When I went to North Korea in March, I took a helluva lot of photographs (and did some painting!). Here are some more — in extra-wide panorama format! (If you click on the pictures, it will take you to the larger view in my Flickr photostream)
Looking over Kim Il Sung Square on a sunny day in Pyongyang, with the Taedong River and Juche Tower in the background.
A beautiful tile mosaic adorns the side of a building in the Pyongyang Film Studios backlot, illustrating landmarks of North Korean cinema.
Foggy morning in Kaesong City.
The older section of Kaesong City, where many pre-war buildings still stand.
A traditional Korean city gate adorns a roundabout in the centre of Kaesong City.
A concrete billboard exhorts the citizens of Kaesong: “최후의 승리를 향하여 앞으로!” (“Forward, to the final victory!”)
From the north side of the border, looking across Panmunjom at the South Korean building.
Kumsusan Palace, former seat of Kim Il-Sung. Now an opulent mausoleum where the former leaders of the country lie in state.
The Grand People’s Study House, the enormous central library in Pyongyang, as seen from across the Taedong River.
A pair of matching towers behind the Party Founding Monument.
North Korean museums may be shamelessly devoted to retconning history, but their exhibits put all others to shame.
In this sweeping diorama, the elder Kims (atop the bridge, just right of centre) lend their personal guidance to the overhauling of the country’s rail infrastructure.
Sinuiju, on the China-DPRK border, is a stark contrast to the ‘showcase’ areas of the country that most tours stick to. Stepping off the train was like stepping into an 80’s-era hollywood distopic movie set, complete with eerie electronic sci-fi music blaring over the propaganda loudspeakers. Cold and windy, the city is a wasteland of construction — It’s citizens, however, are honest and vivacious, with a well-earned reputation as being hard-nosed.
Below, a large public square in the centre of the city:
Across the Yalu River from Sinuiju sits the Chinese city of Dandong, a bright new metropolis built up against the riverbanks. At night, the facade of glass towers facing the DPRK light up like Las Vegas, and Sinuiju answers with a sparse, faltering display of its own.
On the left, it looks like our guide is trying to cover the camera lens; actually she was laughing and waving 🙂
Pyongyang Station.
This is just a few of the panoramas I took in the DPRK. If you want to see more, check out my full set on Flickr!
More:
North Korean Artwork
Photographing North Korea
Pyongyang Film Studios
North Korea HDR Photos
Painting North Korea
Landscapes of North Korea
Beautiful photos Lucas! 🙂
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