The recent absence of Kim Jong-un has underscored the degree to which events in North Korea are often shrouded in mystery. A country largely inaccessible even to Google Maps, North Korea is usually viewed by Westerners through the lenses of state photographers and photojournalists who are rarely able to capture the government’s repression of its citizens, or even a sense of day-to-day life. Which is why this handful of Instagram feeds from foreigners living there is so transfixing. In the same square format with which the rest of us broadcast the most mundane moments of our lives, here are four people in North Korea doing the same.

@drewkelly

Drew Kelly is an American who lives and teaches in Pyongyang and shows an insider’s view of the city that you wouldn’t normally get to see.





1 / 3 Chevron Chevron Photo: Courtesy of Andrea LeePhoto: Courtesy of Andrea Lee #DPRK athletes cheering at the 9.9 #military parade procession. #northkorea #uritours #pyongyang @andrea_uri

@everydaydprk

The @everydaydprk, which claims to “open a window to North Korea,” is also run by Kelly and features photos from many different accounts, including photographer David Guttenfelder, who is known for helping the AP open a bureau in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.





1 / 3 Chevron Chevron Photo: Courtesy of Andrea LeePhoto: Courtesy of Andrea Lee #DPRK athletes cheering at the 9.9 #military parade procession. #northkorea #uritours #pyongyang @andrea_uri

@soominee

According to her bio, @soominee, or Michelle, is living and working on a farm in DPRK. She captures life outside Pyongyang: explains what people eat, takes selfies in the interiors of restaurants and hair salons, and documents everyday cultural and financial transactions.





1 / 3 Chevron Chevron Photo: Courtesy of Andrea LeePhoto: Courtesy of Andrea Lee #DPRK athletes cheering at the 9.9 #military parade procession. #northkorea #uritours #pyongyang @andrea_uri

@andrea_uri

Andrea Lee is a Korean-American tour guide with Uri Tours. She highlights cultural festivals and sporting events, in particular, and frequently travels back and forth between Pyongyang and Shanghai.