A Rare Look Inside North Korea

Here’s the thing, not many outsiders are even permitted to visit North Korea. You need a heavy regulated visa just to be allowed to enter the country and you definitely need some serious cash to do so. If you are allowed in, then you must remember that photography is completely frowned upon and extremely restricted. But thanks to some “rebels”, we’ve compiled some of the most rare photos taken from inside of North Korea that you just won’t believe.

A Black Screen

So, yes, North Korea does have computers. However, take a look more closely. There is no actual electricity in order to power up the computer. This is just another facade that North Korean leaders have installed as they only want to give off the impression that they’re doing fine. One can assume that a tourist took the photo as they were allowed to see people using computers, however he or she was not meant to see the black, empty screen instead.

The Band

Look, it’s the Moranbong Band! Quite similar to K-Pop girl’s group, the Moranbong Band only includes members who were hand-picked by Kim Jong-Un himself. Furthermore, their music style varies on many levels, like pop, rock, and fusion. Moreover, the girls do not just perform for the regime, but sometimes also in China.

A Missing Floor

So this is the one of the hotels in North Korea that tourists are permitted to stay in and it even has a working elevator. However, take a closer look at the buttons, see how the button for the fifth floor is missing. Well that particular floor is strictly off-limits to tourists, but if manage to snag a sneak peek, you will find multiple propaganda posters.

8,000 Defecting Fee

So there’s need to rely on an online college degree as this is clearly unconventional. While it is technically not illegal to defect, it is illegal to defect if you have not paid the fee. Kim Jong-Un himself even raised the price to a whopping $8,000. Considering that much of the country’s citizens live in poverty, the price to defect is unrealistic.

Empty Grocery Stores

While the government claims to provide all citizens with the proper/necessary amount of food (to survive), this picture says otherwise. Taken at the Pyongyang supermarket, not only do we see just one lady grocery shopping, but also look at how empty the shelves are — a few apples and leeks.

Big Brother Is Watching

This title is actually very (very) accurate, as everyone’s every movement, action, and words are being observed by the government. In fact there are hidden cameras and microphones located in all homes, offices, parks, buses, and even cars. It’s common for the military to watch over towns, ensuring that everyone and everything is in line.

Black Out

Electricity is a rare commodity across North Korea, even in the capital of Pyongyang. Pyongyang is completely masked in darkness at night. When in doubt, lights out.

Entry Point For Tourists

Folks, this is where tourists from China enter the country. Catch is, you won’t find locals here, just platform workers that are dressed in uniform. Furthermore, the station will be impeccably clean as to appear far better off than what the reality is.

How To Get Out?

To prevent people from fleeing the country, the government has secured over 1,500 miles of the North Korean coastline with electric fences. Not only would it be scary to attempt to leave but it’s also very (very) dangerous.

“Guided” Tours

Unlike majority of big cities, where tour guides freely let visitors wander around a new city and explore, tours in North Korea are the complete opposite. All tours are organized by the state which means that you are only allowed to talk with people examined by the state. And let’s just say that if you do decide to wander off alone, well we wish you the best of luck!

Cat Nap

In North Korea, it is made perfectly clear that you ~cannot~ take pictures of the Army. Especially if the solider is being “lazy”. Like in this case, where one is napping.

Tunnel Time

Pyongyang is the capital and is also the largest city of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In Pyongyang, there is a subway system that is actually one of the deepest subways in the world and it also doubles as a bomb shelter. Often times, if you do take a picture of the tunnel, someone will ask that you delete it immediately.

Bath Time

When you venture out of the urban areas, it is very common to see people bathing in the rivers and lakes, it’s quite common. Not everyone in North Korea has access to clean and running water, so they make use of what they do have access to. Maybe someone with an online college degree could help here, if they ever asked or admitted they needed help.

The Black Market

The government has long since banned black markets. Which explains why grey markets such as this one, are more commonly found. Grey markets tend to sell small things such as cigarettes or sweets but no one who runs such a market makes much money.

Abandoned

It’s no surprise that the capital Pyongyang represents the glory of North Korea. It is this reason alone that the building exteriors are carefully and meticulously maintained. However if you have a chance to look inside one of these buildings, you’ll find that they’re eerily abandoned.

Child Labor

Don’t be surprised if children are working in the fields. Children can often be found helping out various farms by digging up plants and vegetables. Thinking about an online college degree isn’t even a thought.

School Time

More often then not, children walk on dirt roads, with no supervision, as they go to school. School is actually very important and the idea of missing days is heavily frowned upon. Additionally, schools in North Korea are funded by state since most of the citizens live in severe poverty.

Hard At Work

The Army in North Korea is often referred to as one of the most important in the world. But because North Korea always believes in helping itself grow and grow, don’t be surprised to see soldiers helping out farmers from time to time.

Friends

We’re about Friends, the television show here. Seriously. There is some kind of secret plot to free North Korea by smuggling in episodes of Friends. These activists believe that digital contraband and free data are the most effective tool in their fight against North Korea’s totalitarian regime.

What A Bathroom

If you should find yourself in a rural home, bathrooms like the one pictured are very common. The houses and families who live in these such areas are all actually chosen very carefully by the government.

Heading To Work

Buses like this are common in North Korea and they’re almost always filled to the brim as they drive people to and from work on a daily basis.

Neat Freak

North Korea is surprising exceptionally clean. This is because the citizens work very hard to keep everything as perfect as possible. Often times, soldiers pitch in.

Pink Is Your Color

We mentioned before that taking pictures of Army officials was off limits, but boom, here’s another photo taken by a brave soul. Additionally the women in pink is an added bonus.

What’s A Car?

Cars are becoming much more widespread, especially in Pyongyang. They are even building more highways but too many citizens don’t have enough money to buy such cars. Which is often why, you’ll see so many deserted streets such as this one.

Collecting Grass

Sadly due to the increased food shortage problem in North Korea, thousands of citizens are forced to survive on various “wild foods” such as grass, scraps, rats, birds, and even tree bark. The North Korean government has made a cookbook on the different types of the best tasting grasses and leaves, and how eating these wild foods are not so bad for you (minus the poisonous ones).

Long Long Lines

Lines for public transportation and necessities can span for hours. Here you can see a picture of a very long queue formed for a bus in Pyongyang.

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The Gray City

The old Soviet style uniform cement gray is the primary (general) architectural style in North Korea and in Pyongyang. Because the regime says that everyone is equal, the buildings should be equal as well. But due to both international penalties and low technical abilities, most of these buildings aren’t structurally sound, with even more completely empty.

Turn That Frown Upside Down

Here you can see some North Korean citizens on a bus on their way to work — both men and women. Just like most of us, they do not seem too thrilled to be going to work. However, their frowns and dissatisfaction stems from something much deeper that may not be relatable.

Taxi!

There are a shocking number of taxis in North Korea, which are mostly located in the capital city, Pyongyang. Needless to say if you try to order an Uber in Pyongyang, chances are seemingly low.

When Nature Calls

In a country where pretty much everything is controlled by the government, this man is taking a very big risk. But when you gotta go, you gotta go.

More Roads, Less Cars

A railroad stop in rural North Korea consists of an actual hole in a wall as well as a dirt path which leads to the railroad tracks. Because it’s pretty much impossible to get a traveling permit, it makes sense that are no actual real infrastructures for travel.

Propaganda

By law, those who have TV’s or a radio in their homes and/or businesses it’s required to keep those devices on at all times. However those who fail to keep their televisions or radio on, in order to at least listen to propaganda, may have to deal with not-so fun consequences.

Ghost Town

Get this — in order to make a city look plentiful and alive, especially for foreign satellites and spy planes, the Hermit Kingdom’s government will occasionally have an entire population of a town to pack their things and relocate to a different city. By moving an entire town from one to another will seemingly make it look “populated” to outside observers.

The Power Of The Military

Farms, houses, office buildings… you name the place and the military will 100% be there. Whether it’s telling people when the train is coming and going, the government has put military everywhere to ensure their population is in line.

Join The Army

While joining the army requires very big connections, if you pull the right strings there’s a chance you can become an officer. And when you’re an officer you and your family can live a decent life and eat foods other then “wild foods”.

Plumbing?

This is a picture of the inside of a North Korean bathroom in someones home. So what sticks out the most in this photo? Yup the plumbing, or lack-of plumbing. We see a hand pump which is used to pump well water back underground, but instead the water is going right into the bathtub. Why? Because the water is used as drinking water and not for bathing. Yes folks, the bathtub is being used to store water.

Lights, Camera, Action

This picture looks like a normal quite busy train station, right? Because trains primary purpose is to shuttle around tourists, train stations tend to close at an early hour. So what you’re looking at is a real train station filled with not real people… yes these are actors. When this picture was taken the trains had actually stopped running!

Kimjongilia Festival

The Kimjongilia is in fact a flower that is named after the late North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il. Kamo Mototeru, a Japanese botanist, cultivated this very flower in order to represent the friendship between Japan and North Korea. It is specifically designed to bloom every single year on Kim Jong-il’s birthday, February 16.

Virtual Interactions

North Koreans have very few, if any, encounters/interactions with other nationalities and races. Take a look at this picture — here we can see the (interesting) reactions of several North Koreans as a group of “foreigners” walk by them. I guess you can that majority of their reactions are virtual ones.

Haircut A Plenty

Take a look at the pictures below very closely. Why? Well, these are the only hair styles that a man may wear. Ever.

Farm Life

Seeing as how North Korea has cut itself off from numerous countries only means that it can no longer receive certain imported goods, such as chemical fertilizer. Therefore the government requires its citizens to use their very own feces in the aid of farm growth.

Dangerous Much?

Just looking at this photo is freaky. Clearly the ropes are unsafe and furthermore the crew is not wearing the appropriate gear either. No way that an online college degree could improve the work conditions.

Choice of Hotel

You’re looking at the Yanggakdo International Hotel in Pyongyang which is pretty much the only hotel that foreigners are allowed to stay in! Furthermore, it is conveniently located on an island so that means that all guests cannot just freely roam without a designated tour guide.

Booknerd

Most of the school books are filled with propaganda about the regime, and furthermore most of the school day does focus on North Korean ideology. Early on, all North Korean children are actually taught that their Supreme Leaders are THE most important thing they can learn about. You certainly don’t get that from an online college degree.

Cinderella

When you’re a tourist, there are certain roads that you’re allowed to travel on, and those roads are ALWAYS maintained. Therefore the residents of these specific areas carefully and meticulously keep the road and surrounding areas spotless. However it isn’t because they want to, but more so because they have to.