North Korea

[koutch]

The autor is Artemii Lebedev, one of the leading web-designers in Russia. He recently went on a trip to DPRK. I'll translate his comments briefly.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0077.jpg
On your arrival at the airport you need to leave your cellphone, no roaming service is avaliable but if you select an operator manually you get PRK 03 although he never saw a single person with a cell-phone. Laptops are allowed it seems that north koreans are not aware of cards that can make your laptop to work like a cellphone.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0114.jpg
The only house where a foreigner will be ever allowed on his visit. It's a model-house of a model-farmworker of a model-collective farm. There is even something that looks like a computer made of components that are not even plugged together. Internet does not exist, only intranet is avalaible.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0460.jpg
On your arrival you will be assigned to a guide and a driver. That will constantly follow you. You can't leave the hotel on your own. The daily program consists of 2-3 visits to a landmark. In the hotel you can watch BBC,NTV (russian chan),and a couple of chinese channels, so you can't really complain about freedom of speech. The food is good, and you can't complain about that either. In a park he saw elder women picking up herbs, the guide said that it was for the rabbits, although it was clear that it was the kind of herb that the "owners of the rabbits" could eat.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0186.jpg
Kiosk that sells foreign product to tourists, as in snickers chinese sprite and lays from 2001. You have to chose your product pay at a sepate booth get a checkstub and give it to the merchant to get your purchase.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0081.jpg
Kiosk for locals, most of the time they sell lemonade, forigers are given a plastic cup, locals get porcelain mugs, that are washed in a bucket of water after use.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0399.jpgSometimes you see people selling some kind of a vegetable, that was taken next to a fruits and veggies store, they immediatly closed the door as they saw a tourist.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0520.jpg
North Koreans are always amazed when they see a white man.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0011.jpg
The plaster statues are clean and not broken apart. North Korea is a perfect reproduction of the year 1950.http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0373.jpg
They still havent figured out how to make flat glass withtout bubbles, the only exception are the windows in the hotel or large vitrines.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0458.jpg
Oil is almost inexistant, so most of the labor is manual.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0150.jpg
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0089.jpg
Water seems not to be avaliable everywhere when you leave the capital. A woman is washing her clothes in the river.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0124.jpg
Life in a village
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0119.jpg
When building in a city they tend to block the old houses with tall bulidings , if that is not possible they put a concrete fence so you would only see the roof.
As soon as you try to take a picture different from the magazine "Korea" the guide will say: "why are you taking a picture" "it's forbidden here"
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0366.jpg
Koreans are not shy when it comes to basic needs, the guide forbid to take pictures of men taking a piss on the middle of the road, but there was no problem when it happened in the capital next to to a monument (look at the guy on the steps)
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0558.jpg
The big monument, (they cut off the electricity at 11)
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0200.jpg
The city at night is scary, there is no light on the streets and people use white lights and no curtains.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0493.jpg
during the day the elevator didn't work for 15 mins
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0489.jpg
View from the monument, besides the pretty view you can also see the dead birds.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0362.jpg
Reality of the NK, a forigner will not see this generally.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0350.jpg
The whole Pyongyang is like this, when he asked the guide about the old houses the guide said that old people didn't want to move out in the new ones and like it that way
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0342.jpg

[koutch]

The mausoleum
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0276.jpg
You have to button up your shirt and look serious, and leave eveything except your sunglasses at the entrance, you will have to go trough an x-ray scanner (which no one tells you about), and for some reason there is a wi-fi router. The statue is white, and the light on top is blue and on the bottom is red. And its called a "visit" because the Great Leader is still "alive"
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/_MG_0055.jpg
Next to the statue wearing an ironic t-shirt ( Hysteria of the USSR), the guide didn't know russian well, and when was asked an unplesant question didn't know russian at all. End of part 1 , next part "the defence".

Source: http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/

[Ea$y-8]

North Korea is one scary place.

[Oxley]

Whoah, that's unreal mate. Cheers.

[koutch]

About 10% of the population serves in the military, its impossible not to cross soldiers.http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-2/_MG_0113.jpg

They do everything, taking care of the cattle, picking up wood, and ride 40 persons in a truck
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-2/IMG_2418.jpg
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-2/_MG_0061.jpg
As a form of entertainement both Koreas will take you to a visit to the border. One mystery remains, how comme under capitalism the roads are good and under communism sh*tty.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-2/_MG_0052.jpgSand is where NK is.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-2/_MG_0031.jpg
The road is prepared for an invasion, the big cubes can be pushed on the road to trap the enemy tanks.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-2/_MG_0064.jpg
Just in case they put those things up on every road in the radius of 50km from the border, they are often decorated.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-2/_MG_0166.jpg
They also have those in the mountains.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-2/_MG_0201.jpg
A NK beach, electrified barbed-wire so the NK citiziens wouln't swim away, of couse you're not allowed to take that picture.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-2/_MG_0397.jpg
NK love to show off military trophees, like the american spy ship Pueblo.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-2/_MG_0301.jpg
Pieces of US aicraft in a museum, that are gathered up with a lot of love.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-2/_MG_0541.jpg
NK defends itself not only from imperialist agressors, every neiborhood is defended. Once by a coincidence, he took a picture of that buliding with AC on every window. Of couse he was told that he's not allowd to take the picture. Apperently this is not an ordinary house, maybe scientists live there.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-2/_MG_0134.jpgOn may 1st, the tourists got to see a concert and taekwondo students so everyone would know that the new replacement is growing up.
Next , visual culture.
source:
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-2/

[camerashy]

Awesome photos!!!

[koutch]

http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0552.jpg
The only ads in NK, an advertisment for a car (made in cooperation with the South) that you will only see in the capital, there are 3 different banners/models.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0505.jpg
A composition showing the heroism of the workers, its a rather unique piece since the military is on the 2nd plan.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0092.jpgBanners with Kim Il Song , who calls up people for heroic acts. For some reason commarade Kim is young.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0405.jpgYou can often see pictures of Kim Jon Suk (wife of Kim Il Song) Like his composition is called "Comarade Kim Jon Suk is saving Kim Il Song), but Kim Il Song is shown even more often :)
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0417.jpg
Bronze is often used in the monument, here you can see the worker, the farmworker and the intellectual.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0034.jpg
One of the 2 compositions next to Kim Il Song monument.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0028.jpg
In every place you will have a Pole with a citation of the great leader.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0412.jpg
LOL
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0146.jpg
Fancy garbage cans in parks.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0139.jpg
Hello ( PREVED)http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0272.jpg
NK like to customize their number ,as you can see with the 40
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0378.jpg
Every citizen has a pin of Kim Il Song, except for little children, waiters (the pin is probably hidden by work clothes), and Kim Il Song himself :D
You cannot by this pin.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0044.jpg
This means, shoe repairs upstairs.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0516.jpg
That means that a food joint is near, by the way even in China they draw a fork.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0046.jpg
You can see this on the doors, the X means entrance forbidden, and the thingy taht looks like a target means enter here.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0445.jpg
In a model pioneer palace, a concert is shown, at the end a picture of Kim Jong Il is shown, the forigners are in extasy.
Next up we have roads and transporation.

[iGrooCk]

yah its a real s h i t hole to live in...prolly the worst country to be in that has communism

[Heron]

thanks for posting
wow.......NK.....NK

[alphabet]

Wow, what an interesting place, I might have to go visit. Of course being in the military, and with my luck; I'd probably get arrested for being a spy or some sh_t.

[TheRussian1]

excellent photos..............frightening place.

[Blarney]

wow....welcome to 1984...

[Whoami88]

Wow, what an interesting place, I might have to go visit. Of course being in the military, and with my luck; I'd probably get arrested for being a spy or some sh_t.

Very few people are ever allowed to visit. North Korea isn't a place you just catch a jet too. Even then the few people that are allowed are very constricted.

Let's give communism another chance!!! Lol, what a laugh.

[koutch]

Very few people are ever allowed to visit. North Korea isn't a place you just catch a jet too. Even then the few people that are allowed are very constricted.

Let's give communism another chance!!! Lol, what a laugh.
I disagree, what i posted here are pictures of a trip made by a common man, who is also constantly breaking rules by taking pictures that he shouln't. I think the only people who can't enter in the NK are Americans.

[PILMAN]

Good pictures, I've seen some interesting photos from North Korea but not so many ones that were not supposed to be taken.

[koutch]

Ok, so we carry on.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0003.jpg
Entrances to the subways look somewhat shabby.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0509.jpg
Inside you have the tourniquets that arrive you to the knee, contrary to chinese Koreans are of short stature. The sign reads: Kim Jong IL - the Sun of 21st century!
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0513.jpg
The escalator is very long, and the lighting is original.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0523.jpg
Trains are made of 4 wagons, the doors are opened by hand and closed automatically.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0530.jpg
It seems that the goal of the NK architects was to make stations more impressive that Moscow's metro.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0067.jpg
The particularity of the cities is the lack of cars. Everyone is walking, sometimes they take packed public transportatins made of tramways, trolleys and even 2 storie buses. The bicycles are rare and expensive.
The pedestrian zebra is original.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/__MG_0005.jpg
In Pyongyang there is a lot of underground passages for crossing the street, everyone respects the rules, if you cross the street where you're not supposed to you get a fine, even if the road usually looks like this.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0446.jpg
Traffic signs warn you of other traffic signs.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0121.jpg
The drivers never stop in front of pedestrians, they constantly honk. The guide coulnt not explain the lack of reflex of the pedetrians when they hear a car. In the countryside people walk wherever they want, like there is no cars at all.http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0549.jpg
The drivers on the other hand never chek their mirrors or look back. For some reason the gas stations are covered up and passangers must exit the car before the driver goes to the gas station.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0153.jpg
Drive safe!
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0404.jpg
Line at the bus stop, people who take the bus are those who have to walk more than 30 mins toget homehttp://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0370.jpg
You can't move freely in NK, you need authorisations, and you have check-points everywhere. When the car crossed teh check point, the driver flashed the lights, perhaps its a meaning that a forigner is on board.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0284.jpg
Traffic lights exist but they dont work.http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0543.jpg
How cars in NK look like.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0312.jpgThe sign is not lying ;)
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0095.jpg
A common sight, broken down gas-fueled truck, they drive slow and make a lot of smoke. You're not supposed to take that picture.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0322.jpg
Sometimes you see japanese or german cars. Koreans love Mercedes Benz, which they only know as Benz. Benz - is the favorite car of NK leaders. In Kim Il song mausoleum , his SEL 500 is parked forever on some porcelain supports. Maybe the love for benz will explain the following pictures
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0365.jpg
Benz!
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0438.jpg
Benz!

[koutch]

http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/clone.jpg
Bad photoshop in Korea magazine.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0022.jpg
The other side
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0025.jpg
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0524.jpg
Fresh news.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0526.jpg
Portait of Father and Son (to be found in every home)
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0076.jpg
Kim Il Song really loved girls.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0103.jpg
He build them playgrounds.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0082.jpg
And put a room full of old consoles in the model pioneer palace (in which the escalator was turned on when the forigners arrived)http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0001.jpg

http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0545.jpg
Village where Kim Il Song, spend a night during his youth.

http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0127.jpg
And thats another village, but those houses don't exist in NK, the driver took a wrong turn.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0006.jpg
Sometimes you get to see a martian landscape
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0202.jpg
Beaches of NK
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0050.jpg
Sign of service
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0097.jpg
Culture house of a model collective farm
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0211.jpg
Another culture house
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0144.jpg
Somewhere
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0288.jpg
The hotel, construction was abandoned in 1991, its not recomended to take pictures of it when you're close.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0367.jpg
That's ok we'll admire it from far.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0097d.jpg
Koreans have the habit to walk with their hands behind their back, men rarely wear light and flashy colors. Thats an excusion to the cemetary of the revolutionaries
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0377.jpgApartment buildings are modest too.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0409.jpg
A rare view of Pyongyang.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0382.jpg
5.1 means May 1st, they don't do big celebrations.
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0327.jpg
All the forigners got to visit the main park, locals were denied admission
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-5/_MG_0369.jpg
Those who were smarter didn't go to the park and instead relaxed by the river.

End of the story I hope you all liked it.

[Gianni7476]

Thank you for those pictures, very impressive. It's incredible, this country seems to be just gray, gray, gray. Even when the sun shines and the grass is green and police women are wearing blue uniforms, it's just gray.

BTW what about that photoshoped picture? I don't get it.

[duck]

Thanks a lot for the translation. I hope the orginal style is as enjoyable as your english version. I'd love to buy travel guides written by this Russian guy.

[koutch]

Everything is grey because there are no advertisements.
The original text was funnier and longer, last time i tried to make a full translation out of it, MP.net logged me out and i lost everything. So this I only kept the main ideas. I also like his travel stories because they have nothing to do with postal-card pretty pictures, what you get is a look at daily life.As for the photoshopped picture, the clone tool was badly used to cover up something so the road and the fence are not straight.

[Creeper]

thank you 4 the documentory.http:///Users/michaelrichie/Desktop/__MG_0005.jpg

[spoonkilr]

it would be interesting if someone posted a photo essay on south korea.

[Adax]

Just great pictures, I can't belive it is real :( North Koreans are really poor people. Those photos remind Poland in 60's maybe. But i've liked one thing: NK Metro - looks very nice :) And that road blocks for enmy tanks are LOL too.

[Switek]

Thanks a lot for such moving pictures. Thanks to bravery of the author I could see some new views which could help develop my knowledge about the only real prision-state in the world.

well done

[Bofors]

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=200578

Here´s another tripreport from North Korea with some amazing pics and stories.

[speckfire]

Wonderful pics Kouch.. thanks a lot. How is the NK attitude towards Canadians?

[mr blonde]

looks like the ACU would blend in decently in NK

[Heron]

http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-4/_MG_0312.jpg
.............1960...........?

[Neoboy]

I knew it was bad but didn't quite imagine it like that.

[Nugget]

North Korea is beyond 3rd world countries. Its the worlds number 1 worst place to live in.

[Eldar]

sad, and scary, Kim Il song must be a very boring dude!

[Alan]

It's a horrible place, but I would imagine some places in Africa to be even worse because of crime and disease.

[SrB-23Q]

I feel sorry for these people, they r prisoners in their own country!!! Im glad i live in Australia LOL.

[DIU]

The funniest thing in all this is that the most part of North Koreans probably feel happy, believe themselves to be living in the most righteous country of the world and are ready to fight for its regime to the last drop of blood…

[Whoami88]

I disagree, what i posted here are pictures of a trip made by a common man, who is also constantly breaking rules by taking pictures that he shouln't. I think the only people who can't enter in the NK are Americans.

Well, used to be, these are the very first pics I've seen of pics that "shouldn't" be taken.


They might just be getting lazy you know

[PILMAN]

The funniest thing in all this is that the most part of North Koreans probably feel happy, believe themselves to be living in the most righteous country of the world and are ready to fight for its regime to the last drop of blood…

I agree with that. It looks like a sheltered world from their eyes as I have heard propaganda before that they live in the best country in the world and the rest of the countries are crap to theirs. Definitely a scary place. I'd say politically it'd be one of the worst countries to live in due to freedoms whereas areas of the middle east yeah you don't have many political freedoms but you still could live a lot better than North Korea most likely.

[3rdMillhouse]

Now I know where they based "City 17" of Half Life 2.

[koutch]

Wonderful pics Kouch.. thanks a lot. How is the NK attitude towards Canadians?
I don't know, possibly not good since Canadians fought the communists there. I just translated the captions and posted the pics i've never been to NK but it's a country that i'd like to visit.

[Bofors]

http://img122.exs.cx/img122/8205/nk006re0lk.jpg

The most boring job in the world; "Being a trafficcop in North Korea..."

[king_nothing100]

Look at the difference:

http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/5139/1114so.jpg

[TuNeRsHaRk]

wow, thats all i have to say

the saddest thing is that theres an electric fence along the beaches, thats just........horrible

i cant even imagine growing up in a world like that, well i guess theyve been taught their country is the most advanced and modern on the globe, but man

i really hope one day these people will be free

[393Bird]

I was stationed in South Korea 4 times, with the 1st being in 1960, and the last being in 1982. At that time there was not a great difference between the two. In 1982 South Korea had advanced so much, it was unbelievable.

Anyone that served near the DMZ in the west sector would of remembered the village of Munson-ni. It was mostly 1 floor shops and small houses with thathed roofs. It is very close to the DMZ. Below is a picture of Munson-ni taken recently.

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/9180/munsonni27vp.jpg

Remember this is a small village near the DMZ, not Seoul. :)

That will give you an idea of the difference between the north and the south.

[Apathy]

I was in South Korea last summer. It was just like America except it was foggy and hot. And there was a PC Bang(Room) on almost every block of Seoul. :<

[Apathy]

Now I know where they based "City 17" of Half Life 2.

Don't drink the water.

[Avary]

http://img122.exs.cx/img122/8205/nk006re0lk.jpg

The most boring job in the world; "Being a trafficcop in North Korea..."
OMG! This exact intersection is in "Mercenaries" woot

[TacoDelRio]

wow, thats all i have to say

the saddest thing is that theres an electric fence along the beaches, thats just........horrible

i cant even imagine growing up in a world like that, well i guess theyve been taught their country is the most advanced and modern on the globe, but man

i really hope one day these people will be free

That is really sad.

I can see a child asking their parents, "Why is there an electric fence blocking off the beach?", and the parents saying somehting like "To keep us safe from the American Frogmen." or something to that order.

Real sad place. Looks like a good place for a fugitive to hide though. :)

[never_forget]

What a horrible place to live. I for one have no desire to visit....these pictures are enough of an eye-opener for me. God bless the U.S.A.

[Avary]

What's wrong? It's orderly. woot

[22.5degrees]

Orderly yes, to an extreme. Not to get off on a tangent here but lets just imagine for a moment....

Many people around the world disagree with what has been done to NK, Iraq, Iran and even China. Seeing these photos really illustrates just how determined and brain washed the NK people are. As was mentioned, they probably believe they are living a great life. Now, after seeing how they live and how they treat their own people. What would stop them from invading or occupying neighbouring countries or even the North American continent should they get the chance? Do you think NK or any of the other nations listed would hesitate for a moment if they had the chance to financially destroy a nation to the benefit of their own? Personally I don't think they'd hesitate to massacre their own people if they believed it would make their nation stronger.

A sad and scary looking existence to say the least.

22.5

[SrB-23Q]

[QUOTE=Bofors]http://img122.exs.cx/img122/8205/nk006re0lk.jpg

At least the streets r clean!! lol

[duck]

Quite a few people in South Korea think that the North has preserved Korean culture and traditions "pure" while they have let their society be americanized.

Orderly yes, to an extreme. Not to get off on a tangent here but lets just imagine for a moment....

Many people around the world disagree with what has been done to NK, Iraq, Iran and even China. Seeing these photos really illustrates just how determined and brain washed the NK people are. As was mentioned, they probably believe they are living a great life. Now, after seeing how they live and how they treat their own people. What would stop them from invading or occupying neighbouring countries or even the North American continent should they get the chance? Do you think NK or any of the other nations listed would hesitate for a moment if they had the chance to financially destroy a nation to the benefit of their own? Personally I don't think they'd hesitate to massacre their own people if they believed it would make their nation stronger.

A sad and scary looking existence to say the least.

22.5

[Jim Warford]

Great pics...thanks!

[dave81]

I was stationed in South Korea 4 times, with the 1st being in 1960, and the last being in 1982. At that time there was not a great difference between the two. In 1982 South Korea had advanced so much, it was unbelievable..I was there in 96 and again in 2003. The growth was exponential. Downtown Seoul can easily be mistaken for Manhattan nowadays.
http://english.tour2korea.com/images/sightseeing/05112203241_photo_0_16206.JPG
http://asia.bsi-global.com/Korea/images/BSI_Korea_Jongno_Tower_Building.jpg

http://www.molon.de/galleries/Korea/Seoul/Downtown/images01/12%20Insadong%20area.jpg

[Telnyashka]

Look at the difference:



I believe that was taken during a blackout in North Korea..but I assume that happens a lot. Well...atleast the people are happy.

[22.5degrees]

Quite a few people in South Korea think that the North has preserved Korean culture and traditions "pure" while they have let their society be americanized.


I agree, the South has been very much "americanized". A bit of a shame for their heritage and culture. Still much better than living in the North.

22.5

[eATS]

great photos... never seen so many at once... i enjoyed reading the captions...

[eATS]

i have some but no captions, they were from someones trip a few years ago...

thanks again, i use these to make video game maps...


http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/4806/10014050fq.jpg
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/4809/10015529ct.jpg
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/9770/10012413un.jpg
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/3030/10012447ga.jpg
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/6375/10015448ao.jpg
http://img321.imageshack.us/img321/1691/10015704dn.jpg
http://img321.imageshack.us/img321/5255/10015717rk.jpg

[eATS]

http://img321.imageshack.us/img321/6245/10015727zr.jpg
http://img321.imageshack.us/img321/6657/10016942ee.jpg
http://img321.imageshack.us/img321/5606/10016994xf.jpg
http://img321.imageshack.us/img321/1029/10017006cm.jpg
http://img321.imageshack.us/img321/2296/10017048oc.jpg
http://img321.imageshack.us/img321/3483/10017116sl.jpg

[~center~]

Excellent pics!!!


Yeaaa capitalism woot

[eATS]

http://img321.imageshack.us/img321/8485/10017358mc.jpg
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/1287/10017557nc.jpg
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/2269/10017567mf.jpg
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/3703/10017597ww.jpg
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/989/10017640av.jpg
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/2488/10017893xp.jpg
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/9936/10017906zb.jpg
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/4082/10017928gb.jpg
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/7492/10018081av.jpg
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/291/10018102yp.jpg
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/6798/10018129yd.jpg
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/9584/10018159cd.jpg
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/2004/10018317cu.jpg

[eATS]

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/1144/10019033ow.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3742/10018468vy.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/2496/10018541xp.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/1313/10018660he.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/2188/10018496wl.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/6637/10018513ua.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9643/10018676zl.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9651/10018682tg.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/124/10018841wd.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/6538/10018889on.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/4742/10016311dz.jpg

[iGrooCk]

imagine SOMEHOW gettin a bright yellow Lmabo or a rerrari and driving that biotch on those streets, imagine the look on the peoples faces...they would prolly think its some kind of spaceship seeing how they are separated from the outside world...

[3rdMillhouse]

Don't drink the water.


They put something in it, that makes you forget. I don't even remember how I got here.

[Generation Kill]

Dude, its gotta suck to have to live there, **** I'd rather live in fallujah

[Heinemann]

Dude, its gotta suck to have to live there, **** I'd rather live in fallujah

You know what I rekon ur right, I'd hate to live in such a grim place.

[dave81]

Fallujah vs North Korea = Tossup between hunger and bombs? I might go with hunger. At least tree bark soup doesn't blow up in your face.

[D3ath]

Now I know where they based "City 17" of Half Life 2.

I was thinking the same thing man..

NK is a **** hole :X

That place SCREAMS 1984..

Now, south korea... looks lovely, like that futiristic architecture. Wouldn't mind visiting it.

[Skyman]

Awesome Thread

Glad I live here, not there

[makavelli]

this is a cool thread...
thank you for sharing..

Dude, its gotta suck to have to live there, **** I'd rather live in fallujah
id rather die peacefully than live on those place and waiting to die uncertainly...:D

[MajorTom]

Good pics!

This look like Disney land compared to some of the ghettos I have been in North America and Europe.
I would happily spent rest of my years there! No fat chicks and other vain stuff... ;)

[Jeremiah]

Nk looks like a giant prison,with the electrified beaches. Hopefully one day the people of Nk will rise up against their totalitarian government.

[camerashy]

You all wrong, North Korea paradise. See my photo prove it so.

[Heron]

You all wrong, North Korea paradise. See my photo prove it so.
lol
unique place indeed

[Apathy]

You all wrong, North Korea paradise. See my photo prove it so.

Korea doesn't have palm trees. :<

[lightfire]

You all wrong, North Korea paradise. See my photo prove it so.
http://img476.imageshack.us/img476/5610/kyi20sh.th.png (http://img476.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kyi20sh.png)
camerashy,you're bheakyng my balls here,you're bheakyng my balls..You ahre totary right!!!p-)

[jackie yu]

You all wrong, North Korea paradise. See my photo prove it so.


Bull xxxx(bleep),are you kidding?

[MostHatedEnemy]

Seeing the trailer parks and slumms of USA and suddenly DPRK seems like paradise, think about it.

[393Bird]

The thing is, the people in PDRK have no choice to where they live, or way to improve there life style and no matter what they do as far as education, they have more of the same. With the people in the slums in the US it is a completely different story. Depending on there ambitions to brake the cycle, they can go as far as there abilities and ambitions allow. There is no free ride.

I will take choice any time.

[koutch]

Update, I read some comments about the pictures I posted on other forums and some say the whole thing is very biased,especially when it comes to the comments. Clearly the life is not as good as the goverment says and is not as bad as westerners who never been to NK say.
I read that not all cars are from 1950s imported from eastern block. Same thing with the old ladies picking herb, it doesn't necessarly means that they are starving, it's the same thing as picking wildberries or mushrooms. The "look at the white man!" is also not totally true, there are a lot of tourists in NK, maybe in the villages and small towns they react differently

[koutch]

A few more pictures taken by another russian tourist.
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1938.jpg
Hotel
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1215.jpg
Another shot of the hotel
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1596.jpg
Monument to soiviet soldiers


http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1595.jpg
Wedding
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1606.jpg
Another wedding and one of the tourists
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1612.jpg
A park in Pyongyang
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1609.jpg
View of Pyongyang from Moran Hill
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1610.jpg
May 1st, stadium
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1602.jpg
Bridge
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1600.jpg
Central House of the Youth
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1229.jpg
Pioneers
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1224.jpg
The School Uniform exists but its not toally respected
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1231.jpg
Soldiers, and they have to serve 6 years...
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1245.jpg
Favorite pose of koreans during a conversation
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1257.jpg
Apperently there is no etiquette in the subway, you don't h
ave to let people out before you get in.
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1265.jpg
Another station
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1568.jpg
Pioneers and students palace
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_000026.jpg
That famous concert :)
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1509.jpg
Probably that escalator that was turned on just for the visitors
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1525.jpg
Tourists, there were a lot of europeans during the concert
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1526.jpg
Buldings
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1325.jpg
Monument of the foundation of the workers party ( Benz :P)
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1330.jpg
View from the center
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1326.jpg
You can see the unfinished hotel, it's still unknown why they abandoned it , since other buldings were build
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1333.jpg
Czechoslovakian trams
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1292.jpg
The super momument, everyone who comes to see it bows
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1282.jpg
It's a mystery why it's so clean, also i guess that shot would be concidered illegal since you dont see the whole statue
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1287.jpg
Cleaning the square
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1288.jpg
A street next to the Kim il Song monument
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1299.jpg
People's study palace
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1912.jpg
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1482.jpg
Congress palace i think
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1477.jpg
Theatre
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1474.jpg
28 dancers sculpture
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1486.jpg
Kids on rollerskates
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1498.jpg
Kids
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1488.jpg
Old buddhist temple
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1490.jpg
Apprerently there is also a protestant chrurch in Pyongyang
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1303.jpg
Marble slabs commemorating different organisations and people friendly to NK
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1304.jpg
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1313.jpg
View from the Jurche monument ( the one that has dead birds :P)
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1208.jpg
A night (before they turn off the light)
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1589.jpg
A street in Pyongyang
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1273b.jpg
People and a BENZ!!!
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1587.jpg
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1338.jpg
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1271.jpg
Underground crossing
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1280.jpg
No one forbid him to take that picture
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_723_000003.jpg
He said that people were curious as in " wow a white person"
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_723_000002.jpg
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_723_000002b.jpg
Nice socks
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_723_000003b.jpg
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1354.jpg

About the stores

We have visited a local department store. Our girls did not want to take us there ("We don't usually take foreigners to local stores" :), but we insisted. As they say, there is nothing to hide. If only from the Americans and Europeans :. It was a regular large department store from the Soviet times, honest (i.e. without signs in English).
As far as food, every thing is not so good (eggs, meat, and something else can only be bought with coupons), other consumer goods are easier to get. For the most part, the merchandise is imported (from China), and quite pricy. Roughly speaking, to buy a regular jacket, a simple Engineer or Interpreter will have to save money for a few months. Approximately the way it was in the Soviet Union.
The saleswomen are obviously different from those in the foreign currency stores (where girls are clearly selected by age, height, and attractiveness). Though, rudeness is apparently not acceptable in Korea, regardless of the status of the store.
The shoppers are common people - both workers and engineers and technical workers. They don't buy very much, mostly look and compare prices before their holiday shopping. In the musical instruments department, someone was playing a piano, put out for sale.
Needless to say, the people in this store were looking at us not even with astonishment and curiosity (like on the streets), but as if we were a hallucination :)

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1529.jpg
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_722_000022.jpg
korean bug
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1574.jpg
Pyongyang circus
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1934.jpg
Movie theatre
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1579.jpg

There was an interesting moment when Alexey had trouble falling asleep and went out of the hotel at 6 in the morning to some random neighborhood. No one stopped him.He walked for about three kilometers, and was finally stopped by a policeman, who asked him for identification (in Korean, naturally). Since, first of all he didn't have identification, and second he knew but a few words in Korean, they could not reach an understanding. A crowd gathered around them quickly (they don't meet foreigners in residential quarters very often :) and finally there was someone, who knew the word "Russian". That was what he asked Alexey, and Alexey said "yes". After that the feelings got warmer, the policeman took down his name, and let him go. There were no consequences.
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_723_000023.jpg
Painter in the park
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_723_000022b.jpg
Curious people
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_723_000024b.jpg
Japanese tourists
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_723_000013b.jpg
Food
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1320.jpg
A quite common sight is a person or several people gathering seeds of some weed on the lawn. In the background - an ice cream sale.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_723_000011.jpg

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_720_000005.jpg
Foreign currency store.
In regards to North Korea, one can not talk about any freedom of speech. Apparently there hasn't been any political change; the government is still in control of the situation in the country.
However there have been economic changes. The foreign currency stores (in the picture) are more widespread. That is to say that (by hearsay) they existed here since the mid-70's, and locals were not denied access to them.
The selection in the stores is wide, especially when it comes to food. It's a little worse with the industrial goods. The modern electronics are pretty expansive (for instance, a SD/MMC card costs about twice as much as in St. Petersburg).
I saw some Koreans in the store (they were well to do of course), there are no noticeable checks or restrictions at the entrance.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_724_000012.jpg
Now there are joint businesses with foreigners - restaurants. A restaurant can only be owned by a foreigner - for example Japanese (see a photo above, where a waitress is playing an instrument). The local population can work for a foreign owner, but can not own the restaurant.
Not a bad way to keep the economy under control.
In the picture: The Koreans are shy of carrying their babies behind their back sometimes. As I was told, the South Koreans do this also, however this is "countryside style". Also, I heard that as a result of being carried this way, children's legs can often get disfigured.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1279.jpg
Also, there are cooperatives. In the North Korean version, a cooperative is a team, which produces some articles (for instance, collects and dries cochlea beer snack, or makes chewing gum), sells them, and splits up the profit equally among all the members. The types of business and products are limited, and a state license is required.
The result is approximately the same as in our country in the late 1980's: the selection in the cooperative stores is wider than in the state owned stores, but the prices are considerably higher.
The cooperative products are usually of a lower quality than those in the state owned stores (sometimes it's enough to look at the package to realize that).

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1279.jpg



http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1408.jpg

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1632.jpg
A short distance from the town is the Hyangsang Hotel where we stayed during our visit to Myohyang.
A revolving restaurant is at the top. It features very scenic views.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1659.jpg
map in the hotel hall.
The main attraction in these mountains is the abundance of waterfalls.
The river you see here passes by the hotel and has the same name as the mountains - Myohyan
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_720_000027.jpg

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_721_000014.jpg
All of us.
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1669.jpg


http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1664.jpg
With about 200 large halls and the splendor the palace is comparable to the Hermitage (with the exception of the style of architecture and the modern building materials, of course).
No cameras are allowed (I think this is the only place in North Korea, where we could not take pictures :) – all possessions have to be left in lockers.
Inside are valuable presents given to Kim-Ir-Sen. I must note that all the exhibits are really interesting. That is, all items are either works of art or interesting in other ways (for instance a train car given to Kim-Ir-Sen by Stalin in 1946).
From modern Russia I noticed:
1. Painting of Vasilievskiy Island Point given by Putin.
2. A silver service given by Putin also.
3. A plate given by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.
Also there are rifles and other items given by Stalin, Khruschev, Brejnev
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1663.jpg
We were very impressed by a large landscape with trees and buildings, neatly carved out of ivory by Chinese craftsmen. In general, I would say, Chinese gave the most interesting and accurately crafted gifts.
Among the givers were also the leaders of South Korea, South Korean companies – for example the president of Daewoo gave Kim-Ir-Sen a car.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1665.jpg
The palace guards.
Notice that the Kalashnikovs are nickel plated.
The doors are one-piece bronze, weighing several ton each. One can open them by hand (the guide gives out a special glove to pull on the handle :), but the weight is considerable.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1668.jpg
This is the second building, the presents to Kim-Chen-Ir. It is much more modest both outside and inside. It is also smaller.
Most striking is a wax statue of Kim-Ir-Sen in the middle of artificial meadow surrounded by birch trees with sky in the background. The tree leaves even move with the artificial wind coming from a fan. The lighting is well designed, and the whole thing looks real. I think it was also given by the Chinese.
One small thing to note: it’s strange, but I noticed that practically all the buildings in the country (regardless of their status and decor) have identical light switches :)
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1667.jpg
A local tour guide.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1373.jpg
Here we asked the driver to stop the car and I took some pictures. This village doesn't look very well-being, there're some more decent. Also it's not so characteristic: buildings stands irregularly.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1373b.jpg
Obelisk" on a background - is a feature, necessary for all settlements. Usually the neutral, simple slogan is written there (a challenge to work and learn better and so on).

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1374.jpg
Machines typical for village - GAZ (probably made in Northern Korea, not in Russia) and a lorry - with gas generator.
This car works with firewood, but I have to underline, that it's NOT a steam machine, but GAS-generator (Usual internal combustion engine, just re-made). It's not gasoline, of course, so the max speed is about 20-30 km per hour.
The firewood (at the right) are prepared for lorry. They're put by portions into the can (is seen in the back of a lorry) and slowly burn there.
We've seen such machines about five times in general.


http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1386.jpg
The roofs are usually made of tiles or something like that.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_723_000035.jpg

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_723_000036.jpg
nd this is the more typical Northern Korea village.
Houses are identical, located by uniform group, usually in parallel or straight lines.
If mountains prevents, then houses locates by few groups on both sides of the mountain.


http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1894.jpg
The one more curious moment - about cellular communication. It exists (not less than GSM), but for foreigners it does not operate (no roaming). More of that, the girls told us that it's forbidden to take the mobile phone into the country (on border it will be taken from you, on departure it'll be given back). But I have taken phone without questions, and have written about it to declarations, and on the way back the frontier-guard has seen it.
Certainly, it was not possible to speak by phone, but I knew the one curious thing: everywhere we've been (quite a big area) - the network of cellular communication also was everywhere, stably half of a scale (I shall remind - here's a hilly country). Though I did not see any base stations. Maybe, they mask them as mountains? :-)
Not long ago I heard in Russian TV news, that mobile phones were taken away from Northern Korea people. Hah! They should've thought what they invent! How could any Korean have cellular phone, when for the sum which there's a mobile phone costs, here it's possible to live about a year? : Abundantly clear, that this service at the moment is only for militarians and officials of a decent level. And there's no point to take mobile phones from them (it's easier to turn off the base stations).

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1902.jpg
A notice: the houses in russian villages are usually decorated, decorations on the wicket-gates, fences, carved window-frames and so on. Although, the house can be leaned-over :
I didn't see anything like that in Korea. I mean, village houses are not decorated at all.
I've been told later, that south-korean villages look the same way as northern.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1906.jpg
About a heating.
In Korea (and maybe, in the East in general) the traditional way of heating in the houses is not the same as in Russia. They don't install ovens. Near the house there is something like a hole where coal or fire wood is pawned. The warmed air goes through under the floor and heats the house. Probably, it is connected with tradition to sit on a floor. This system is still used. Not only in villages, but also in guide's cabin near any distant sightseeing.
What is not clear for me in this system - and how about an intoxication, a smoke and other?

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1619.jpg
Probably, the cement factory

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1359.jpg
nd this is the modern settlement.
The structure is similar, but houses already more thorough. Moreover, want to admit, that in Russia such houses appears when the village grows to larger settlement. Here it is not like that. By it's size, it's still a village, just the houses are modern.
Under a polyethylene film - the rice grows

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1444.jpg

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1419.jpg
Evident propaganda
By the writing 106% it is possible to assume, that it is a question about exceeding the plan :)

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1423.jpg
And here we went out without support and have decided to take a walk . At first we've walked along the embankment. (where is the electrified fence???)

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1426.jpg
Alexey tries to buy some local bubblegums and other stuff…
From four standing near to each other cooperative kiosks the only one seller didn't want to talk to us. In her own will. She just pointedly turned away with very dissatisfied physiognomy. But we've had no problems with others, including the currency payments.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1425.jpg
Here begins the ordinary village.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1427.jpg
Basically, comparing to Russia, nothing really terrible.
But Europeans really have got nothing to do here :)
The population is friendly (the worst thing we've seen - the man just passed us by, pretending that does not notice us). Nobody importunes, nobody asks for money.
Just the kids at the embankment near the hotel tried to talk to us (they knew the only word - "OK" : )
They were completely satisfied with a candy.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1430.jpg
As I noticed before, houses are fenced by continuous fences, for neighbors and passers-by couldn't see what's going on inside. Actually, there's nothing special inside.
Alexey here continued to hunt for bubblegums. The local population did not object (here and there on the ground the pieces of a fabric with the fine goods laid.
Nobody protested to take dollars. But sometimes sellers ran away to ask neighbors. Also nobody haggled with us - we just changed bubblegums to 1 dollar banknotes in more or less reasonable parity :)

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1428.jpg
Somewhere there're more decent houses. Also the lots somewhere organized as in Russia - without continuous fences. But it's not characteristic.
The nature and landscapes - right here - looks like Leningrad region :).
Couple of ravines, pines, sand. The road is ordinary too.
Only, if to look narrowly, unknown plants come across, and those that are known, look slightly not so.
Here our small walk finished. We have returned to hotel, fairly having informed girls about our vile act :) It has not made a special impression on them.
I think, at the moment in the places, where it's needed :, the general representation about us was already made. They realized that we're not seeking the pictures with rubbish heaps and ruins. So, they just winked at this.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_719_000006.jpg
The coast, the beach and us.
This is the Japan sea. But Koreans (including southern) call it "Eastern Sea of Korea". About their relations with Japan I already wrote earlier.
It's still too cold to swim. But we've walked barefoot at the water.
Need to say that any visible restrictions on an output to coast are not observed (I read in one article before the trip, that a barbed wire is everywhere :)
The other thing, that there're almost no boats at the horizon. Maybe, it's not allowed to swim out by boats and fisherman-ships?

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1535.jpg
As I written before, some roads in Korea (main roads and also avenues in the capital) have a huge width.
The one more thing is - that here, just like in Russia, it's allowed to stand at the roadside, to sell mushrooms and berries. Although officially it's forbidden. But, anyway…

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1537.jpg

Actually, not a capital bus. The back wheels seems to be taken from a lorry :)
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1552.jpg
This is not the rice, it's the evaporation of salt process.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1539.jpg

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1541.jpg
It's not seen very well, but you can believe me, that there're lots of TV aerials on the roofs of the buildings.
I think, that in old buildings the collective TV aerials were not foreseed, so the inhabitants had to solve this problem by theirselves.

Talking about TV broadcasting, it's needed to say that usually only 1-2 channels are available. The repertoire is modest: local films, Chinese or soviet movies. The news are regular. It's curious, that there're no video subjects in the news. Usually the announcer reads something or the static photos are shown.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1543.jpg
People carries different things, useful in household.
I've seen in Pyongyang the man, who carried a refrigerator (!) on the bike! Vertically! It has really impressed me! :)
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_nampo_dam.jpg
The general dam view. Makes a strong impression!

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1675.jpg



The temple was originally raised in 1042 and since then it's been burnt and re-built many times.

The quote from one of the sources about Buddha:
"According to Buddhist chronology the Buddha lived with 623 on 544 ã up to B.C. He was born in aristocratic family that ruled a small country on the border of Nepal and India. In his childhood he was protected . from the unpleasant parties of a surrounding life. When Gautama grown up, he realized that life is full of sorrow. He decided to help the people. At the age of 29 he left home and became a hermit. But soon he knew that killing of the flesh conducts to fading of the mind and gave up the asketism. At the age of 35 he realized that the truth is near. Gautama absorbed into meditation and spent there 4 or 7 weeks without food and sleep. As a result he has reached an enlightenment, i.e. became the Buddha, who knows all the laws of Universe. After that Buddha walked around the country about 45 years, preaching his doctrine. He died at the age of 80".
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1682.jpg
It's necessary to take off the shoes near the entrance. There're straw mats on the floor.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1676.jpg
s I said before, during the war, the bombing of USA has destroyed most of historical buildings in the North. That's why it's very difficult to tell, what building is ancient, what is restored and re-built. I think, there're lots of new-built.
Anyway, they never say to tourists that "this building was re-built in some year…" - for clear reasons.
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_720_000018.jpg
A group of children that we met, when we walked out of another sightseeing.
Of course, they didn't miss a chanse to pose at the camera ;) ;-)
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_721_000002.jpg
The duty monk in one of a monastries.
To all attributes, the monk is his post. He walks out to tourists and answer the questions. Like: " Whether themonks serve in army?" (" -Yes, they do") and so on. Actually, the politically grounded monk.
We asked, where do they take the food. The monk explained, that the state supplied'em with the food and they just grow different medicinal herbs.
Have a look at the boots :)
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_722_000027.jpg
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_722_000012.jpg
We drove from Keson to Pkhanmunjom village - about 8 km from Keson.

At the 300 m to the border (to demilitarized zone about 2 km wide) we were invited to rest in a small house. The frontier guard came to talk to us (with the help of translator).We had a small talk about politics. Basically, he asked the questions. Like these:
"I heard about president elections in Russia and that V.Putin is elected. Has he got the real people's support?"
"What is, to your mind, the most serious obstacle on the way to unite the Korea?"

Because we two answered in different ways, we asked the girls to translate the answer that they liked most :)

Then we wished the luck to each other and went back to the bus. The previous driver left us. The "comrade colonel" sat behind the wheel again and also two soldiers with machine guns and the frontier guard went with us. Five pics below you can see this frontier as a guide.

We've driven on the narrow road, surrounded with barbed wire. And soon we appeared on the spacious square with the view of Southern Korea.

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_722_000015.jpg


http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_722_000015b.jpg



The man with megaphone in his hands came before them and started to tell the south-korean version of events during the war. We heard almost every word. Well… now I understand why we came here : Our proleader seemed to read our minds and has grinned silently, as if he wanted to say: "You see everything, I've nothing to add".
Later I've read in some western story about visit to Northern Korea these lines: "Down by the demarcation line, North Korean soldiers stood stiffly in dress uniform on one side, stared at by slouching South Korean troops in mirrored sunglasses on the other. From afar they looked like Russians and Americans..."
Looks like it's not our impression only. By the way, the American forces are still quartered in Southern Korea.
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_722_000020.jpg


http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_alex_722_000028.jpg

[koutch]

I cut out some text and pictures you can see the whole thing at http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/index_e.html

[Musashi]

Very nice photos :) Thank you.

[Strider]

Makes me appreciate where I live and the freedoms I have a million times over.

[Heron]

thx Koutch
thx for posting

[sucker4gurls]

I remember watching a documentary on the discovery times channel about how if one person in a family breaks a law, the whole nuclear family will be thrown into jail. Also, they will experiment on these prisoners in Nazi-like concentration camps. In this documentary they interviewed a prison gaurd from one of these camps and he actually drew the rooms where they used gases to kill and experiment on entire familes. It was truely sad and horrific. The discovery times channel always has something enlightening on...

[3rdMillhouse]

Now it doesn't look as much as city 17, but still.............it's a fine architecture the one of the oficial buildings.

[Heinemann]

http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/dprk_1279.jpg

Peak-hour p-)

[The Starfox Kid]

I really hope these people are free sometime soon.

[ALBANIAN]

seems Russia of years 30 and 50.

[Switek]

I really hope these people are free sometime soon.


I'm afraid they not. They are no mentaly prepared for freedom. Refugees from North living in South can not adopt themselves to "our" standards. That'd a biggest sociological challenge, for South and he rest of the world... If they were liberated

I used to live under communism till 1989, but I'm still shocked looking at those pictures
:-(

[talib_killa34]

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/zoostyle/dprk_1338.jpgHer

Vs.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/zoostyle/2004_crossing_guard_2.jpg
Her

Seems pretty clear cut to me.

God bless America! Lol

[TriggerHappy]

I really hope these people are free sometime soon.

Let's liberate them.

[hypz]

As N. Korea adopts more liberal economic policies the Communist Party will lose power. Like in Chile. Look up the Kaesong industrial region on Wikipedia. For some reason I cant copy and paste. Any ideas?

[Eddy]

Let's liberate them.

Well is there something to steal there except for old unused soviet material ?

[bp_968]

be sure to check out the google earth (version 4) sat photos of the place. Very detailed photos of the whole city. I'm sure that pisses that fat commie off a ton!

[Stormy]

If you are interested, we posted some photos of it's capital a while back.

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=62765&highlight=pyongyang

[RussDill]

Just great pictures, I can't belive it is real :( North Koreans are really poor people. Those photos remind Poland in 60's maybe. But i've liked one thing: NK Metro - looks very nice :) And that road blocks for enmy tanks are LOL too.

SK has much cooler roadblocks that drop down from above. They put big billboards on them so they aren't really noticed.

[RussDill]

Favorite pose of koreans during a conversation


Can't say I've every seen anyone in SK doing this.


Not long ago I heard in Russian TV news, that mobile phones were taken away from Northern Korea people. Hah! They should've thought what they invent! How could any Korean have cellular phone, when for the sum which there's a mobile phone costs, here it's possible to live about a year? : Abundantly clear, that this service at the moment is only for militarians and officials of a decent level. And there's no point to take mobile phones from them (it's easier to turn off the base stations).


They can't. The worry isn't about NK base stations, its about Chinese and SK base stations. Get close enough to the border, and you can probably get a signal.


What is not clear for me in this system - and how about an intoxication, a smoke and other?


There is a chimmeny on the side. The fumes don't actually enter the home


And here we went out without support and have decided to take a walk . At first we've walked along the embankment. (where is the electrified fence???)


Probably closer to the DMZ.


As I said before, during the war, the bombing of USA has destroyed most of historical buildings in the North. That's why it's very difficult to tell, what building is ancient, what is restored and re-built. I think, there're lots of new-built.
Anyway, they never say to tourists that "this building was re-built in some yearr…" - for clear reasons.


The list would be too long. They list all the rebuildings in SK. I don't think there were many historical buildings left by the time the korean war came around.


The man with megaphone in his hands came before them and started to tell the south-korean version of events during the war. We heard almost every word. Welll… now I understand why we came here : Our proleader seemed to read our minds and has grinned silently, as if he wanted to say: "You see everything, I've nothing to add".


Which is why they allow NK citizens to tour the area all the time. I'm curious, what did they say about operation paul bunyan, or the infiltration tunnels, or why they would actually open fire on a Russian tourist trying to defect in 1984?

On a more humorous note, did they explain why these: http://www.crowcroft.net/jpg/dprk95.jpg aren't real flags anymore?


Later I've read in some western story about visit to Northern Korea these lines: "Down by the demarcation line, North Korean soldiers stood stiffly in dress uniform on one side, stared at by slouching South Korean troops in mirrored sunglasses on the other. From afar they looked like Russians and Americans..."
Looks like it's not our impression only. By the way, the American forces are still quartered in Southern Korea.


Heh, show me a picture of a slouching or american JSA guard.

[Switek]

Well is there something to steal there except for old unused soviet material ?

NK cutties, I guess....:)

[RACE TRAITOR]

Somebody wanted more pictures of South Korea to contrast with the North Korean ones? Honestly it's not all neon and huge crowds. Here are a few I've taken in the last few months. These are all fairly typical photos of Seoul and Suwon. What is lacking here is the nightlife and the huge shopping districts, but I chose these for comparison's sake.

This is taken from a rooftop in Apkujeong in one of the busier parts of Seoul. You can see quite a few more antennae.

http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060604bbq/70.JPG

Here's an unusually shaped building.

http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060604bbq/69.JPG

A riverside park.

http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060531shiheung/99.JPG


This is the view from a mountaintop on the southern edge of Seoul.

http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060531shiheung/82.JPG


http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060531shiheung/80.JPG

The exit to the park. On the right, where the man in the tasteless shirt is standing, there is a springwater fountain.
http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060531shiheung/76.JPG

A Korean dog on the lookout.
http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060531shiheung/73.JPG

My cat admiring the view from our apartment.
http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060531chinesemarket/99.JPG



Elderly Chinese-Korean women.
http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060531chinesemarket/85.JPG


Downtown at thew newly built Chunggyechon, a canal that was opened up to rejuvenate the city center (and tear down a lot of cool old buildings).


http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060525wed/94.JPG


http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060525wed/93.JPG

I thought these guys were window washers, but they couldn't reach the top floors with this. They must be movers.

http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060525wed/87.JPG

Gardener.

http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060525wed/86.JPG


Young kids on a field trip.

http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060525wed/85.JPG


http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060525wed/80.JPG


http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060525wed/79.JPG

A skyscraper next to Boramae Park.

http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060521boramae/89.JPG

Kids playing in a playground.


http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060421sunny/84.JPG


On the subway.


http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060422suwon/97.JPG


This is a pretty typical view of a Korean city. Old buildings overshadowed by apartment complexes. They are constantly being torn down, and the residents are evicted forcefully. I was actually surprised to see in the OP's pictures that in North Korea the similar homes are allowed to remain.



http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060422suwon/89.JPG





http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060422suwon/73.JPG


One of Suwon's fancy public toilets built for the 2002 World Cup.

http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060422suwon/67.JPG


A garish wedding hall.

http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060422suwon/45.JPG

Homeless guy sleeping in Suwon Station.

http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060422suwon/39.JPG

South Korean construction.

http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20060318veranda/99.JPG

Cops(?) sitting around in the park.

http://www.daehanmindecline.com/archive/20060507piercing/95.JPG

A kid goofing around on a statue outside the War Memorial. North Korea has a very similar statue.


http://www.daehanmindecline.com/archive/20060505warmuseum/90.JPG

Much of the South Korean shore is fenced off, similar to the North Korean pictures. Here is a beach down in Busan.

http://www.daehanmindecline.com/archive/20060430quadstobusan/34.JPG



A typical South Korean subway station. Okay, the North has us beat there.
http://www.daehanmindecline.com/archive/20060301samil/a6.JPG

Korean anarchist punks in a university park. They were boycotting Starbucks.

[koutch]

RussDill (http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/member.php?u=7217) , are you trying to prove something? Because the captions under the pictures i posted have little to do with me.
And nice prictures RaceTrator, it's cool to see what other countries are like whitout refering to glossy poscard type pics.

[Bitburner]

North Korean Anti US Propaganda posters from around January 2003. These were from when the US and IAEA were pressuring NK about their nuclear program.



http://www.scottwhitten.net/nk/nk1.jpg


http://www.scottwhitten.net/nk/nk2.jpg


http://www.scottwhitten.net/nk/nk3.jpg


http://www.scottwhitten.net/nk/nk4.jpg


I myself was real surprised by these posters but after seeing the pictures inside NK it explains a lot.

[perdurabo]

wow feel like back in 80ties Poland, damn i'm so happy we had Solidarnosc we are in NATO and EU thank you God!

[marcof1972]

I've been in DPRK as well, and have some comments about the original post:
First off, you CAN walk around freely without guide in pyongyang. But there's a very tight social control, so if you're misbehaving you'll be reported pretty soon.
indeed, lots of things are "hidden" from the tourists, unfortunately. I recommend watching a couple BBC documentaries to get a feel of how dramatic it is really.
I was also told that the subway was so deep to be used as a nuclear shelter as well in case of a capitalist attack.

Local TV only shows a few channels filled with propaganda. Of course, most people don't even have a TV there.

The party members however, enjoy full satellite service, with about 100 channels, from CNN to south korean entertainment channels.

I visited pyongyang right after 9/11 and it was pretty "interesting" to hear the peoples' opinion.. They have unconditional trust in their government (well, that's what they say to foreigners anyway...)

Anyway, some additional images (although not always as interesting as the original posters'):
http://static.flickr.com/58/167651297_a28f9a9584.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/50/152488688_aed9072ccb.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/56/152488355_7b8e408a92.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/71/167651377_d0b647867c.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/64/167651412_7687176010.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/54/167651112_ae44fc4df6.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/78/167651215_2f76a32d13.jpg

Nice calendar eh?
http://static.flickr.com/75/167650784_aaf6db14d3.jpg

design hotel room
http://static.flickr.com/51/167650754_fa5e0337fe.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/45/167651016_3e70797005.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/77/167651035_8c4604bd2a.jpg

some more here:
http://flickr.com/photos/marcof/sets/72157594143968584/

[393Bird]

I wonder what the full story is on the pyramid shaped hotel is that was partially completed years ago, then abandoned? I am sure someone is in prison or dead because of it.

[marcof1972]

I wonder what the full story is on the pyramid shaped hotel is that was partially completed years ago, then abandoned? I am sure someone is in prison or dead because of it.

Well, it seems the money ran out in 1991 (or 1992), and currently the Party is looking at (foreign) investers .. for just over 300 million USD.. :roll:
It could be a nice place for Urban Exploring.. they could make money from it in its current state, no need to invest in more construction :)

[Wyrmshadow]

Well, it seems the money ran out in 1991 (or 1992), and currently the Party is looking at (foreign) investers .. for just over 300 million USD.. :roll:
It could be a nice place for Urban Exploring.. they could make money from it in its current state, no need to invest in more construction :)
Also the concrete is of poor quality so its basically a giant skeletal death trap.

[RussDill]

RussDill (http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/member.php?u=7217) , are you trying to prove something? Because the captions under the pictures i posted have little to do with me.


Then just view them as informational (ie, why they don't like foreign cell phones). I'm am interested to know if anyone has been on the DPRK JSA tour

[Smersh]

Its like Stalin never died and became even crazier ever year.

I bet jim jung ill sleeps and watches movies all day.

yeah, I also heard they ran out of funds to finish the hotel and all their roads etc. serve no purpose, almost no-one has a car. their just for propaganda to show how "modern" N. Korea is.

[marcof1972]

I bet jim jung ill sleeps and watches movies all day.


Well, he has a lot of TV channels to choose from, I wouldn't be surprised if he was :)

[RACE TRAITOR]

I read somewhere that hotel is a deathtrap and is still in danger of collapsing. It's not so much that they ran out of funds, but if they kept building it would have definitely collapsed. And I'm sure they're not good for funds either.

[kmoser]

For an interesting comparison, here are a bunch of photos my father took in Korea in 1964:

http://www.kmoser.com/korea/

--K

[n4292936]

well done lads, consensus seems to be that this thread has contributed to causing one of the (if not the) greatest single spikes in internet traffic this site has ever seen.

[adlep]

well done lads, consensus seems to be that this thread has contributed to causing one of the (if not the) greatest single spikes in internet traffic this site has ever seen.
It is called a digg effect...

And it is a matter of luck. For example I posted a link to a rare video from militaryphotos.net about North Korea on digg and it didn't catch at all...

This time around you weren't that lucky...
The power of digg

[CSAR]

Very sad place indeed. But hardly the worst in the world, just look at almost any country in the Africa where people are more buzy chopping each others to pieces with machetes and so on. NK is poor contry, but it's after all a peaceful place to live if you obey the law. As far as I know it's very homogenious society and there are no internal conflicts (between ethnical groups etc.). When they some day hopefully get rid of commies there shouldn't be much obstacles on the way to prosperity, it would only require a lot of hard work and that's what these people are already used to.

[garoco]

An utterly fascinating thread, thankyou to all contributors.

[artistoli]

Awesome pictures of somewhere that we don't get to see much of! Thanks! Bloody scary country though; I wonder if anyone there is happy?

[marcof1972]

Awesome pictures of somewhere that we don't get to see much of! Thanks! Bloody scary country though; I wonder if anyone there is happy?

I honestly believe most people in the bigger cities are happy. But I also think they may not be as happy if they knew more about the "outside world".

[BlackRain]

well done lads, consensus seems to be that this thread has contributed to causing one of the (if not the) greatest single spikes in internet traffic this site has ever seen.

That is the power of the "NeoCons" from Freerepublic.com.

This photo thread is referenced there:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1652113/posts

Carl Rove is watching you....

[GothicSnake]

I can't stop thinking about the North Korean Melody from Team America while reading this thread... :|

[fatmarley]

I had to join just to say that:

The reason the hotel was built was in attempt to have the tallest building in the world. In fact the hotel was never built to be used, it is mostly empty and extremly structurally unsound. Around the time they had begun building it, Signapore started building its (NAME) and ended up being taller in the end.

North Korea is like My Burns from Simpsons, he has every disease and problem counterbalancing itself so he lives. Korea is a Juche(Stalinist) state, with 1.1 million active men in the military and something like 700,000 functioning reserve members. The whole economy is in ruin and constantly propped up by aide.

The light water reactor fiascal, UN food Aide, Korean fertalizer donations, the list goes on. But trust me, everything done by them has a purpose, and the hotel was an attempt at noteriaty other having their balls busted.

You breakin my balls man, breakin my balls!

[koutch]

Once and for all, these are not my pictures, i don't hold the rights for them.
If you want to contact the owners email them not me. Thank you.
Their sites:
Art Lebedev
http://www.tema.ru/ (http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/)

Peter Sobolev
http://www.enlight.ru/camera/dprk/index_e.html

[blue_shark]

I brought you photos taken by 6XX19R recon company(GP inside DMZ) veteran from http://bemil.chosun.com

He took pictures of North Korean civilian and soldiers during Mt. Gum Gang which is in North Korea Tour. actually South Korean tourist can't take picture of NK soliders.

he and other SK tourists
http://sig.megapass.net/club/home1/archives/ALBUM/2058_photo.gif

Mt. Gum Gang
http://sig.megapass.net/club/home1/archives/ALBUM/2059_photo.gif

http://sig.megapass.net/club/home1/archives/ALBUM/2060_photo.gif

http://sig.megapass.net/club/home1/archives/ALBUM/2061_photo.gif

http://sig.megapass.net/club/home1/archives/ALBUM/2062_photo.gif

http://sig.megapass.net/club/home1/archives/ALBUM/2063_photo.gif

http://sig.megapass.net/club/home1/archives/ALBUM/2064_photo.gif

Who are you? Soldier or Farmer?
http://sig.megapass.net/club/home1/archives/ALBUM/2065_photo.gif

http://sig.megapass.net/club/home1/archives/ALBUM/2066_photo.gif

http://sig.megapass.net/club/home1/archives/ALBUM/2067_photo.gif

where's your shoes?
http://sig.megapass.net/club/home1/archives/ALBUM/2068_photo.gif

[eatmars]

cool pics guys

north korea looks like a clean place

[TheDervish]

I am totally new to this forum, and I must say, very very interesting pictures. I thank the travelers who thought to take a lot of photographs -- even photos they weren't supposed to take. This is the most interesting find I ever saw on the internet for a long time!

[Sergei]

http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-3/_MG_0139.jpg

Is this the epitome of North Korean PREVED culture?

[variable]

Really awesome pictures. These people are cornered even more than the Iraqis. Mr Bush should come for help as he's used to :-P

Happy 4th of July!

ben

[Jogilius]

Very sad place indeed. But hardly the worst in the world, just look at almost any country in the Africa where people are more buzy chopping each others to pieces with machetes and so on. NK is poor contry, but it's after all a peaceful place to live if you obey the law. As far as I know it's very homogenious society and there are no internal conflicts (between ethnical groups etc.). When they some day hopefully get rid of commies there shouldn't be much obstacles on the way to prosperity, it would only require a lot of hard work and that's what these people are already used to.
Hardly the worst indeed. In addition to the actual poverty or even famine, one essential thing to consider, when evaluating how happy the North-koreans are, is the fact that they know very little about the world outside their country. It's perhaps easier to be happy if you don't know of anything better. And yes, at least they don't have a war against each other within the country.

[Snoshi]

Awesome pics

[koutch]

Is this the epitome of North Korean PREVED culture?

I sure hope so!

[PeaceHawk]

In November 2004 I visited the DMZ near Seoul. The "Photo Line" is the closest you are allowed to take pictures facing north. The fence is posted with letters to family member trapped in the DPRK. The train station is built, ready to connect to the north someday. The bridge is where prisoner exchanges are made.

The whole visit was very creepy, especially seeing the Blackhwaks overhead. The area is so heavily mined that few creatures survive.

[naus]

I don't understand why North Korea doesn't listen to China and follow China's economic development model. Why does it just continue to stagnate? These photos of North Korea look like China during the 1980s.

See Shanghai photos thread: http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=85517

[JustYourAverageJoe]

WOW, these are awesome pics thanks for posting them. By the way I think Kim il Song is a perv.

[W4CLM]

Not to be used elsewhere without permission W4CLM
Port of Nampo D.P.R.K

37 Days in NAMPO
Summer in North Korea 1998
Democratic People's Republic of North Korea

I have often been asked by friends over the past 20 years to write about my experiences while on American merchant vessels abroad. Reluctantly I have not kept a written diary and only have my memory to look back upon in order to recall those days at sea. However I though I would take a different approach this time and try to bring to life our
summer adventure in NAMPO North Korea, although basically uneventful it may prove to be interesting reading to those of you who rarely travel beyond the arm chair of your couch and television set, let alone those of you who having never stepped foot into a closed communist country.
Our ship the motor vessel Liberty Spirit a 700 foot long bulk carrier with four cranes on deck was partially loaded in New Orleans with corn and grain prior to my having arrived on board. I meet the ship in San Francisco while loading additional bags of California Rice. On August 7th we departed from San Francisco in route to the port of Nampo in the ( DPRK) North Korea with a load of United Nations food for the starving people of the DPRK, A little known place to most people living on the North American continent. Fortunately for us the weather was beautiful for our pacific crossing and it made for a pleasant uneventful 17 day crossing of the North Pacific ocean before reaching the North Korean territorial waters.

My job as it has been for the past 20 years was that as the ship's communications officer. The first indication of what we might be experiencing in North Korea came about two days prior to our arrival. It is a well known fact that modern day communications are such that
just about anyone regardless of technical competency can pick up a cellular telephone and talk to all parts of the world by having only to press a couple of touch tone push buttons on a telephone
key pad. Today modern satellite communications allow ships at sea to have instantaneous communications to their home office by telephone and telex machine. Seamen can call their loved ones with crystal clear communications and the question often asked by the person on the other
end is "Where are you" with the reply "I am on the ship" as if the caller were still in a phone booth having never left shore side. This is not the case with in North Korea. My job was to notify the port authorities in North Korea of our arrival 72 hours, 48 hours, 12 hours and 4 hours prior to our official arrival. This was done via international Morse code on medium wave radiotelegraphy. Although there is nothing new about this mode of communications it became quickly apparent to me as the radio operator that things may be a bit archaic regarding daily life in North Korea by the sound and quality of their radio apparatus. After numerous attempts at calling for Nampo Radio, I finally got a hold of the shore station in Nampo (Call sign HML) on 500 Khz using the international Morse code. Procedures for using this frequency require one to shift off of the calling frequency to another frequency in order to pass your message traffic. In so doing a frequency was decided upon and we proceeded to switch over to the agreed upon frequencies. I quickly changed my transmitter and receiver at which time I heard a transmitter key up on the given frequency then proceed to drift upward on my dial beyond my receiver's ability to tune. I then called the shore station several times again and the same thing happened. About ten minutes later the operator was finally able to get his transmitter to settle down on the proper frequency assigned to the shore station and I was able to pass our arrival information. The ironic part of this is that this is 1998, the age of the Internet, cellular phones, satellites and the microprocessor which you will find in almost everything from the simplest of pocket radios and your microwave oven. It quickly became apparent to me that we maybe dealing with a society locked in a time warp of some 50 years ago and we had not even made our arrival in North Korea.

August 24th we crossed the point of no return at the 38 parallel in the Yellow sea as we headed for the P'IDO-SUDO locks at the mouth of the TAEDONGGANG river about twelve miles from our final destination of Nampo. Outside of a slight delay due to engine trouble our arrival in
North Korean territorial waters went well, at least I though so since we were not greeted with Korean gun boats.
August 25, In this part of the world the tide can raise and lower as much as 17 feet. On that evening we found the aft (rear) end of our vessel sitting strangely high in the air as we found ourselves sitting on the mud floor of the Yellow Sea because the tide had gone out from underneath us. And apparently with some problems down below in the engine room we could not put the ship into reverse. That evening our captain paced the bridge of the ship form one end to the other and remained a Nervous Nelly until the ship returned back to the United States. In order to compensate for the severe shift of the tide the North Korean government built the P'ido-Sudo locks in order to keep the level
of the TAEDONGGANG river at a constant level while keeping the ships up river in the harbor of Nampo from going aground into the mud. The following day with the engine repaired we proceeded through the locks up the river to the port of Nampo where we would remain at anchor for over a week while waiting for a Chinese vessel to discharge it's cargo at the dock.
Upon arrival Nampo, we were greeted by customs in their traditional green army uniforms while proudly wearing a bright red star on their hats and a pin on their jacket baring the picture of their great leader KIM IL-so'ng. Even though Kim KIM IL-so'ng died in 1994, his presence is every where and his son Kim II (2) actually his name is Kim Jong IL he now runs the government. KIM Jong IL, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980. Everyone involved with the government would wear the pin as it showed unity for their government and it's great leader and the communist workers party.
Soon after arrival our rooms and personal items were searched for contraband and the customs officials shook the vessel down while looking and waiting for their pay off (bribe) in cigarettes and liquor from
the ship's supply. While alcohol is generally forbidden for the crew's consumption on modern day merchant vessels, it is commonly known that a small stock of alcohol will be stored in order to pay off local officials with drink and tobacco products.
While at anchor an attempt was made to off load a small portion of the 280,000 bags of rice from our ship's cargo holds. A plan was laid out that would bring barges along side our vessel with work crews
to unload the rice from the ship into the barges. The first day we had several barges come along side the ship until noon, then they left because there were no workers to off load the cargo. That same afternoon the workers showed up after the lunch hour break and there were no barges along side, so they left. That same evening the barges came back and the workers were gone. Eventually both the barges and workers got together although little results were to be had.

First night of shore leave. After much haggling arrangements were made for a shore launch for the crew to go into the dock side seaman's club. This consisted of a small restaurant and couple of outdoor tables and a store with some very basic hygiene items. We were basically captive guests of the North Korean people, we could not leave the dock area with out specific written permission from local immigrations and a written request from our captain. Back at the seaman's club the restaurant had a television which offered little more than two channels of local propaganda. I suppose I formed most of my opinion about the people of North Korea by watching this television as the color would fade from black and white with an occasional smattering of color as the signal improved. Night after night the television showed the same pictures over and over again the beautiful countryside of North Korea combined with pictures of the great leader Kim IL Song. More statues of Kim IL Song and more country side, the chants of a revolution and the waving of red flags and more pictures of the great leader.
You soon note that you can't eat the scenery and if things are so great in this country then what are we doing here? It does not take long for one to realize that these people have been brain washed by their great leader. Personally I felt a bit uncomfortable as one evening the television showed for several hours pictures of the Korean war, American soldiers and airplanes, blanket bombing of rice fields along with pictures of the late president Dwight D. Eisenhower. I felt as though I was
watching a two hour documentary on the History Channel, the eerie part was this is all the television that this country had to offer for it's people and these people still hate us. The war has been over for
nearly 50 years and these people are still fighting a war. The entire country is prepared for war, from my observation they are at war with themselves as I could see no one tromping through the rice paddies from other countries beating down the doors to come into this country. For the first time I began to wonder about my safety in this country and what the hell I was doing over here bringing the peasants of this country rice for their empty bellies. Later I was to find out that the local people refer to Americans as “Long Noses”. The children are told stories if they were to misbehave, then the long noses would come and take them away.
A little over a week has passed and we were finally allowed to make our final move (shift) from our position at anchor to the dock. Now the fun begins. At this vantage point along side the dock we could get a closer look at the city of Nampo and the North Korean people. There was really little to see of interest, the Korean customs officials had locked up our binoculars and cameras as if we were gong to steal state secrets. Come to find out there was little worth looking at or taking
a pictures of anyway. At this point in time the important thing became getting the cargo of rice and corn off the ship and getting out of this country as soon as possible. With hundreds of Koreans
on the dock a hand full of vintage trucks and railroad rolling stock it looked more like a scene from a world war 2 movie than real life. The vintage railroad cars would have given a Holocaust victim nightmares and the trucks could easily have been used in a Hollywood world war two movies. Now the cargo is moving off the ship at a snails pace and resembles that of a Tai-Chi exercise secession. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Tai-Chi, that is the slow motion exercise and concentration secession that you can sometimes see in any park China Town U.S.A. usually in the morning hours. We had several days that went a little faster than that, but patience was soon to become the key word
for the captain and ship's officers performing cargo operations in Nampo.

September 1st, 1998 North Korea decides to test a ballistic missile called the Taedong-1, it crossed over the Sea of Japan and landed some where off the east coast of Northern Japan. This ordeal although brief left me wondering again just how safe are we in this country, no U.S. embassy and no way out of here if we had to make a quick exit. Let's just get the cargo off and go home, soon. Our U.N. counterparts ashore tell us that Korea insists that they just launched a satellite to broadcast political slogans and songs about the great leader Kim Jong IL, according to the propaganda minister it was not a ballistic missile test at all.
Ok Mr. Kim, what ever you say.
September 7th, Cargo operations are still moving slowly but there is little to complain about regarding the operation as long as the corn and rice keeps going off the ship. Only two speeds for this operation
slow and stop. Today our captain was a guest of the North Korean Communist Workers party and was given the honor of having to read a brief prepared speech to this group. The 9th of September is the
50th anniversary of the communist party in North Korea and a big holiday is in the works for the local peoples. I did not attend this meeting and if the captain had his choice he would not have gone either, basically the captain was between a rock and a hard place. If he did not attend the communist workers rally the ship could be fined for the slightest infraction or delayed in some manner which would eventually result in the loss of revenue for the company. The captain, chief engineer and second officer went with the captain to the worker's rally. Two large pictures hung behind the podium, that of Kim IL Song and his son Kim Jong IL. As we saw their pictures night after night on the television. Kim IL and son soon became known as the Belushi brothers to our crew. A slight sense of humor was required to survive our incarceration. Apparently the captain's speech went well and everyone returned to the ship in one piece.

September 8th cargo operations proceed as usual, slow. Sometimes the best entertainment can be watching the shore side operations proceed for an hour. Today I managed to miss the highlight of the day and I am can only assume that I am better off for it. When I came down for the 5pm dinner hour I was updated by the crew of the days events. The crew saw something on a nearby barge that appeared quite unusual to the casual American viewer as dinner was lured on to the barge, with a pat
on the head it then went into the hangman's noose and slaughtered for a feast. Our K-9 friend, breed unknown was hung by the neck over the side of the barge and did not go willingly, then slit down the middle gutted and prepared for the cook pot. It was a bit more than some could stomach, as rumor had it that ship's second officer lost his lunch. Like I said, I think I am better off for not having seen this event and in reality after having spent several weeks in North Korea I think our
K-9 friend is better off too. For a country that claims to be paradise there are no dogs and cats to be found!
September 9th, Korea Celebrates it's 50th year under rule of communism and it's great leader Kim IL Song. The port is practically at a stand still today all except for the NAMPO Family Restaurant on the
adjacent barge. Need I remind you this is the same barge which Fido walked onto yesterday. I would not have believed it if I did not see it for myself but Fido's intestines are now being used to make sausage,
filled with tender moist chunks of choice ground K-9 which was then boiled down in a large pot. This gives a whole new definition to the term "puppy chow". Several of the crew members including
myself have lost all interest in eating ashore. As today is an official sanctioned holiday in North Korea, the captain, chief engineer and the second officer's attendance was again requested at the town center of Nampo in order to place flowers at the statue of the great leader Kim IL Sung. All ship's captains were afforded this unique opportunity to participate. One ship's captain decided that he did not want to go and the ship was fined $2000 dollars by the port authority, the captain then changed his mind and decided to attend the ceremonies at which time the fine was then dropped to $200 dollars.
September 16th, Today we reached the half way point unloading the ship's cargo of Corn and Rice. The rice having been bagged prior to shipment came off the ship much faster than the corn. The corn was shipped loose in the ship's bulk cargo hatches something that is hardly done in this day and age of fast turn around container shipping. The corn is being bagged as it comes off the ship one grain at a time, grain by grain, bag by bag. The crew is starting to feel more like prisoners with each passing day as our armed Korean guards stand watch at the ships gangway and port exits, our stay is starting to drag on. To give you an idea of the kind of technology we are dealing with ashore, I saw something I have never seen before, several truck's with a coal burning stove in the bed of the truck. Apparently the fumes within the
stove are a converted to a burnable fuel to run the vehicle, I was told that this technology was used in England in world war 2 when gasoline was scarce. Another barge pulled up alongside our vessel today, it was made entirely of cut logs and looked more like the African Queen. I really expected to see Humphery Bogart come out of the ship's house when it tied up.
September 25th, only 15% of the ship's cargo remains on board. Yesterday five of us were afforded the opportunity to take a day trip into Pongyang the capital of North Korea. Traveling by private bus the trip into the capital took slightly over an hour from the harbor approximately 45 kilometers away. The road was rough and filed with pot holes and other hazards. During the entire trip we saw only a hand full of personally owned vehicles, not more than five the entire trip. The local residence walked the main highway with oxen pulled wagons or rode like cattle packed into the back of large trucks or inside an occasional bus. In order to strive for brevity I will say that we saw the birth place of the great leader Kim IL Sung and several statues of the great leader and other war memorials. Our small group was asked to lay flowers
at the large statue of Kim IL Song in order to show our respect towards the great leader before taking pictures at this sight. One crew member drooling over Korean women played the part of the ugly
American and he played the part well. We were then allowed an opportunity to shop at the two best department stores that the country had to offer. In reality they were not much better than the best five
and dime store in North America and would have made any K-mart look like Sac's Fifth Avenue. Throughout the day we were never far from our ship's agent's and the Communist party member's sight and we still managed to have a pleasant day. We were allowed ONE camera for the day and we were strictly prohibited from taking pictures of unauthorized events that may reflect poorly upon the great leader and the country. One camera and strict orders that we could only take pictures that were complimentary to Kim Jong IL's regime, nothing derogatory or the film would be ripped from the camera. We knew that beyond the streets that we could see, people were dying of a great famine but they would not take us to see that. Why else would we have been there on a United Nations food program if that were not the case. But you owuld never know it by talking to our tour gui