Road to North Korea Photography - M1key - Michal Huniewicz

No. 1*> These are the photos from my trip to North Korea - quite possibly the most mysterious and weird country on the planet. This gallery will focus on getting into the country, and then there will be a few more following. The Koreans are one nation, but not unlike Germany, the country was divided between the USSR and the US following World War 2. The politics of the Cold War meant that North Korea (like East Germany) would become a Soviet playground and a communist state, while South Korea had the US telling it what to do, and it became a capitalist democracy. [1] If you liked this gallery, you can follow me on Twitter or Facebook, much appreciated. Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

* In North Korea, the circulation of foreign books is restricted in this way so that only the ruling Kim and his family, his closest associates and select members of North Korea’s elite have access to them. Each of the books in a hundred-copy set has a stamped number on the first page to show which of the hundred copies it is. Books bearing the ‘No. 1’ stamp are, of course, offered only to the ruling Kim. It is thus considered a mark of high status among cadres and other members of the elite to possess a book stamped with a single-digit numeral, or the closest number they can get to it." [Dear Leader]

Uploaded on: 2016-02-15.

Yalu River

Yalu River China borders North Korea on the Yalu River. That's one way to get a taste of North Korea if you have not obtained a visa (also, the only way if you're South Korean - South Koreans cannot get the visa at all). You take a boat that even takes a detour into a distributary with North Korean soil on both sides. ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/8000s.

Mao

Mao The Chinese city where you get to do that is called Dandong. I read somewhere it was the most humane of Chinese cities, most having become a polluted nightmare these days...

In Dandong, a statue of Mao stands, helplessly witnessing the transition to capitalism all around him, as he keeps pointing with desperation. ISO 200, 29mm, f/2.8, 1/80s.

North Korea vs. China

North Korea vs. China

The difference between the two countries in terms of wealth is staggering, as this photo demonstrates.

Update: Many people have pointed out to me that I may have exaggerated the influence China has on North Korea, as North Korean trade partners are more diverse than official records would suggest. For it is China now that plays the role of North Korea's master. In Dear Leader, one of the best non-fiction books on North Korea I've read, the author recalls how even the great leader Kim Jong-il was once summoned and humiliated by the Chinese (for saying North Korea might be selling weapons to Taiwan). [ 2 The difference between the two countries in terms of wealth is staggering, as this photo demonstrates.Update: Many people have pointed out to me that I may have exaggerated the influence China has on North Korea, as North Korean trade partners are more diverse than official records would suggest. ISO 200, 24mm, f/9.0, 1/1250s.

Safari

Safari It's quite incredible to witness Chinese or South Korean tourists interacting with North Korean fishermen - it reminded me of safaris is East Africa . You keep wondering, what are the North Koreans really thinking? ISO 200, 70mm, f/4.5, 1/4000s.

Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge

Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge

In the photo, the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, which connects Dandong with the city of Sinuiju, North Korea. [ The difference between North Korea and China becomes even more apparent at night, when Dandong becomes a brilliant metropolis, while North Korea plunges into darkness In the photo, the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, which connects Dandong with the city of Sinuiju, North Korea. [ 3 ISO 400, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/15s.

North Korean Fisherman

North Korean Fisherman The North and South Koreans might be one nation, but after a few generations living completely apart, they have less and less in common. Not only are the North Koreans shorter on average because of malnutrition (Christopher Hitchens called them a nation of racist dwarfs) [ 4 ], it also makes one in four of young men too mentally retarded for military service [ 5 ] - too slow to even follow orders... ISO 200, 70mm, f/5.0, 1/1600s.

All Along the Watchtower

All Along the Watchtower

If you're caught escaping by the Chinese, they send you back if you're a man. But the captured women are referred to as "pigs", and sold to Chinese men: "They’re graded according to their age and appearance. A grade one ‘pig’ fetches around 200,000 won; grade two goes for 150,000 won; and a grade three will bring in 100,000 won. The brokers, who act as middlemen, take half the selling price as their fee. Grade one is equivalent to about US $1500. If you get sold for that amount, at least you go to a better house." [

Update: In today's money, that's actually only about $175. And if you're North Korean, you cannot just leave North Korea. There are watchtowers and guards everywhere. If you're caught escaping - by North Korean soldiers - you end up in a concentration camp for a few months or years. That's if you're an ordinary citizen and trying to escape because of poverty. For more important defectors, death awaits. [ 2 If you're caught escaping by the Chinese, they send you back if you're a man. But the captured women are referred to as "pigs", and sold to Chinese men: "They’re graded according to their age and appearance. A grade one ‘pig’ fetches around 200,000 won; grade two goes for 150,000 won; and a grade three will bring in 100,000 won. The brokers, who act as middlemen, take half the selling price as their fee. Grade one is equivalent to about US $1500. If you get sold for that amount, at least you go to a better house." [ 2 Update: In today's money, that's actually only about $175. ISO 200, 70mm, f/3.5, 1/5000s.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure There is some sparse, 50s-looking infrastructure on the North Korean side of the river. ISO 200, 24mm, f/4.5, 1/2500s.

Chinese Blocks

Chinese Blocks ... While China shows off these neat blocks of flats on its side. ISO 200, 24mm, f/4.5, 1/400s.

Chinese Dance

Chinese Dance At night, the elderly Chinese dance in the streets in unison avoiding any displays of individuality. ISO 800, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/50s.

Broken Bridge

Broken Bridge The Yalu River Broken Bridge - named so after the Americans destroyed it during the Korean War. [ 6 ] It no longer reaches the North Korean shore. ISO 200, 24mm, f/9.0, 1/500s.

Dandong Railway Station

Dandong Railway Station This is where you board your train to North Korea. It then slowly moves across the [new] bridge, into North Korea, where a major customs check occurs. ISO 200, 24mm, f/3.2, 1/800s.

Customs Declaration

Customs Declaration At this point, you must already have your North Korean visa issued. Your visit has been approved by the Party, and you have designated guides assigned.

And here's a North Korean customs declaration form. We only got one for the whole group, and, outsmarted by the rest of us, I was forced to fill it in.

It mentions GPS. My camera doesn't provide geotagging, but it does have a GPS entry in the menu, in case I'd like to attach a GPS unit. When a North Korean customs officer saw that in the camera menu, she grew very suspicious of my camera and wouldn't let go of it, even though every time she left our carriage (the checks on your way in are done inside the train) we tried to hide it in various places.

Pro tip: Attach your least conspicious and least professional looking lens (ideally a Sigma, ha ha) to your camera to avoid any impression you're a pro.

Pro tip: Change the menu language to something other than English to confuse them and slow them down. ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/160s.

List of Belongings

List of Belongings Ah, your typical list of belongings (?).

We were told that if we bring any porn into the country and they find out, they will show it to our travel companions to embarass us, and confiscate the device. They also searched the laptops for any Korean films, for the Interview comedy, books about North Korea. Books about North Korea (even travel guides) are going to be confiscated. They didn't even look at my Kindle though.

The whole check lasted 3 hours, and one of us had his film about the fall of Yugoslavia deleted for some reason. ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/160s.

Blood Ant

Blood Ant And this form to sign, too. ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/160s.

First Photo in North Korea - Sinuiju

First Photo in North Korea - Sinuiju This is the first photo I took in North Korea, from the train. It felt like landing on another planet, and looked like an Oriental version of Eastern Europe from before 1989. The city is Sinuiju. ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/5000s.

North Korean Children

North Korean Children I forgot to mention - you're not allowed to take pictures from the train. There are ordinary North Koreans on the train with you, but they didn't say anything when I took these pictures. There are also uniformed North Koreans, and I avoided taking pictures when they were around. It was very much like a stealth video game. However, if they do catch you, they will probably just get upset and have you delete the photo.

Pro tip: You can override the firmware on your camera, so that the Delete button doesn't really delete the photos, it simply hides them so that it appears the file is gone, but it is still on the card.

Pro tip: If you don't override your firmware, even if your files are deleted, you can still most likely recover them, so long as you don't write to that card any more. ISO 200, 31mm, f/2.8, 1/5000s.

From the Train

From the Train After crossing the border, you spend a few hours on the train before you reach Pyongyang. The other option is to fly from China - and that is your only option if you're American. Americans are not allowed on this train. ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1250s.

Fields of North Korea

Fields of North Korea Rice fields of North Korea. Bicycle and own two feet are the most common means of transport for ordinary people. ISO 200, 70mm, f/2.8, 1/5000s.

Leaders

Leaders Giant portraits of Kim Il-sung, the Eternal President of North Korea, his son Kim Jong-il, the Eternal Secretary of North Korea, and Kim Jong-suk, the wife of the former. I asked our guide about the wife of the latter. "We don't talk about her". Okay... ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/5000s.

Railway Crossing

Railway Crossing Railway crossing and pretty neat blocks of flats. ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/6400s.

On His Way to Work

On His Way to Work People on their way to what looks like a factory. "(the Korean Workers') Party is never going to forget the comrades of Rakwon (city)" - Kim Il-so'ng. [ 8 ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/5000s.

Student

Student "If you survive a thousand miles of suffering, there will be ten thousand miles of happiness" - party slogan. [ 2 ISO 200, 36mm, f/2.8, 1/4000s.

Train Station

Train Station

It was Kim Jong Il who decided that Kim Il-sung should be smiling in his funeral portrait. "‘I rule through music and literature." - Kim Jong Il. "Anyone who composes a work that has not been assigned to the writer through this chain of command is by definition guilty of treason. All written works in North Korea must be initiated in response to a specific request from the Workers’ Party." [ 2 It was Kim Jong Il who decided that Kim Il-sung should be smiling in his funeral portrait. ISO 200, 42mm, f/2.8, 1/5000s.

In the Fields

In the Fields North Koreans supposedly believe that the entire world is in awe of their achievements. [ 2 ISO 200, 36mm, f/2.8, 1/6400s.

On the Bus

On the Bus Pluralism and individualism are regarded as the greatest enemy. I understood the significance of being able to drive a car anywhere you want, when you please, where you please - as our guide told us in North Korea you only travel big distances by bus or train, when you get permission. ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/4000s.

Laundry in the River

Laundry in the River After the Korean War, North Korea was economically a more attractive destination than South Korea, and many people, including 100,000 ethnic Koreans from Japan, were welcomed into North Korea. ISO 200, 52mm, f/2.8, 1/4000s.

Bullock Cart

Bullock Cart Juche, or self-reliance, is the ideology of North Korea. But the omnipresent poverty that even your guides won't dispute, makes one doubt about how self-reliant North Korea really is, especially with its dependence on international aid (which is explained to ordinary North Koreans as the spoils of war...). ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/4000s.

North Korean Soldiers

North Korean Soldiers Doubly-illegal photo - North Korean soldiers. ISO 200, 29mm, f/2.8, 1/2500s.

Platform

Platform Turns out that the North Korean language has two distinct registers of speech, one relating to the Leader, and one for everyone else. For example, you'd never use words such as "dear" to refer to your loved ones. You are supposed to truely love the Leader alone, and the North Korean song "Mother" tells you how motherly love is nothing compared to the love of the Communist Party. ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/3200s.

Patiently Waiting

Patiently Waiting Patiently waiting for the train to pass. ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/5000s.

Elderly Couple

Elderly Couple Elderly couple. ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/3200s.

Across the Country

Across the Country Across the country. ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/3200s.

De Niro

De Niro The man has some genuine dignity. ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/4000s.

North Korean Landscape

North Korean Landscape Unspoiled North Korean landscape made us speculate about what it would be like to visit the country once it shakes off its shackles, but before it's overrun by tourists. ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/2500s.

Pyongyang Railway Station