
The true face of Kim Jong-un's army has been revealed in pictures smuggled out of North Korea showing ancient wood-powered trucks and exhausted soldiers asleep on the roadside.

In the photos, taken by a tourist between Mount Kumgang and the port city of Wonsan on North Korea's east coast, Kim Jong-un's troops are seen laboring over broken trucks.

One photo shows a female soldier on duty in high heels, while another shows at least 14 men crammed onto a vehicle that seats six.

Some trucks even appear to be powered by wood gas generators – a technology not commonplace in Europe since the end of the Second World War.

The true face of Kim Jong-un's army has been revealed in pictures smuggled out of North Korea showing ageing wood-powered trucks (pictured) and exhausted soldiers asleep on the roadside

In the photos, taken by a tourist between Mount Kumgang and the port city of Wonsan on North Korea's east coast, Kim Jong-un's troops are seen sleeping on the roadside

One photo shows a female soldier in military clothing on duty in high heels. The image was among a number smuggled out of the secretive country

While Kim Jong-un boasts of the power and skill of his army, photos reveal a different story. One image shows men struggling to fix an ageing truck

The photographer, who asked not to be identified, said the few soldiers he saw appeared unready for action – even at the South Korean border.

'We didn't see many soldiers apart from what you see in my pictures,' he said. 'And no-one looked combat-ready.

'At DMZ there were of course soldiers but those we saw were all 'guides' in one way or another.'

North Korea is famously strict about photography and visitors often have their pictures deleted by their chaperons.

However these pictures were taken on a camera with two memory card bays, meaning any photos deleted would be backed up.

The photographer, who asked not to be identified, said the few soldiers he saw appeared unready for action – even at the South Korean border

Hitching a ride: One photograph shows at least 14 of Kim Jong-un's troops crammed onto a vehicle that seats just six

On the road: North Korea is famously strict about photography and visitors often have their pictures deleted by their chaperons

These pictures were taken on a camera with two memory card bays, meaning any photos deleted would be backed up

The photographer said his guides were 'very liberal'. His cache of photos was not even inspected once

War games: Two soldiers take a break and play a board game - in stark contrast to the image presented by Kim Jong-un of an army ready for battle

Experts say North Korea's army is significantly less capable than that of neighboring South Korea, but that Kim's forces are not to be underestimated

But the photographer did not need to worry – he says his guides were 'very liberal' and his cache of photos was not even inspected once.

'I read a lot on the internet about the guides looking through your camera every day and even some times when you leave the country,' he recalled.

'So I bought a camera with twin memory card bays, so even if I had to delete a picture I had one left... but my guides were very liberal and never inspected my photos.'

Experts say North Korea's army is significantly less capable than that of neighboring South Korea, but that Kim's forces are not to be underestimated.

Three North Korean men walk along carrying what appear to be imitation weapons. The photos were smuggled out of the country by a tourist

Some trucks even appear to be powered by wood gas generators – a technology not commonplace in Europe since the end of the Second World War

The snaps were shot en-route to Mount Kumgang and the port city of Wonsan on North Korea's east coast, the city of Nampo on the west coast and in the capital Pyongyang

Caught off guard: Pictures show armed officials wandering around a courtyard outside a building in North Korea

Rank and file: These military personnel were pictured laughing and joking while on duty - in contrast to the images of goose-stepping troops that are regularly released by state media

Time out: Female soldiers take a break while another talks to a passerby in another photo smuggled out of the secretive state

On guard: While some photos showed military personnel relaxing or even asleep, this image captured two soldiers taking their responsibilities very seriously

Directions: Off-duty military personnel are pictured wandering around the streets past North Korean flags

Malcolm Chalmers, who advised foreign secretaries Jack Straw and Margaret Beckett, said Northern troops could wage guerrilla warfare.

He said: 'Fundamentally the North Korean conventional military capability is much weaker than that of South Korea and the US.

'They have very little in the way of air power and air defense capabilities. They exist, but again, they're not very powerful.

'But once they hide out in the cities and the countryside and wait to do damage for invading forces, I think it could create quite a lot of difficulty.'

The photos were shot en-route to Mount Kumgang and the port city of Wonsan on North Korea's east coast, the city of Nampo on the west coast and in the capital Pyongyang.