In a Nutshell: I visited North Korea in late 2014 and over 16 days ventured to all corners of this mysterious nation on one of the longest itineraries ever executed for foreigners. Here are 100 photos (part 1) taken during this visit to North Korea.
About: I’m Elliott. I’m the tour director at North Korea tour operator Uri Tours. I travel a lot myself, sometimes to the unusual, weird and wacky. Earth Nutshell is where I share my experiences. Interested in visiting North Korea for yourself? Shoot me an email at [email protected].
Want to visit North Korea for yourself? I can help. I’m the tour director at Uri Tours, a North Korea tour operator. For inquiries you can contact me directly at [email protected].
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I actually have to give the N. Koreans credit. When it comes to beautification for that façade and propaganda they maintain, they have some amazing architecture, beautiful landscaping, and some phenomenal artists. It’s too bad such creative minds and talented hands are stuck rotting away in that hellhole of a country, and such a shame they pour so much money and resources into keeping up the act and maintaining their military than helping feed their citizens and provide safe housing. When looking in the faces of the citizens–the locals, the military personnel, the tour guides–we see people who are not that different from us, doing what they can to make their way through life the best they can with pride and happiness. Unfortunately with that totalitarian “democratic” dictatorship, the constant brainwashing and indoctrination from birth, and the ever-present threat of imprisonment or worse if they don’t comply, the best they can do will never get any better. It’s hard to believe the suicide rate isn’t sky high there.
Congrats on getting all these photos out of the country to show what it’s really like there, rather than the watered down version they would have permitted you to keep. I can only imagine you backed everything up to a micro SD card and had that tucked away someplace they would never find it during the search when trying to leave the country. Now that such a stark portrait of their country is publicly visible, let’s see their government try to deny the horrendous conditions of their infrastructure, society, and economy.
Hi Elliott!!
First of all congratulations for your amazing trip.
North Korea is on my way also, it is one of a kind experience.
I am not sure if someone ask you before…
Which camera did you use to take these unbelievable pictures? Another question: is there any restrictions regarding to the lens size? And finally, it is allowed to use a tripod to take pictures?
I `ll be really glad if you answer my questions.
Congrats!
Marcelo
Brazil
These photos were fantastic! Shows a bit of everyday life in North Korea. I am not sure if you have ever been to Romania. Its a beautiful country to visit. Also has Transylvania where Count Dracula is from they say. It was great to hear about him from the locals and the stories. Good food there too. Gotta try the Meech!
Hi Elliot,
Just like the many who commented on your picture post, I was wondering how you were able to get away with your “back ups” Did you placed the memory card in the soles of your shoes? Hahaha.
Seriously, I am one of the many people who is curious about the Hermit Kingdom. From time to time, we hear various news about the many atrocities and contradictions that the Kim family had perpetrated to their own people. Your 200 photos validated my belief on the kind of country NK is. Their propaganda to the outside world almost on a daily basis is a way to keep their people toe the line of their own domestic propaganda perpetrated since birth.
Your photos surely highlights many contradictions of the current and past regime. From the most attractive part of the country to their downtrodden people in many places confirmed and give so much credence to all the news we hear from defectors to the bits and pieces of news that gets out of the country from time to time.
Enlightening photos indeed. Job well done Elliot. Keep up the good work
Thank you very much, Elliott. Very nice pictures indeed. I just visited South Korea and DMZ for the first time few months from now and it’s really funny to see pictures that show the buildings of the South in DMZ (do you know that they don’t allow tourists to take any pics of South buildings and structures?). In a way, it seems like they want us to believe that only the North should be mocked for such theatric piece of land.
I’ve been reading about tours to DPRK. Your pictures show a much more live and vivid country than most of the material I’ve seen so far. One more reason to decide soon when to go!
Thanks again!
Alex
Very interesting set of photographs!
a friend of mine visited a year or so ago, to photograph aircraft and buses. Every one was very helpful and he got great photographs. he flew on a couple of Air Koryo aircraft, including the newest one , and said the flights were fine. It was all previously arranged, of course.
There were power outages of course and he made the mistake of draining the bath water which he should have used to flush the toilet, but generally he enjoyed the trip.
Great pics; not sure I have the balls to do what you did, but I give you a lot of credit. By any chance, did they allow you near any of the famous prisons?
Hey Elliott, thanks for taking and sharing these photos. I have a fascination with North Korea, mostly just extreme curiosity. These 200 pictures are the best North Korean photo collection exist to now. So THANK YOU! I was born in Vietnam (another communist country) and grew up in Ho Chi Minh City in the late 80 and 90. Life was very poor, food was very scarce, everyone must wear uniform based on society status (my family was pretty low on that ranking, we were condemned because my grandfather (mother’s father) was a military doctor for the American- South Vietnam Army). My mother doesn’t talk much about life after the Vietnam war, even when I probed. So when I look at these North Korea photos, I feel like this could be Vietnam, if it weren’t for the Open Door Policy in the mid-80 that changed everything economically, culturally, and even politically. So even though Vietnam is still a Communist country, it’s nothing like North Korea. 🙂
Anyway, I saw that Vietnam is on your coming soon travel list – if there’s anything I can do to help, giving you tips or whatever else re: local knowledge, travel spots, food, people, etc. Let me know and contact me directly. I’d be more than happy to help. The Vietnamese love tourists – you will have an amazing time there. Oh and you will have lots of internet access in Vietnam – mostly free in coffee shops. 🙂 Also I now live in New York City – when you venture out this way, I would love to meet you and buy you a drink and hear your travel stories. 🙂
Amazing photos and comments – thank you for sharing!
Great photos. I am a Korean-American who grew up in the U.S., except for two years I spent as a kid living with relatives in South Korea, mid-80’s. Back then, you weren’t even allowed to see the North Korean flag, let alone actual photos of the North. Open an encyclopedia at the public library, and the NK flag was already blacked out with a magic marker. Although we still lack insight into this reclusive regime, in relative terms the public knows so much more today than we did 30 years ago. Thanks for smuggling these rare photos out! Did you lose any or were you able to back up all the images you took?