 1980's cocky hat.
Load More Replies...I wear it sideways Sometimes even backwards I destroy more daughters than american bastards dont pity me, puppet, cuz im pityin you son you lookin at the dopest bloke Since Il Sung to Un
Someone's seen western images... hm? Maybe in films to show the West as sloppy or undisciplined or something as fashion/dress is unique.
all soldiers are high ranked and no pictures of soldiers allowed - wt peeeeeeeep
The officials took issue with this North Korea photo for two reasons:
- The teen has his cap worn in a strange way (according to my guide).
- There are soldiers in the back.
They allow people to be disabled? I just assumed it was forbidden.
Load More Replies...Disabled receive no government support. Proper medical care is almost impossible to procure, even if your family can afford it. Children born with medical conditions might not... live for very long.
What slander. To understand why this is so, you must know the story of Great Leaders trip to Norway. The Precious Leader was invited to Norway to teach their broken, impoverished citizens how to irrigate their crops as well as North Korea. However, when The Lovely Leader arrived, the uncultured hosts had allowed a pleb with inferior leg bones to park his capitalist motor-horse in the most desirable spot, which was marked with a white throne to show its desirability! However, rather than begrudge this man for his unimaginable rudeness, or his most-offensive legs, the great leader pushed the mans carriage-chair onto the ground. As the man lifted himself from the puddle of muddy water he had fallen in, he found that he could walk, just like a real man! The great leader then made a solemn vow, that not one of his people, should ever have cause to behave with such humiliating rudeness to a most honored guest, and thus, cured all inferior-boned comrades here in the land he holds most sacred.
Is the comment here from Novi Dwi Prasetya genuine?? It sounds like she means it - the style is something beyond sarcastic. If it is, I am gobsmacked.
The sad truth for the affluent countries of the world is that we may well have a higher ¨production¨of wheelchair bound movement impaired people as a result of there being so much more traffic on the roads, leading in turn to more accidents.
Plus don't forget that countries like the UK and the USA also have many disabled war veterans, and people in the free world have opportunities to take up extreme sports or participate in endurance activities, often for charity or just for personal satisfaction or become explorers, in the pursuit of which they sometimes suffer serious injuries. There is no opportunity to do these things in North Korea.
Load More Replies...I actually read something about this recently.. that the city is woefully difficult for disabled folk to traverse.. very behind on updating public transportation systems to ensure they are accessible.
Load More Replies...A very rare picture of a wheelchair. On six trips, I saw only two of them.
Is that Kim II Sung's suitcase and hat? Was he allowed to leave then like this before stepping on the platform?
I guess it's easy to keep the statues clean from bird defecation since the birds were most likely killed off a long, long time ago for food.
everybody see the two funny eyes on the broom ? you see :-) people in n-k are happy people with a good sense of humanity uh humor.... Makes me long for the days of voluntary loss of freedom and accidental poverty ahead ... man, the things you can do with a pencil and paper ..... pfrrrrrrt-sploink ! oops sploink is a forbidden sound then (hihi)
This is never supposed to happen: A broom standing on the base of Kim Il Sung’s statue in Mansudae, in Pyongyang.
That cute little girl though is such a contrast. I hope when she grows up, she grows up in a world like ours.
Define “ours”. Do you mean "West", "United States", else? Are we all supposed to come from the same country/continent at Bored Panda?
Load More Replies...Yes. Due to the lack of modern appliances and transportation and the embargo of many countries, the two most resources in North Korea are wood and coal. This results in a highly polluted air (and soil and water probably). Most vehicles are actually powered by wood. This also leads to major deforestation. https://www.changesinlongitude.com/shoe-diplomacy-in-north-korea/
Load More Replies...As if they hadn't seen these statues before................ it's all for show, folks, all for show!
But look at the pretences they are forced to maintain on a daily basis. Even on a festival day and probably just visiting some monuments they are wearing office type clothes with ties nd skirts nd heels. They have to project Soo much formalities. I do wish there govt. Officials have reserved a special place in Hell.
One thing is for certain: they can make some cool looking monuments.
I was literally just looking at Pyongyang in Google Earth, and saw the same monument in the backround.
Thousands of North Koreans queued up to visit various monuments on the day of the Kimjongilia festival.
They are obsessed with Mercedes. Kim Jon Il even tried to build his own brand, a copy of the C Class. Google "pyongyang 4.10"...
Actually, it's somewhere between 30 and 35 years old. When Mercedes used to build great cars.
Load More Replies...Vintage cars can be quite expensive. "Old" doesn't necessarily mean "run down and obsolete".
Load More Replies...That red star indicates that this is a government official, high up. Each car is numbered--there are no license tags. You can identify who owns this car simply by the star and number... This is a really high ranking official.
so few cars the number plate 101 exists? and here we are running out of letter AND number combinations
Showing poverty is forbidden, but displaying wealth is also a big taboo in North Korea. In a park on a Sunday afternoon, I found this car that belonged to one of Pyongyang’s elite. The owners were having a BBQ.
Ahh - The military cap and pin-button of supreme leader is missing.
God, it would be freaking annoying for me to have a guide like that. I found the micro-managing bossy tour guides in China bad enough, but at least they let me photograph whatever I wanted, other than military stuff of course, but that goes without saying.
It is forbidden to take pictures of the daily life of the North Korean people if they are not well dressed. For my guide, this man was not well dressed enough to be photographed.
This photo is so strong. It tells all about the accessability of North Korea. Nice.
that the fotographer was not slapped man, they are real friendly in n-k....
Taking pictures in the DMZ is easy, but they stop you if you come too close to the soldiers.
What is not - forbidden? I wish you could hold a banana in one hand and taken a picture of that statue with both parallel in sight!
It automatically does that to every title you write on here.
Load More Replies...This photographer is clearly selling his/her rotten eggs here... go get a life youself, complaing of other people lives... this forbidden, this is forbidden, you idiot
Yes because the special propaganda camera doesn't have the ability to be pointed down removing the statue from the frame.
I really like the green blanket !with the stripe (to the right) ! the dotted-one (to the far left) is to loud for my taste and pink is not my color.... but I wouldn't mind the teal-fleece ... right huh ??
On this day in spring, people had put some carpets to dry on the banks of the Taedong River. Since a Kim Il Sung statue was in the back, taking pictures with those carpets was forbidden.
Don't worry, Becca, I have never seen one fall in any videos I've watched.
Load More Replies...I believe the trapeze artist intends to catch her by the ankles. She is still rotating.
Load More Replies...due to the lack of perfection (aka missing)? :b
Load More Replies...Perfection is key to any activity in North Korea. Only the best of the best are selected to perform in front of a live audience. This acrobat did three flips for this feat.
whats the point of indulging in NUCLEAR WEAPONS when you cant provide the basics to your people. very very SAD
To protect numero uno (and to not become another Hussein or Gaddafi).
Load More Replies...Her pants are ripped at the crotch, her shoes don't match, and he has none! Very very sad. :-(
The little girl's face looks like that of a much older woman...hard times must age these poor children.
Kids in Begaebong streets, collecting grains.
Something in common with Lithuania, and possibly many other countries - even IF the facade looks okay, the other sides are always in horrid disrepair, completely falling apart. The tourist (central) districts are full of LIES, which I find disgusting and infuriating as a local. We're supposed to be all modern and european, instead of a grimy, run-down waste of formerly-impressive architecture, and everyone's time... Everything is just so half-arsed these days, it's just WRONG.
interesting, I actually am in Lithuania for studies and it is not that bad here. I see a lot of poverty but the main cities feel somewhat European. If what I am seeing is just a facade where should I look to find the truth?
Load More Replies...the place is an absolute tip, i am so glad I wasn't born in that Hell hole of a country.
Why would they fix it up? ALL property belongs to the government, NOT the people!
I wonder what the red sign says. Can anyone who reads Korean translate it for us please? And look at the basketball goal lying there--- this is crazy! Is there even any ROOMS on that bottom floor? Or is it all fake and for show only?!!
It's fake. Nothing behind any of the windows. No people in sight.
Load More Replies...is it a picture from putin's russia ? you know, putin, frumpy's boyfriend
Pyongyang is supposed to showcase North Korea, so building exteriors are carefully maintained. But the bleak truth becomes apparent when you get a rare chance to look inside.
Shortly after this picture was taken, Daniel Losinger died of starvation
People here in the UK sometimes take bags with wheels to the shops to put their purchases in. This picture doesn't look that bad to me.
I went to Chongjin, a city in the north that suffered greatly from hunger a few years ago. My camera was confiscated for the duration of the bus trip. Once at the hotel, I understood why when I saw the people on the street.
I saw people washing clothes in rivers in China; it's a free source of water and many still don't have washing machines or even running water in their homes, and can't afford to go to laundromats. Never washing themselves though, although I'm sure some still do...would be nasty as most of the waterways are so polluted.
I hope the rivers still can be used washing clothes, which means the water is clean. Now the rivers are being placed by buildings or being polluted.
Load More Replies...Man bathing in a river near his town.
I interpret it as forced labor because it is. They know they can't refuse. "I have a headache" or "I want to stay home and read a book" isn't going to cut it as an excuse.
...would it more likely to be "they have no books to read"?
Load More Replies...This country is so damn poor they don't even have paintbrushes for them to use! They must use their hands!!! And it's whitewash, not even real paint. So sad.
Yes, we have these works in Soviet Union. It was called Communistic Saturday union work! But we had lot of fun in these events. When young people come together, it`s always fun. But I don`t see lot of fun for these people.
The North Korean government certainly seems to have cornered the market on paranoia.
I would love to be/live in a country where people would be this supportive of their surroundings.... detroit got a good thing going ! the urban-gardens ? google it !!
I’m sure NK would love you to toil in the fields for some meager morsels
Load More Replies...Every year, people from the town go to the country to help out in public projects. On this day, they repainted milestones. Before, the government regarded shots like these as positive, but now they understand that we can interpret this as forced labor.
30 cents?! Where did you get that kind of money?! Are you some kind of capitalist?
The Fun Fair is scary when you are on a ride, and are at the apex (the highest point it can go) and the power goes off. !!
Money is a taboo topic of conversation in North Korea. It’s very difficult to understand how much people earn, the cost of living, etc. When I took this picture of the cashier of the brand new fun fair counting a lot of money, it was not a good idea!
This truck probably runs on a wood-gas generator, and the driver is waiting for the gas to build back up so he can continue on.
https://www.motherearthnews.com/green-transportation/wood-gas-truck-zmaz81mjzraw
Load More Replies...This looks like one of those wood powered trucks. They burn wood in the back and it generates power somehow. That is why it is smoking like that. You just can't see the rig from this angle.
Reminds me of the lame Airplane! sequel where the space shuttle ran on coal xD.
Its unbelievable that people submit to this kind of life, I feel very rich compared to them
You can see trucks loaded with coal on the highways since North Korea has a big problem getting oil, like during WW2.
A Visual Tale
You might have seen some North Korea satellite images. But, this virtual tour of the mysterious country provides us with some rarely seen glimpses of the daily lives of North Koreans. Photographer Eric Lafforgue has portrayed both the good and the bad aspects of the country. What did you think about it? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
Pictures of North Korea: FAQs
How Many North Korea Stock Photos Are There?
There are around 16,500+ Stock photos of North Korea.
Did a Magnum Photographer Get Access to North Korea?
Yes, a Magnum photographer got unprecedented access to North Korea where he captured images of the country.
Can I Take Photos of North Korean Soldiers?
No. Taking photos of North Korean soldiers is strictly prohibited.
Mixed feeling when looking these images. It's probably good to show the reality of life in North Korea but can't help thinking what consequences this kind of photos could cause 1st to people shown in the photos (and doing silly things under the portraits of "belowed leaders" ) and then to those guides whose task have been preventing of taking these photos. Happy camping and lot's of hard work ?
I agree. I fear for the safety of many of the people in these photos.
Load More Replies...This person refused to takedown photos when the North Korean government asked him to. He might have seen himself as a photographer shining a light in the darkness of the unknown, but he may very well have endangered the lives of everyone he took a clear photo of. Yes letting people know about what's going on is important, but showing people's faces so clearly, places all those people who shared their stories with him in danger. I cannot condone someone who places his personal agenda above the lives and well being of the already oppressed people he photographed. No matter the personal risk he took to get this, he places an even greater risks on the people who took photos of. What other journalists who cover North Korea do is take photos that protect their identities and or write about rather than photography it. That would have been less risky an endeavor than this and still served it's purpose of educating the world. The ends don't justify the means.
I wonder if the photographer will even feel guilty if the subjects of his photos gets imprisoned or even killed for what he did here
Load More Replies...Most of these are cool, but the ones that show people's faces makes me very concerned, especially if they are of people doing forbidden things.
I am worried about the people in these pictures.. someone may loose their life because he accidentally left the broom next to the statue of the "great leader". Is it worth putting innocent lives at risk for s few pics...not that anyone is going to do anything to ease their suffering..
That is the picture you are worried about??? That was like the ONLY picture that showed something forbidden that someone did that had no one in the picture!! How is someone supposed to lose their life for leaving a broom, when you don't know who did it?
Load More Replies...So many things forbidden. I think I got that word imprinted now when thinking of North Korea :/ All this makes you wonder, how it's even possible that a country like that exists...
There a lot of examples in history that have shown us that this type system is all to easy to exist and continue existing.
Load More Replies...I definitely think you should have blurred the faces of these people. Who knows what kind of retribution they might face if the government should see these?
Stanimira Deleva I have grown up in socialism. Yes, we have had restrictions on travel outside the country.Yes, for the elite in the state there were many extras,but the people worked and earned a decent salary to live a dignified life.We had free education, inc free university.Free healtcare too...90% had their own homes too.Now we live in democracy. Only the rich live a normal life...no more than 30-40%. About 25% people really travel around the world but to work for miserable money to help their famalies home.Besause they,most of them maybe 40% of all of our people live in misery, total misery. Minimal salary 200 dollars and pension-120.So my dear,dont lie,come back home and see the reality
Load More Replies...I don't understand why he treats his people this way. That's probably an incredibly naive thing to say with the whole absolute power corrupts absolutely but still.
Im grown up behind the the iron curtain guys and i can tell you one thing.I dream we were not received your democracy...let me say why: We were on 16th place according to the UN standard of living.Super-developed economy and agriculture. Free education and medical care for absolutely all..work for all, and even import labor from China and Vietnam.every single person was important and protected, except for the rioters working against the power.But it was something that western democracy does not understand. So,they came and told us how to live in a democratic way ,they helped us to change the laws and the constitution.... Let me tell you the result:from 100% economy and agriculture - 5-10% left, high unemployment, many homeless, big criminality and corruption.You have transformed my homeland from paradise into a Third World country :(
Load More Replies...Mixed feeling when looking these images. It's probably good to show the reality of life in North Korea but can't help thinking what consequences this kind of photos could cause 1st to people shown in the photos (and doing silly things under the portraits of "belowed leaders" ) and then to those guides whose task have been preventing of taking these photos. Happy camping and lot's of hard work ?
I agree. I fear for the safety of many of the people in these photos.
Load More Replies...This person refused to takedown photos when the North Korean government asked him to. He might have seen himself as a photographer shining a light in the darkness of the unknown, but he may very well have endangered the lives of everyone he took a clear photo of. Yes letting people know about what's going on is important, but showing people's faces so clearly, places all those people who shared their stories with him in danger. I cannot condone someone who places his personal agenda above the lives and well being of the already oppressed people he photographed. No matter the personal risk he took to get this, he places an even greater risks on the people who took photos of. What other journalists who cover North Korea do is take photos that protect their identities and or write about rather than photography it. That would have been less risky an endeavor than this and still served it's purpose of educating the world. The ends don't justify the means.
I wonder if the photographer will even feel guilty if the subjects of his photos gets imprisoned or even killed for what he did here
Load More Replies...Most of these are cool, but the ones that show people's faces makes me very concerned, especially if they are of people doing forbidden things.
I am worried about the people in these pictures.. someone may loose their life because he accidentally left the broom next to the statue of the "great leader". Is it worth putting innocent lives at risk for s few pics...not that anyone is going to do anything to ease their suffering..
That is the picture you are worried about??? That was like the ONLY picture that showed something forbidden that someone did that had no one in the picture!! How is someone supposed to lose their life for leaving a broom, when you don't know who did it?
Load More Replies...So many things forbidden. I think I got that word imprinted now when thinking of North Korea :/ All this makes you wonder, how it's even possible that a country like that exists...
There a lot of examples in history that have shown us that this type system is all to easy to exist and continue existing.
Load More Replies...I definitely think you should have blurred the faces of these people. Who knows what kind of retribution they might face if the government should see these?
Stanimira Deleva I have grown up in socialism. Yes, we have had restrictions on travel outside the country.Yes, for the elite in the state there were many extras,but the people worked and earned a decent salary to live a dignified life.We had free education, inc free university.Free healtcare too...90% had their own homes too.Now we live in democracy. Only the rich live a normal life...no more than 30-40%. About 25% people really travel around the world but to work for miserable money to help their famalies home.Besause they,most of them maybe 40% of all of our people live in misery, total misery. Minimal salary 200 dollars and pension-120.So my dear,dont lie,come back home and see the reality
Load More Replies...I don't understand why he treats his people this way. That's probably an incredibly naive thing to say with the whole absolute power corrupts absolutely but still.
Im grown up behind the the iron curtain guys and i can tell you one thing.I dream we were not received your democracy...let me say why: We were on 16th place according to the UN standard of living.Super-developed economy and agriculture. Free education and medical care for absolutely all..work for all, and even import labor from China and Vietnam.every single person was important and protected, except for the rioters working against the power.But it was something that western democracy does not understand. So,they came and told us how to live in a democratic way ,they helped us to change the laws and the constitution.... Let me tell you the result:from 100% economy and agriculture - 5-10% left, high unemployment, many homeless, big criminality and corruption.You have transformed my homeland from paradise into a Third World country :(
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