Victor Malychev: Faces of North Korea

North Korea still remains a mystery to much of the outside world.  It is concealed behind the Iron Curtain, and very few have managed to peak through.  In late 2014, I had an opportunity as a tourist to take a glimpse behind the curtain in an attempt to observe the ordinary lives of North Koreans.

Prior to the trip, I always assumed I would be on a well-orchestrated group tour to the major communist attractions the North wanted to show off.  The kind of tour where every footstep is carefully planned out, eliminating the possibility for photo ops deemed undesirable by authorities. Basically put in a show town where you are cut off from all means of communication, unable to interact with local residents.

To my astonishment, upon arrival I discovered that foreigners do not have to temporarily surrender their mobile phones.  To the contrary, Pyongyang airports offer tourists a local SIM card "Koryolink" - the only 3G operator in North Korea.  Ironically, in contrast to China, access to Facebook in North Korea is allowed (at least for foreigners).  This is not to say that the ordinary citizens of the DPRK enjoy the right to access the world wide web.

Unfortunately, one cannot go for a stroll without a guide as the beaten path for foreigners has been planned out by authorities well in advance.  However, in our group of 16 tourists from over ten countries, we were not necessarily prevented from wandering away.  Barring any objections from our Korean guides, we could easily dive in with the crowd of locals at a youth park, take group photos with random passersby, and get lost at sports centers and water attractions.

Surprisingly, we were allowed to photograph almost everything, the exception being military personnel and "sacred" places, such as Kim Il Sung’s Mausoleum or monuments to the “great leaders.”  Not only were we allowed to photograph the capital, but also less glamorous rural areas.  Perhaps our luck was due to the easy-going character of our guides.  Additionally, we were given a fair amount of freedom when traveling unescorted by train from Pyongyang to the Chinese border town, Dandong, which is about 200 km away.  This provided us an opportunity to talk with the North Korean diplomats and businessmen traveling to China.

The photos taken on my trip may not necessarily reflect all the realities of life in North Korea, but they do show some of its aspects, and above all - the human faces.

Victor Malychev, Master of Business Administration, The George Washington University

Kaesong Youth Park in Pyongyang

North Korean pioneers on Pyongyang subway during the Youth Day

Mangyongdae schoolchildren's palace that provides extra-curricular activities

Young pioneers are enjoying a carefree morning in Pyongyang.  North Korean children are taught not to envy others.  "We have nothing to envy" is one of the most popular Korean songs which instills the idea that the citizens of the DPRK live well, whereas the outside world suffers from horrible capitalism

Mangyongdae schoolchildren's palace: an English lesson.  Most of the capital's residents tend to smile at foreigners

A drawing Lesson at Mangyongdae schoolchildren's palace

A school performance for foreign tourists

In the province, North Korean children look remarkably different from those in the capital

Typical rural areas. Cars are virtually absent outside Pyongyang.  It is not uncommon to see people pushing or pulling carts

A bicycle is the main means of transportation in rural areas.  Sometimes it's used to transport bags of Chinese rice

Surprisingly, despite strict control of information, civilian and military personnel can be seen checking messages on their mobile phones outside Pyongyang

All labor is predominantly manual due to a deficit of fuel. Oxen, which are rare, sometimes supplement menial labor

The North Korean soldiers are often used as manual labor on construction sites

While there's seemingly no shortage of water supply in the capital, the sight of women doing laundry along a river bank is common in rural areas.

Furthermore, villagers take a bath in the same river

Typical infrastructure outside the capital

Most homes in the province lack windows

Yet, despite the difficult living conditions, villagers are able to give smiles to complete strangers

Meanwhile, the capital bustles with new trolley buses.  The streets of Pyongyang are abundant with cars, mainly Japanese, during the rush hour

Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. The peace treaty was never signed after the Korean War (1950-1953). Interestingly, the North Korean soldiers are standing next to a Samsung air conditioner which is made in South Korea

Pyongyang night lights.  According to official sources, these luxury apartments are provided free of charge to the working class.  Though according to unofficial sources, Pyongyang boasts quite a few millionaires among its elite