YESTERDAY, it emerged that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has carried out another brutal execution.

This time, it was vice premier Choe Yong-gon who reportedly drew Jong-un’s ire after voicing frustration at his policies, and paid with his life. But he’s not the first, and probably won’t be the last, to be silenced.

It’s shocking cases such as these that keep the public fascinated about what life is really like in the secretive and reclusive state, which has become known as the “Hermit Kingdom”.

And now, a series of photos have gone on show at a Chicago museum, providing a rare glimpse into the mysterious place which is gripped by propaganda and isolation, and notoriously hard to get into.

The North Korean Perspectives exhibition attempts to shine some light on the situation by contrasting “official” government images with real-life snaps. Its website states: “North Korea’s citizens are not allowed to travel abroad, there is no internet connection to the outside world, and the flow of information is almost completely controlled by the government.

“This exhibition will be divided into two main sections: one showing the government’s official version of North Korea, while the other offers the alternative view of the country.”

The “official” images were taken by the country’s press agency KCNA, which is based in Japan, and by people on state-controlled tours. Meanwhile, the “reader” images were taken by 12 international photo journalists and artists. They include snaps of a woman holding a gun, another bathing and a man wandering into a flooded river.

Ultimately, the exhibition isn’t seeking to provide “the truth” about the secretive state, just a different viewpoint. Because we’ll probably never know the full truth.

Here are some of the highlights.

The North Korean Perspectives Exhibition is on show at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago until October 4.