Many cities offer guided tours to visitors, with explanations by the tour guide but also a chance to explore on your own. This is not the case in North Korea.
All sightseeing tours are organized by the regime. Even the people you are allowed to meet have been vetted by the state. And if you have accidentally wandered off, get ready to get to know your tour guide much better. There is a good chance that you two will be cellmates because both wandering off and losing a tourist are punishable by a jail sentence!
We want you!
Enlisting in the military is one of the only career paths that promises food on the table and a small chance of a decent life for you or your family. Getting in is not so easy, you must have the right connections, and a lot of luck. If the rights strings get pulled, you have a chance to become an officer and make sure that grass is not the main ingredient in the family dinner.
The officers’ class is extremely secretive which is what makes this photo so rare.
Construction junction
This photo shows a group of North Korean construction workers in Pyongyang on the way to their worksite. The North Korean leadership makes a point of broadcasting the modernity their country has achieved, with no outside help, and visitor tours focus on Pyongyang’s booming construction.
However, not all is as it seems. North Korea has very few skilled architects and qualified craftsman, and their work crews survive mostly on grass. No wonder so few of the new buildings are suitable for habitation.
Late to nowhere
This photo of a train station in Pyongyang, North Korea which was taken by a tourist was sanctioned by the government. The photo seems unremarkable at first with many travelers on their way to various destinations.
The funny thing is that all the people in this photo are paid actors. Due to the fact that trains are used mostly for tourism, train stations are only open for a few hours each day. At the time this photo was taken (showing people entering the station) the real trains had already stopped running!
Just stay home
Traveling is not part of life in North Korea. Most people in the country do not leave the village they were born in their entire lives. There are military check points at the entrances to many towns and villages and it is very rare to get permission to leave. There is always the risk that even with special permission you will get arrested and charged with trumped up espionage charges. That is why this picture of a bus traveling the countryside is so rare. The bus looks at least 50 years old and probably doesn’t even have air conditioning.
The bus looks at least 50 years old and probably doesn’t even have air conditioning. Talk about traveling in style. This 1960’s era bus traveling the countryside is a rare sight.