This article was originally published on 24/7Mirror
There are very few genuinely mysterious places left on earth, especially with the help of the internet, making everything accessible to everyone. However, one place has managed to remain far from curious eyes. North Korea is one of the most isolated countries in the world. Very few people born outside the country will ever have a chance to see what life is like there, and their government ensures that. Until now, when a few photographers managed to sneak candid shots of daily life. For a glimpse into the unknown world of North Korea, read on!
One Woman Wearing Pink in a Sea of Soldiers
Almost all photos are not allowed to be taken in North Korea. They might as well issue an overall ban on photography. But if there is something that they are even more particular about concealing, it is their army. It is strictly forbidden to take photos of the North Korean army. This photographer took it a step further and even captured the moment one solitary woman walked in the midst of all these soldiers.
Her light pink dress is such a stark contrast against all the dark green uniforms. As a photographer, it is nearly impossible not to capture such an iconic moment through the lens.
Don't Mess With the Queue
Law and order is the name of the game in North Korea. Don't step even the slightest bit out of line, literally, as this photo shows. Although lines and queues represent the good kind of order in countries around the world, this picture gives off a different vibe. It does not look like voluntary politeness. The sheer perfection of this image is quite disturbing and it's clear the perfection is forced.
It would be interesting to know what all these people were waiting in line for in the first place. That is quite a large group of people to be so patiently waiting.
There Are Computers but No Electricity
On the list of permitted photographs to take while visiting North Korea, images of children using computers are high on the list. They actually encourage visitors to take photos of children using computers in order to prove to the world how advanced they are. There is only one problem—the computers are not connected to the electricity. If your photograph shows the truth of the situation, you are required to delete it.
They really aren't looking to have their real situation leaked to the world. What's the solution? Set up some kids to pretend they are using already ancient-looking computers, but never connect them to the electricity.
Most Soldiers Are Still Teenagers
Military service is not an option in North Korea. Most people are required to start at around their mid-teens and their service is for about ten years. As this malnourished young man proves, the soldiers are often required to help out on local farms. Maybe it's just their way of service or perhaps there is really a shortage of people to do the farmwork. Either way, the photograph is a beautiful capture of one soldier walking among the flowers.
Perhaps the most disturbing part of this photo is that this boy hardly looks old enough to be working on a farm, let alone serving in the military.
This North Korean Man Is Weeding Grass by Hand
There are multiple theories of explanations for this type of photo that seems to go viral in the western world. Some claim that the citizens are so malnourished and desperate for food that they go to local parks and pick the grass from the fields, take it home in bags, and eat it. Others claim that this is a method of hand mowing the grass to keep it in proper shape.
Either way, your North Korean guide will furiously demand that you delete any similar photo from your camera reel.
Not the Black Market, but the Gray Market
Although it is hardly any better than the infamous black market, the gray market is at least a somewhat legal business and can be commonly found throughout the country. It's their way of earning a little bit of money by selling sweets and candies or cigarettes. This is not just a practice in North Korea, but is pretty common in many different communist countries throughout the world.
What exactly qualifies as gray market-level goods in North Korea? It seems like just about anything could be considered gray market as everything is so hard to come by.
The Forbidden Face of Malnutrition
Perhaps the most absurd prohibition of all is that it is forbidden to photograph malnutrition. Considering the current state of North Korea, it is nearly impossible to take any photos of any of the citizens and not document malnutrition simultaneously. If they don't want pictures of malnutrition leaked to the world, maybe they should see to it that their citizens are not malnourished, rather than trying to hide the fact.
Even with all the suffering of malnutrition, this young boy is still wearing a military beret and the pin of their "supreme leader".
Kids Play in the Middle of Streets
Even in the capital city of North Korea, Pyongyang, cars are quite rare and uncommon. It is unlikely that you will see too many personal vehicles roaming the streets. In fact, it is so uncommon that children often play in the main streets of the city without any concern of dangerous vehicles. As you can see in these photos, they continue playing as if there are no cars anywhere in sight.
It's a wonder that they built such extensive and large roads when there are practically no cars to drive on them.
You Must Always Look Perfectly Kept
Imagine being scared that if you did not have your shirt in perfect formation before having your photo taken, your life could be in danger. That certainly has to be crossing these two students' minds as the photographer asked to snap their picture. They requested that they fix and align their shirts before he actually captured the image as they didn't want to be caught on camera looking untidy.
Although they do both look very happy it's hard not to imagine that they are faking those smiles, after being told to smile or else.
What Life Is Really Like Outside of the Hotel Walls
Visitors to North Korea are closely monitored by government officials at all times. No one is allowed to simply roam free on the streets of North Korea. This group of tourists was taken to a hotel in Kaesong that was comprised of old houses and then they are locked inside. If they request to go outside the walls of the hotel, the answer is the same rehearsed response every time, "Why do you want to go outside? It's the same as in the hotel"
Things don't look quite the same outside the walls of the hotel. It's difficult to imagine the government having tourists stay in a hotel that looked like this.
When the Subway Is Also a Bomb Shelter
In the capital city of Pyongyang, you will find a very extensive subway system that also happens to be the deepest subway system in the world. Not only is it just a subway, but it also doubles as a bomb shelter. And even more so, it is strictly forbidden to take photos of this tunnel, although to any normal onlooker this looks just like any simple subway anywhere in the world.
What secrets is this subway hiding that makes it extremely illegal to take any photos of this subway or the tunnel? Surely there is something more behind all of this.
A Shocking Act of Defiance From a Small Child
Rebellion is rarely seen in North Korea, mainly because it is not tolerated. No one wants to think of what could happen if you don't follow the rules, exactly as they were made to be followed. Either this boy is too young to fully understand or he has already had enough of the constricting life he leads, but he has chosen to rebel by standing in the way of the bus on the road.
This photo was captured in the town of Samijyon in the northern part of the country. What will the future hold for this boy?
Constant Power Outages
What's the easiest way to make sure that your citizens will remain loyal to you and your government at all costs? Make it seem like you are doing everything to protect them against a bigger, evil enemy. That is exactly what the North Koreans have done with America and they tend to blame all their problems on the American embargo. Lose power in the art gallery? Just blame the Americans.
Power outages are a very common occurrence all throughout the country, on a daily basis. Although they do try to prevent them from happening while foreigners are around, they are always prepared with big flashlights just in case.
The Land Where Soldiers Never Relax
Next on the long, long list of forbidden photos is the restriction of taking a photo of soldiers relaxing. North Korea does not want its many enemies to think that their soldiers are ever given a moment to rest or relax, they must look on guard and alert at absolutely every moment. This rare picture of soldiers enjoying a cigarette somehow slipped through their radar.
It would be interesting to know how these soldiers managed to obtain these cigarettes in the first place. If food is so scarce in the country, cigarettes must be even more so.
When a Tire Becomes a Boat
Life is no doubt very difficult for the people of North Korea. The best thing this fisherman could find to take himself to Wonsan was a large tire. He almost definitely can not afford an actual boat. Instead of giving up entirely, he found this tire and continued on with his fishing. Hopefully, he managed to catch a lot of fish, despite the lack of boat.
At least this man was able to find a creative solution and hopefully, it helped him put some food on the table for his family. It does look like this lake (or some type of body of water) has a good amount of fish to offer, judging only by the number of birds all around.
Too Afraid to Use the Escalator
Among the many things North Korea does to convince the world that their citizens are happy, they often take visitors to The Pioneers Camp Of Wonsan to prove that the youth of North Korea have fun. Unfortunately, this photo proves otherwise as the children are too scared to use the escalator that they are supposed to normally use on a daily basis.
Many of the children at this camp come from the countryside so they have never seen an escalator before and are too afraid to use it, unsure of what could happen.
The Dolphins Have Quite an Interesting Crowd
Among the many stops on the usual journey for tourists in North Korea, there is the Delphinium in Pyongyang, the capital city. Here, you are allowed to take photographs of the animals, but you are not allowed to take pictures of the crowd watching the performance. Perhaps they don't want the world to see that the majority of the audience is made up of soldiers.
There are a few people in the crowd who appear to be civilians, but there is a disturbing number of military personnel. Perhaps it was a group outing for the soldiers, but it seems very unlikely.
Grocery Stores Only for the Elite
The capital city of Pyongyang in North Korea has a remarkably shocking number of grocery stores: two. In these two grocery stores, you can find all different types of food and drinks, even Evian water from abroad. You have the option to pay in either euros or wons. What's the catch? Only the elite are allowed (and can afford) to shop there.
It is very sad to think that there are only two grocery stores in the entire capital city of the country. And even worse than the very small number of them is the small number of people who are able to shop there. This woman, in her brightly colored purple gown, oozes the essence of North Korea's elite.
Taking Photos of Soliders Is Not Permitted
There are pretty strict policies against taking photographs of anything military-related. You would not be allowed to take photos of military compounds, soldiers, vehicles, or anything of that nature in North Korea. It is rigorous if you are near any military checkpoints. However, in the DMZ, known as Demilitarized Zone, it is pretty easy to take pictures. This is because it's a buffer zone between North and South Korea where no military activities are allowed.
Therefore this would be the place to go if you're looking for photos; maybe just stop and ask a soldier. If they're in the right mood, perhaps they say yes.
Kids in the Street Collecting Grains
In the media, North Korea is presented as a developed country, but in reality, most people live in poverty. You can see here two young children out in the streets collecting grains, most likely to bring back to their families for food. Even the little girl has two mismatched shoes that are pretty torn up. These are the dies of North Korea that the government doesn't want you to see.
It's actually quite heartbreaking to see the paradox of a country rich in nuclear weapons, yet its citizens do not have the basics like proper clothing and food.
They Are In Denial of the Poverty
Every country in the world has poverty. There are poor people and homeless people in every single country on the globe. In North Korea, however, they try to deny that. At least, they try to hide it from the rest of the world by forbidding pictures that show poverty, like this one here. These children seem to be working far too hard for their young age and sadly probably have a life of hard work ahead of them.
It's one thing to try to fix the poverty in your country, but to simply deny that it even exists is taking things to a whole different extreme.
Never Show An Official In A Bad Light
If there is one thing that is most definitely on the list of taboo things in North Korea, it is showing the officials in a bad light. This photo does just that, at least in the eyes of North Korea. Although this man just fell asleep during a Christian church service, his unprofessional manner and relaxing, restful position could get him in a lot of trouble.
It would be interesting to know what kind of church this was and if anyone is allowed to even go to it besides the tourists who come to visit the country.
A Gloomy Day to Enjoy a Festival
The Kimjongilia Festival is quite an event in North Korea and people are often seen lining up to visit various monuments throughout the country. It is rare to capture a photo of the people of North Korea genuinely enjoying themselves (although not so much enjoyment can be seen in the people's faces in these photos). It looks like the weather didn't cooperate and decided to cast a gloomy glow on the festivities.
Some of the people are surprisingly dressed in some beautiful and brightly colored outfits, especially the women. That is not how you normally expect to see North Koreans, but they probably put on their best outfits for this festival.
Performers Must Be Perfect
This takes place at the Pyongyang Circus Theater, where acrobatics are encouraged. It is pretty known that perfection is required in North Korea, so it's no surprise even for these performers, no mistakes can be made. Only the best of the best are chosen to perform for live audiences, and they must practice nonstop. Though if a photo was taken of them making a mistake, they could face serious consequences.
It requires extreme athleticism, dedication, and focus to pull off the stunts that these acrobats do. Mistake or not, they are impressive.
The Exterior Might Look Fine but Its Moments From Falling Apart
Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea and is portrayed to always look pristine, with all buildings carefully maintained. However, that couldn't be further from the truth. Although this might paint a picture that everything is in excellent condition, with no trash in sight, and strong buildings with nothing broken. It is meant to appear that way, while in reality, the inside of the buildings can be entirely run down and falling apart.
It's even possible that no one lives here, and it could even be empty inside. It is just there to appear like a typical building that houses people.
The Bathtub Became a Cistern
Certain families in North Korea are considered the lucky ones, blessed by the government by being allowed to live in a nice, rural home. Besides how difficult the conditions are to become one of these carefully selected families, they hardly live in luxury. When roaming through the house and coming upon the bathroom, it is seen that they do not use the bathtub for its normal purpose, but rather as a cistern.
If this is how the lucky citizens of North Korea live, the ones blessed by the government, it's hard to imagine how difficult life is for the less fortunate citizens. They probably struggle to find clean water at all.
Workplace Safety Is Not a Priority
There are many dangerous jobs in the world, being a police officer, miners, corporate lawyers. But even in the most dangerous jobs, there is usually a pretty extensive set of rules laid out to keep people as safe as possible. That doesn't seem to be the case in North Korea. What should have been a simple construction job, somehow turned into a circus like show that only the strongest of people would be able to perform.
At least he isn't that far off the ground. Imagine if this was his work every day except a couple of stories higher, what a terrifying job!
The Statue in the Background Makes This Photo Illegal
This appears to be a typical sunny day. Someone can be seen hanging their clothes and carpets over the fence of the Taedong River to dry. At first, nothing seems wrong with that. Well, because there is a faint Kim Il Sung statue in the background, the photo cannot be taken. Besides that strange reason, the image itself is gorgeous, and the river looks like a serene and peaceful place to be.
If you're ever thinking of visiting North Korea to see this for yourself just remember to search for what's off-limits to photograph.
He Was Not Well Dressed Enough to Be Photographed
At the end of the day, it seems that it is forbidden to take pictures of just about anything in North Korea that puts anything or anyone in the country in a bad light. Apparently this man was not dressed nicely enough to be photographed. His clothes were old, mismatched, and ill-fitting, not making him a worthy target of a photograph. He also appears to be suffering carrying the heavy gas container on his back.
The man does not appear too excited about the fact that someone is taking his picture. Maybe he is concerned about the consequences if he is captured in a non-flattering light or maybe he just has absolutely no energy left after a long work day to have his picture taken by a strange tourist.
You Need a Permit to Travel Between Cities
The majority of North Korean citizens will never travel out of the country, but did you know that even traveling within the country is quite difficult? Permits are needed even for simple travel in between cities and even if you are able to get one, there is practically no public transportation available to reach another destination. Hitchhiking is quite common, especially among soldiers, as you can see from this picture.
It looks like it would almost be a battle among all the people to see who can get the ride first, there are so many hitchhikers waiting.
So Exhausted He Fell Asleep in a Field
Although under normal circumstances there are certainly worse places to take a nap than in a nice, green, and grassy field, this soldier appears to have almost passed out from exhaustion here. With his arms above his head and his hat over his face, at least he is getting a few moments of some much-needed rest and relaxation (even if it is forbidden to capture such a moment).
Hopefully, he was able to get caught up on some sleep and nobody disturbed his slumber. It looks like a nice day to take a nap on the grass, under the sun.
Don't Document a Work in Progress
In the city of Chilbo a painter once sat and painted an intricate mural for the new project going up in the city. A foreigner came by to take a photo of the man, but instead of allowing it like in any other country, all the passerby started yelling at the photographer to stop. Since the painting was unfinished, this photograph is not allowed to exist.
What is the shame of having a photograph of an unfinished piece of art? What are they scared of portraying to the world, that their art is not good enough because it is a work in progress?
The Never Ending Inception of Videography
Since tourists are not the most common sight in North Korea, the government takes extra care to document every experience with tourists that they allow. Each group is accompanied full-time by a cameraman filming the entire visit. Sometimes, they go to the extreme of inviting along another cameraman to film the one filming the original video. That is next level documentation of a seemingly ordinary event.
How many more rings of such activity can they make? Maybe they could add in another cameraman so he could film the cameraman filming the cameraman.
No Camera Flashes Allowed Because They Can Scare People
While traveling through North Korea, this man was forced to take an alternative route back to their hotel after they discovered some of the regular streets were closed. As a result, they came across some backroads that are not normally used by visitors. They were gravely warned not to take photographs of anything that they saw in the passing, specifically to "avoid scaring people".
The thought that people would be scared of a flash is disturbing on so many different levels. They either sound like they are animals in a zoo or they are easily frightened if a camera flash could scare them.
Restaurants Are Only for the Elite Too
Don't think that just because North Korea is a poverty-stricken dictatorship where most of the citizens are starving to death that they also do not have any fancy restaurants. On the contrary, many new restaurants are popping up along the Taedong River in the new center of Pyongyang. But just like the luxurious grocery stores, only the elite are allowed (and can afford) to eat there.
Although the meals in these luxurious restaurants are only a couple of euros per person, that is still far too expensive for most of the impoverished North Koreans.
Photographing Something Broken Is Also Strictly Forbidden
Although the list of forbidden things to photograph is already quite long, there are still new things to add to it. You are not allowed to take a picture of anything that is broken. They are trying to create the illusion that life is North Korea is perfect and that there are absolutely no problems at all. Beyond being ridiculous, as life cannot be perfect, these photographs prove how much they are lying.
This looks like quite a hard day's work for this many men to push the bus along the road. It almost seems like a losing battle.
Naptime on the Sharp, Pointy Rocks
Don't be too alarmed when you first see this picture. Although it does appear that the man has passed on into another world, he is actually very well alive and just taking a little nap on the rocks (not the permanent slumber of death). However, it is hard to imagine the level of exhaustion that must have overcome him that he would think that sharp, pointy rocks were a good place for a nap.
Against all odds, this man does seem to somehow be quite comfortable taking a rest on these rocks. Exactly how, no one is sure.
Just Resting on a Bench
It's hard to tell from just one picture if this mother and son duo is just resting and taking a little nap on this bench or if they are homeless and this is the most comfortable place they could find to sleep. Although the guards of the photographer insisted it was the latter, it's very difficult to ensure. The photographer does think they were just resting peacefully since the photo was taken at a fair.
Heaven forbid someone thinks there are any homeless people in North Korea. The world is (sadly) full of homeless people and no place has managed to totally eliminate this problem.
Bleak Bicycle Ride in the Country
Cars are not a common method of transportation in North Korea. Even busses and other forms of public transportation are quite a luxury. Most people are forced therefore to ride their bicycles for hours a day just to get to work and back. They then usually have heavy labor jobs in the fields... never-ending difficult work it seems. Do they even have a chance to rest?
Is there just one bike for both of these people? How can they share, especially when this woman appears to be quite elderly? It really shows how truly difficult everyday life must be for even the most average people.
This Photo Is Double Trouble
Can you guess the two reasons that this photo is not allowed in North Korea? The first is that there are soldiers in the background (you're not allowed to photograph soldiers) and the second is that this young boy is wearing his hat in a "strange" way. Dress codes, hair cuts, and essentially every aspect of life in North Korea are strictly regulated, apparently down to the way to wear a cap.
Hopefully, this young man won't get in any trouble if the North Korean government gets ahold of this picture documenting his rebellious actions.
Child Labor on the Farming Collective
While the government and official propanganda coming out of North Korea will claim that this photo is a rarity and does not represent the entire country, the sad truth is that it does. They claim that children are only used as laborers on the farming collectives when times get difficult and it is desperate. What they fail to mention is that those difficult times are constant.
These poor children probably aren't even allowed to eat the fruits of their labors, literally. They likely work in the farms all day but then go home and have malnourished and starving.
Not the Ideal Place for the Disabled
During a very extended trip to North Korea, this photographer only spotted a shockingly small number of wheelchairs during his stay. A whopping total of two. This is disturbing on so many levels and concerning what happens to citizens of the country if they become disabled. Are wheelchairs simply not available or are the disabled considered useless because they cannot work in hard labor jobs like most of the other citizens are forced to do?
Although neither of the options is ideal, hopefully, it is just a matter of lack of funding that is keeping wheelchairs out of North Korea, and hopefully, they can get some more soon to help their disabled citizens.
That Is One Rebellious Broom
How dare that broom be so rebellious as to touch the base of a statue of Kim Il Sung in Mansudae! This is one thing that is never, ever supposed to happen and it is even considered a defilement of the statue. Whoever was sweeping here left in such a hurry that they even forgot to bring along their hat and suitcase.
If the person who did this was caught they would almost definitely be fired from their job and hopefully not something worse.
Never Take a Picture From the Rear
Have you ever seen a picture of the supreme ruler of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, from the back? Most likely not....and there is a good reason for it. Like many other things in the country, it is strictly forbidden to take a picture of Kim Jong-un from the back. Why you might ask? You would have to take that up with the supreme leader himself, just be sure not to show him this picture first.
Maybe they should consider just making double sided statues of Kim so that he has no back at all. It could solve a lot of problems.
Forbidden to Both Show Poverty and Display Wealth
Both wealth and money are a taboo topics in North Korea, all across the board. Whether you are lacking it or swimming in it, it is not spoken of or displayed. Even the few people in the country who are well off are expected not to flaunt it. This fancy car was spotted in a park on a Sunday afternoon, clearly belonging to one of Pyongyang's elite families. They were enjoying a BBQ in the park.
Imagine being able to enjoy a BBQ in a country where the majority of the citizens are struggling to find even one meal to put on the table a day. They really must be the elite of the elite.
Regulated Music
Jazz music was prohibited in the time of Kim Il-Sung (the country’s previous leader) and he ordered that all music acts must be ideologically correct. His successor Kim Jong-il was more encouraging towards music and even allowed western music to be played in the country. In fact, it is an official rule that all teachers in the country must know how to play the accordion, a favorite instrument in the country.
This is a picture of North Korean musical sensation, Moranbong Band, or Moran Hill Orchestra. They are handpicked by Kim Jong-un and they perform only at formal events and televised concerts.