Under Watchful Eyes: A First-Hand Look Inside North Korea

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Under Watchful Eyes: A First-Hand Look Inside North Korea

Story and photographs by Ethan Jakob Craft

June 1, 2016

Disclaimer: Entering the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as a journalist using a tourism visa is strictlyprohibited and considered a crime with serious repercussions for the author, the guides, and the tour companyinvolved. It is almost unheard of for the North Korean government to issue visas to journalists or photographers,thus making posing as a tourist the only feasible method of accessing the DPRK. I traveled to North Korea as atourist for several days in the spring of 2016 in order to gain first-hand access to the world's most secretivecountry. No specific names, dates, organizations, or otherwise incriminating details have been included in order toprotect the anonymity of those who unknowingly helped me gain entry and/or accompanied me into North Korea.Despite the threat of legal action and imprisonment, I did not compromise my journalistic integrity and havechosen to report thoroughly, truthfully, and free from censorship about what I witnessed inside North Korea. Thisreport has not been sanctioned or verified by the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.



Tourism is an emerging market in North Korea. For decades, the rule of thumb had

been "no one goes in and no one goes out," with virtually no exceptions. However, that

draconian restriction changed in the early 1990s when communism collapsed and, with no

remaining allies and a dire need for cash, North Korea opened its doors to foreign tourists.

Koryo Tours, now regarded as the most established name in the North Korean travel industry,

seized this opportunity and began operating a handful of excursions to the appropriately-

nicknamed "Hermit Kingdom." While the secretive nation has never published official tourism

statistics, it is now believed that around 4,000 Western tourists visit each year. Tour organizers

work closely with the North Korean government and the state-owned Korea International

Travel Company to provide travelers with access to the world's most isolated country.

Little is known about North Korea. From the living conditions inside the country's

infamous concentration camps to the real year of Kim Jong-un's birth, almost every aspect ofNorth Korean society is shrouded in mystery. Defectors' testimony, satellite imagery, and pure

speculation are currently the primary ways by which the international community at large gains

knowledge about the inner workings of the Hermit Kingdom. Information about the country

from official government sources is notoriously unreliable; North Korea's state-owned television

news network, the Korean Central News Agency, often embellishes stories and presents

propaganda as truth, having factually reported absurd things ranging from the discovery of a

unicorn lair to a new star shooting into the sky at the moment Kim Jong-il was born. As far as

the citizens of the isolated state are concerned, their nation and their Leaders can do no

wrong. From birth, North Koreans are bombarded with a consistent stream of propaganda that

serves to glorify the totalitarian kingdom which they call home and the tyrant that controls it.

In the Hermit Kingdom, men, women, and children are required to wear a red pin

stamped with the faces of deceased leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il above their hearts

every day — not wearing the "Kim pin" would be considered a treasonous sign of disrespect

towards Leaders and is punishable by torture and imprisonment. Absolute loyalty to the Kim

family and the ruling Worker's Party of Korea are required. The Supreme Leaders, of whom

there have been three since the country was established in 1948, are groomed to be seen as

incorruptible symbols of authority. Kim Jong-un, for example, was originally third in line for the

throne as he was the youngest of Kim Jong-il's three sons; however, when his eldest brother

was arrested while trying to visit Disneyland with a fake Dominican passport and the other was

found to be gay, they were deemed weak and thus Jong-un was named his father's successor.



On the day of departure, tourists are whisked away to one of the three Chinese

airports which have scheduled flights to Pyongyang: Beijing, Shanghai, or Shenyang. All

luggage is scanned, registered, and searched before passengers are allowed to board the sole

daily flight to Pyongyang, the capital of the DPRK, which is operated by state-owned carrier Air

Koryo, North Korea's only airline. Air Koryo once operated flights to over a dozen countries in

Asia and Europe, but has been gradually scaling back its operations since the 1980s and now

only routinely flies to and from China, with the vast majority of these flights going to Beijing.

Due to sanctions, its fleet is mostly comprised of Soviet-built aircraft which now lie in storage.

As they board the plane, travelers are given a free copy of the Pyongyang Times ,

North Korea's premier English-language newspaper, which features front-page headlines such

as "DPRK shines under the leadership of brilliant commander." On Air Koryo, the instructional

safety video that is standard on most airlines is replaced with revolutionary marching musicand Kim Jong-un's speeches. Tourists are given comically-misspelled declaration forms to fill

out, including one that asks if passengers have any "meets, pet, or blood ant it's products."

After a turbulent 90-minute flight over the Yellow Sea, which is patriotically rebranded in the

DPRK as the West Sea of Korea, passengers arrive in Pyongyang. North Korean passport

holders are escorted through a narrow passageway, while foreign passengers and their

belongings are examined by soldiers. Cameras are assessed to ensure they are not too

sophisticated and publishings deemed detrimental are confiscated. After a thorough search by

armed guards, tourists are free to collect their bags and enter the arrival hall unescorted.

Below: A Russian-made Air Koryo Tupolev 204 sits onthe tarmac at Beijing Capital International Airport,waiting to take off for Pyongyang, North Korea.

Above: The newly-built Terminal 2 at Pyongyang SunanInternational Airport handles all air traffic since theclosure of the original terminal in 2015.



Guides and soldiers are strategically placed throughout the airport to make sure that

no foreigners wander off. Tourists are swiftly corralled into herds and escorted into awaiting

tour buses that ferry them the fifteen bumpy miles between the airport and the city center. On

the way into Pyongyang, passports are collected and tour groups are told a concise scripted

history of the DPRK, as well as informed of more rules they must follow. Namely, this is when

travelers are told how they must refer to the Leaders. First, there is Great General Kim Il-sung,

the original ruler of North Korea who came to power just before the Korean War. Then there is

his son, Dear Leader Kim Jong-il, the second leader and Eternal Commander of the Korean

People's Army. Lastly, there is the third and current leader of the DPRK, who is referred to as

Party Chairman Kim Jong-un. The three men are revered as Gods and have over 1,000 titles

when combined, which can often be conflicting, confusing, and absolutely ridiculous.

At one time, Kim Jong-il was legitimately referred to as "Our Dear Leader, who is aperfect incarnation of the appearance that a leader should have." In 1998, the constitution of

the DPRK was officially rewritten to posthumously make Kim Il-sung, who died four years

earlier, the Eternal President. North Korea's most popular newspaper, Rodong Sinmun , once

reported that Kim Jong-il could control the weather based on his mood. North Korea takes its

Leaders seriously, and as such, the first place tourists are taken in Pyongyang is the

Mansudae Grand Monument, the first of many sites where visitors are required to lay flowers

and pay their respects to the two deceased men. These towering likenesses of Kim Il-sung and

Kim Jong-il have proudly stood watch on Mansu Hill in northern Pyongyang for years.

Below: The Anti-Japanese Revolutionary Strugglemonument on Mansu Hill features dozens of soldiersand citizens flanking the North Korean flag.

Above: The Mansudae Grand Monument features two23 meter high bronze statues of Kim Il-sung (left) andKim Jong-il (right) overlooking Pyongyang.



Tourists are given ample time to honor the Great General and Dear Leader here, as

well as admire the many other monuments, murals, and gardens that are scattered upon

Mansu Hill. While no two tours to the DPRK follow the same itinerary, it is mandated that all

travelers stop at the Mansudae Grand Monument within 24 hours of arriving in the country.

Due to the flight schedule and time allotted to honoring the first two Leaders, the first day is

usually very short. Tourists leave Mansu Hill to be taken further into Pyongyang along empty,

pockmarked roads lined with brutalist apartment blocks and grand monuments before being

taken to a restaurant and then to their government-approved hotel.

The state-owned Korea International Travel Company, who regulates and manages

all tour itineraries, does an impressively meticulous job to ensure that foreigners believe that

they are in a 'normal' country as much as possible. However, with minimal investigative skills,

anyone can tell that the entire trip is staged. For example, if there are 16 people in a tour groupand it is time for a meal, the guides will pretend they are going to some random restaurant, but

when the tourists enter the dining room, 16 plates have been pre-set in anticipation of their

arrival. If visitors stay in a high-rise hotel, the entire group will be given rooms on the top few

floors to give the illusion that the the hotel is fully booked, but a visit to lower levels reveals that

there is no one staying there — not even the heat or the lights will be on. Though Pyongyang's

palatial hotels claim to be of "international grade," this façade of normalcy is easily disturbed

by frequent power outages, filthy tap water, lack of Wi-Fi, and microphones allegedly planted in

every room. Foreigners may not set foot outside their hotel unless accompanied by a guide.

Below: Soviet-style apartment blocks painted in brightcolors are a common sight in Pyongyang. One womanwalks alone along this empty street in the capital.

Above: Dark brown water pours from the faucet into thebathtub at the recently-renovated Sosan Hotel, locatedin the western outskirts of Pyongyang.



Many longer tours to the DPRK include a day trip to the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ,

a misleadingly-named strip of land which acts as a buffer zone between the border of North

and South Korea, and has divided the Korean Peninsula since 1953. Lined with barbed wire,

landmines, and thousands upon thousands of troops constantly ready for war, it is actually the

most militarized border on Earth. To get there, tourists must take a two hour drive on the

desolate Reunification Highway from Pyongyang to the South Korean border at Panmunjom.

This road is unique in North Korea, as it is the only major highway that leads to the South, and

because of this, those who drive on the road are subjected to intense monitoring from the

North Korean government. Six military roadblocks are set up along the Reunification Highway,

where soldiers are always standing guard to surveil those who travel it. As visitors near the

DMZ, the bleak landscape becomes increasingly dotted with simple roadside monuments and

bizarre bridge-like truck stops that are packed with dynamite, which are designed to explodeand act as tank barriers in the event of an invasion by the "US imperialist aggression forces."

Driving the entire 110-mile length of the Reunification Highway reveals some stark

realities about the hardships associated with North Korean life. While Pyongyang is kept

immaculately clean and itineraries attempt to frame the DPRK in the best possible light,

outside the capital, it is clear that the Hermit Kingdom is not the socialist paradise that the

guides claim it is. Soldiers in disheveled uniforms hitchhike along the highway in the bitter cold,

lifeless fields are plowed by frail, malnourished oxen, and propaganda banners coupled with

loudspeakers litter the hillsides. Visitors are explicitly told, "no pictures."

Below: A dynamite-filled truck stop straddles the emptyReunification Highway. On the two hour drive fromPyongyang to the DMZ, almost no other cars are seen.

Above: The Arch of Reunification stands over the mainhighway connecting Pyongyang and the South Koreanborder. It is the most famous "exploding monument."



Below: Two examples of the Reunification Highway'subiquitous "exploding monuments," photographedhere just two miles from the South Korean border.

Above: The Joint Security Area of the DMZ lies half inNorth Korea and half in South Korea, and hashistorically been a neutral place to hold bilateral talks.

Upon arrival in Panmunjom, which is located in the Demilitarized Zone, tourists are

escorted through a series of buildings and monuments, all of which highlight the "truth" about

the tyranny and failure of the United States both during and after the Korean War. Uniformed

soldiers guide foreign visitors around the various displays depicting historical events.

According to the North Koreans, the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War, as the Korean War

is referred to in the DPRK, was provoked by the Americans who used the South Koreans as a

human shield. Perhaps the most significant location that travelers visit in Panmunjom is the

one-room building where the armistice that ended the fighting was signed in 1953. Decorated

with North Korean flags, photographs of the Leaders, and a tattered English-language book

labelled "TEXT OF ARMISTICE AGREEMENT," this dimly-lit building is the centerpiece of

Panmunjom's anti-American propaganda machine.

After they thoroughly appreciate the glorious guidance of Kim Il-sung in Panmunjom,

tourists are then driven one more mile to the Joint Security Area, a row of blue huts on the

South Korean border. Literally split in half by the Demarcation Line which has acted as the

border between the two nations since 1953, the Joint Security Area, or JSA, has been the site

of over 1,000 military negotiations between the North and the United Nations since the end of

the Korean War. This is the only place in the DPRK where tourists are allowed to cross the

border and briefly step into South Korea, and vice versa. Visitors are only allowed a tense few

moments inside the blue huts before being promptly escorted back out.



Most visits to the Demilitarized Zone from the North Korean side, including the JSA

and Panmunjom, do not last more than an hour or two. Regarded as one of the most sensitive

tourist sites in the DPRK, it is the only place where those in the North can come face-to-face

with those in the South. Due to the heightened potential for conflict and disturbance, visits to

the DMZ are kept short and foreign visitors are extracted as quickly as possible. When

returning to Pyongyang from Panmunjom, many tourists are brought to Kaesong, a large North

Korean city approximately six miles west of the South Korean border. After being treated to a

traditional Korean lunch of dog meat soup, foreigners are shown the points of interest which

surround Kaesong, including a stamp shop where tourists can buy a myriad of souvenirs and

an ancient Confucian university where it is falsely claimed that early inhabitants of the Korean

Peninsula invented, among other things, the printing press and the spoon.

After touring the sights in Kaesong, visitors are loaded back onto their tour buses andreturned to Pyongyang. Once back in the capital, itineraries usually include a short excursion

to the Korean National Flower Exhibition, where tourists are shown great halls mostly filled with

Kimilsungias , a small purple orchid species, and Kimjongilias , a large red type of begonia.

Following a visit to the Flower Exhibition and the nearby Taedong River waterfront, tourists are

taken to the opulent Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, where the DPRK

government spares no expense in insulting the "American imperialists" while simultaneously

glorifying Great General Kim Il-sung and the Korean People's Army. After a pat-down and pass

through a metal detector, visitors may enter the grounds of the museum.

Below: A mosaic mural of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-iland their eponymous flowers decorates a wall displayat the Korean National Flower Exhibition.

Above: A typical street scene in the DPRK – brutalistarchitecture, nationalist propaganda, and virtually nocars (photographed in the city of Kaesong).



The first section of the museum which tourists are brought to is the Captured Weapons

Exhibition, an open-air hall filled with American trucks, tanks, and airplanes that were mostly

seized during the Korean War. Two rows of over 50 damaged American military vehicles and

aircraft demonstrate for visitors "the military might of the Korean people." Despite the fact that

the Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953, ended in a truce, the people of the DPRK

continue to insist that they are the only nation in the world to have ever defeated the "savage"

American military. While this is a lie, the North Koreans point to one piece of evidence to justify

their claim: the USS Pueblo , an American naval research vessel that was monitoring North

Korean radar in international waters when it was accused of spying and seized by the DPRK

on January 23, 1968. Its crew of 83 men were arrested and held prisoner for nearly one year

until their release was eventually negotiated by US President Lyndon B. Johnson. Now

restored with artifacts from the "Pueblo Incident," the USS Pueblo is regarded as a war trophyand symbol of American treachery, and is a focal point of many tours to North Korea.

The Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum's main building, which is just steps

away from the USS Pueblo, is far more lavish than the barren American Navy ship nearby.

Adorned with marble, granite, and brass, the interior of the museum is an extravagant display

of innovation. With ornate iron doors and no visible windows, the building more closely

resembles a fortress than a museum. Cameras are collected to ensure no pictures are taken

inside; perhaps the North Koreans don't want foreign visitors photographing the "Hall of US

Atrocities" or the life-sized diorama of vultures eating the flesh of dead American soldiers.

Below: A female North Korean soldier guides touriststhrough a display of seized enemy artillery at theCaptured Weapons Exhibition.

Above: The main building of the Victorious FatherlandLiberation War Museum is surrounded with dozens oftowering statues commemorating the conflict.



Many of the war museum's exhibitions and displays are grand and expansive, and

while much of the "history" is falsified or selectively edited, the complex is impressive in sheer

size and can aesthetically rival the best museums in the world. Throughout the institution, not

one exhibit casts North Korea in a foolish, authoritarian, or otherwise negative light — but the

DPRK is infamous for erasing unflattering aspects of its history. One such historical anomaly

that is notably absent from the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum relates to the

seizure of the USS Pueblo, or more specifically, its crew. During their eleven months in

captivity, staged propaganda photos and forced written statements from the crewmen were

regularly sent to the United States to "prove" the POWs were healthy, happy, and humanely

treated. The only problem was: they weren't.

The captured men were regularly psychologically and physically abused by the North

Korean authorities. They were frequently shown anti-Western propaganda films, but in June1968, the crew noticed that in two separate films, actors flipped someone off – and it wasn't

edited out. The men gathered that the North Koreans did not know what "the finger" meant,

and used this obscene gesture to their advantage. From June to November, the captured

sailors would flip off the camera whenever it appeared, and when they were questioned about

the middle finger's meaning, they simply explained it was the "Hawaiian good luck sign." This

attempt to subvert the DPRK's credibility lasted for almost six months, until the North

discovered the insulting intent behind the finger and put a stop to it. Curiously, no mention of

the "Hawaiian good luck sign" can be found anywhere in the museum.

Below: This 1968 photo of eight Pueblo crewmenshows how the sailors would typically flash the"Hawaiian good luck sign," which is circled in red.

Above: An example of the hand-painted propagandaposters that can be found for sale in the War Museum'sgift shop. This one features a trio of DPRK soldierssmashing the dome of the US Capitol Building.



In addition to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, another staple of

trips to the DPRK is the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the final resting place of the two

deceased Leaders. Built as the Official Residence of the Supreme Leader in 1976, it was

converted into a "mausoleum of grand style" upon Great General Kim Il-sung's death in 1994,

and was modified to also house his son, Dear Leader Kim Jong-il, after his death in 2011.

Located on the northern outskirts of Pyongyang, the imposing granite building is one of the

most revered places in North Korea. Foreigners are told to dress formally and stay silent when

visiting the mausoleum, and are only allowed to bring their wallets, which are inspected, inside.

Visitors stand along a series of tedious moving walkways leading from the lobby to get to the

main building, all while looking at photographs of the Leaders' exploits and listening to North

Korea's ubiquitous patriotic marching music, which plays in many public areas in Pyongyang.

After bowing to two marble statues of the Leaders, visitors are ordered into a single-file line and led into the chamber where Kim Il-sung's embalmed body lies in state. The room is

dramatic — shadowed in darkness except for red ambient light illuminating the high walls and

one harsh spotlight shining down onto the Great General's crystal sarcophagus. Visitors bow

three times to his body, once at his feet and again at each side, before they are swiftly

escorted past armed soldiers and into an adjacent room filled with medals, plaques, awards,

honorary diplomas, and photographs of the eldest Kim meeting every world leader from

Joseph Stalin to Jimmy Carter. Silently, tourists are then led into the nearly-identical tomb of

Kim Jong-il, and the process of bowing to his body and gazing at his accolades is repeated.

Below: "Propaganda vans" fitted with loudspeakers arecommon around the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, andmake up a large percentage of Pyongyang's traffic.

Above: The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun is themausoleum housing the embalmed bodies of GreatGeneral Kim Il-sung and Dear Leader Kim Jong-il.



At the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, visitors are constantly under the watchful eyes

of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, whose likenesses are omnipresent. While tourists enter the

mausoleum stoic and straight-faced, North Koreans weep at the site of the Leaders' bodies;

whether they are genuinely overcome with emotion or just putting on a show for fear of being

imprisoned is unclear. After seeing the embalmed corpses of the Leaders and their "trophy

rooms," foreigners are separated from the North Korean guests and brought through more

impressively opulent marble chambers that house "mementos" from the lives of the Leaders. A

few of the items on display include both Leaders' private train cars, Kim Jong-il's personal

mega-yacht, and the MacBook Pro used by the Dear Leader on the night of his death.

Unsurprisingly, international analysts believe the renovations which turned the Kumsusan

Palace of the Sun from a residence into a mausoleum may have cost up to $900,000,000.

After two hours inside the palace, visitors are reunited with their possessions andbrought to the vast gardens surrounding the mausoleum. Once the guides deem an

appropriate amount of photos have been taken, tourists are split into two groups: those

particularly keen on the history of Kim Il-sung's life are taken to the Mangyongdae Native

House, where the Great General was born in 1912, and those with 200 extra dollars and a

desire to cheat death are brought to Pyongyang Sunan International Airport for a 45-minute

helicopter tour of the city. Famously torn down and rebuilt in 2014 after Party Chairman Kim

Jong-un disapproved of the new design, North Korea's largest and most modern airport now

primarily acts as a storage facility for Air Koryo's antique fleet of Soviet-built aircraft.

Following a world-class lunch at one of the airport's two restaurants, visitors are

brought downstairs to claim their boarding passes and go through security. Despite the fact

that a handful of tourists will be the only people passing through the airport on the day of the

chartered helicopter flight, all the shops, eateries, and kiosks are fully-staffed. Ticketing agents

line the counters, even though foreigners are forbidden from interacting with them. It is

believed this is another attempt by the Korea International Travel Company to make the DPRK

appear as normal as possible. Once tourists pass through the security checkpoint, they are

directed to their gate. Though the helicopter parks relatively close to the terminal building,

tourists are not allowed to walk to it; after their tickets are checked, they are loaded onto a bus

and driven fifteen seconds across the tarmac to the awaiting chopper. Fitted with warped

wooden floors, green upholstered seats, and shimmering floral wallpaper, the aging Mil MI-17

helicopter is the epitome of Soviet styling and elegance.



After nearly an hour of soaring through the grey, smog-filled skies of Pyongyang,

passengers are flown away from the city's impressive architectural feats and head back to the

airport. Once they are on the ground, tourists are brought to Pyongyang's Arch of Triumph to

rejoin those visitors who opted to visit the Mangyongdae Native House. On the way back from

the airport, foreigners are driven by the infamous Ryugyong Hotel which rises 1081 feet above

the city, making it the tallest building in the DPRK. Construction of the massive Ryugyong

began in 1987, but was halted in 1991 when the Soviet Union, the project's chief financial

backer, collapsed. Construction resumed in 2008 and glass was added to the previously

barren concrete exterior, but despite the fact that it outwardly appears to be completed, it is still

vacant. Visible from nearly everywhere in or around the capital, its towering pyramidal

architecture is reminiscent of the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell's classic novel, Nineteen

Eighty-Four . There are no current plans for its grand opening. When visitors arrive at the Arch of Triumph, they are escorted through a series of unlit

underground tunnels that pass beneath the roads above. Crumbling from years of neglect, the

subterranean passages seem to be in serious danger of collapsing and are likely unsafe for

pedestrians. Tourists are given very little information about the history of the Arch, other than

the fact it is "bigger than the one in Paris." Instead, guides seize the opportunity to further

indoctrinate foreigners about the glory of the Leaders and lie about how the Americans, "using

the United Nations as their puppet," provoked the Korean War. Murals and monuments

dedicated to the Leaders and Korean People's Army surround the lumbering Arch.

Below: A monument featuring strong North Koreancitizens whose arms are interlocked. Note the massiveRyugyong Hotel directly across from the monument.

Above: Pyongyang's Arch of Triumph was built in themiddle of a wide highway in 1982 and is significantlybigger than its Parisian counterpart.



The Parisian-inspired monolith is one of thousands of monuments dedicated to the

might of the North Korean people. In downtown Pyongyang, not far from the Arch of Triumph,

is Kim Il-sung Square, the location of the DPRK's most important government institutions.

Modeled after Beijing's notorious Tiananmen Square, the empty plaza is a symbol of national

pride and is the home to the State Foreign Ministry, the headquarters of the Worker's Party,

and the Grand People's Study House. The buildings around Kim Il-sung Square are crowned

with slogans which patriotically remind the few passersby to do all they can for their country.

Thousands of white dots painted in orderly rows and columns zig-zag across the square,

serving as convenient markers for soldiers and performers during celebratory demonstrations.

For decades, the portraits of communist icons Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin were hung

prominently on several buildings in the square, though these were all removed in 2005.

Opposite Kim Il-sung Square, across the Taedong River, is the Monument to theFoundation of the Worker's Party of Korea, one of the DPRK's most recognizable landmarks.

Built in 1995 for the 50th anniversary of the group's founding, the monument consists of three

sculpted granite pillars which exemplify the values of North Korea's only political party: a

hammer, a sickle, and a calligraphy brush, which symbolize workers, farmers, and intellectuals

respectively. Its base features a plaque describing the Kim Il-sung's revolutionary Songun, or

"military first" policy. The brass letters on the belt encircling the monument read "Long live the

Worker's Party of Korea, the director of all victories of the Korean people," and the letters

displayed atop the two red residential buildings behind the monument read "Ever-victorious."

Below: The State Foreign Ministry is adorned with theflag of the DPRK and borders the massive Kim Il-sungSquare. Note the white dots littering the road.

Above: Standing 50 meters high, the Monument to theFoundation of the Worker's Party of Korea is one ofPyongyang's most famous monuments.



A small museum and gallery adjacent to the Party Foundation Monument informs

visitors that, in addition to being a symbol of the Worker's Party of Korea, the hammer, sickle,

and calligraphy brush also represent the Juche Idea, North Korea's official political ideology

which was developed by the Kim Il-sung in 1955. Typically translated as "self-reliance," Juche

is based on the concept that every man is in charge of his own destiny and states "the people

are the masters of the Revolution." This unique socialist philosophy originally began as a

method to encourage the North Korean people to help the then-new DPRK establish economic

and political independence, but was revised in the late 1960s when Kim Jong-il, future leader

and father of the modern Juche Idea, was appointed Minister of Propaganda by his father, the

Great General, and began to establish a thriving cult of personality centered around him.

While it was originally intended to cement the eternal rule of his family, Kim Jong-il's

manipulation of the Juche Idea transformed the people from respecting Kim Il-sung to outrightworshipping him. Through the 1980s and 1990s, which were some of North Korea's most

economically arduous years, everything in the DPRK was modified to focus on or be

influenced by the Great General. A classic example of this cult of personality comes in the form

of a unique calendar which is only used in the DPRK. Officially introduced to replace the

standard Gregorian calendar in 1997, the Juche calendar is based around the year of Kim Il-

sung's birth, 1912, which is regarded as Juche 1. Everything prior to Juche 1 is thought of as

pre-history and has little significance to the people of North Korea. As there is no Juche 0, to

calculate the current Juche year, one must subtract 1911 from the current Gregorian year.

Thusly, the hundredth Juche year would be 2011, and the year 2016 would be Juche 105.

After touring a surprisingly informative display dedicated to the understanding of the

Juche Idea, tourists are brought to a North Korean department store. While visiting a store is a

common occurrence in many countries, visiting a store in the DPRK is a special privilege and

fairly rare treat for foreign visitors. Before entering, cameras are collected to ensure no

photographs are taken inside. Tourists are escorted to a small kiosk within the department

store where they may exchange euros or American dollars for North Korean won at the "black

market rate" of approximately 5,000 to 1. This is the only place in the DPRK where outsiders

are legally permitted to handle the local currency; if foreigners are caught with North Korean

won anywhere other than an approved store, they may face arrest. Once issued with several

thousand won, tourists are allowed to roam the three-story marketplace unescorted, although

some travelers have reported being followed by loss prevention agents while they shop.



Below: It is forbidden to take pictures inside NorthKorean stores. This photo of a seemingly-innocuousclothing shop was taken illegally in Pyongyang.

Above: This exterior photograph of the three-storydepartment store was taken at night, and is clear howmuch precious electricity is wasted by operating it.

The unnamed department store is internally divided into three tiers: the first level

primarily functions as a grocery store and is where the cashiers are located, the second level is

where pharmaceuticals, clothing, and other sundries can be found, and the third level is home

to the electronics department and a small restaurant, all of which tourists are able to explore

freely. The Korea International Travel Company, allegedly under direct orders from Party

Chairman Kim Jong-un, refuses to permit foreigners to photograph markets and shops of any

kind. The stated thinking behind this rule is that if a picture were to show an abundance ofgoods, the United Nations might revoke the generous food aid that it gives to North Korea;

however, if a picture were to show a lack of goods, it is thought this would embarrass the

people by making the DPRK seem impoverished and unproductive.

After a quick look around, it is clear why cameras are not allowed inside the store —

the conditions are appalling and it is obvious that North Korea is a nation in the midst of a

famine. An long row of produce shelves lines one of the store's walls, but the only greens for

sale are four individual, plastic-wrapped pears and a milk crate full of radishes. Fresh meat is

also lacking, and the only animal protein being sold is whole ducks, feathers and all, whose

carcasses are stacked in sliding-top Nestlé ice cream freezers. Some goods, including

cigarettes, chewing gum, aloe-infused water, and kiddie pools all seem to plentiful (for some

reason), but necessities are obviously scarce. While some locals can be found shopping at the

nameless department store, it seems the bulk of paying customers are tourists.



The prices of many goods in Pyongyang's large department stores are higher than

they are in neighboring China, meaning only top government officials and foreign tourists can

afford to shop at them. The average monthly income of a North Korean farmer or laborer is

around 12 USD, which roughly equates to 60,000 North Korean won, though a high-ranking

military officer or party official can make over 100 times that amount. One bag of soap costs

1,400 NKW, a small bottle of rice wine is priced at 15,000 won, and a whole duck, depending

on its size, can cost up to 45,000 won. While these prices are a fraction of what they would be

in a Western nation, they are still high enough that one trip to the grocery store could bankrupt

the average worker. While many locals shopping at the department store purchase the few

necessities available, tourists traditionally buy alcohol, candy, and chips, all of which are

plentifully stocked before their arrival. After a rushed 15 minutes of shopping, guides direct

foreigners to the cash registers and escort them out of the store with their newly-purchasedNorth Korean goods. Once they are loaded onto their tour buses, foreigners are driven 45

minutes north of the capital to the city of Pyongsong, where they spend the night.

Pyongsong is one of eight "satellite cities," which are settlements strategically placed

on all highways leading into the capital that were established by Kim Il-sung's Songun-oriented

government in order to defend Pyongyang in the event of a land invasion. Built from scratch in

the mountains north of the capital in 1969, the city of 300,000 is an industrial hub and common

overnight stop on some itineraries. Located along a crumbling highway, tourists are driven to

Pyongsong at night so they will not see the poverty that plagues rural North Korea.

Below: Even though electricity is scarce in NorthKorea, electric buses drive along well-lit roads tomake power seem abundant in the DPRK.

Above: A large painting of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-ilstanding beside the crater lake at North Korea's MountPaektu hangs in the lobby of a Pyongsong hotel.



In addition to the mountainous city of Pyongsong, tourists are also commonly taken

to Sinuiju on the Chinese border, Kaesong on the South Korean border, or Nampho on DPRK's

western coast. A majority of the DPRK's resources are dedicated to maintaining Pyongyang's

status as a socialist utopia, thus leaving other cities in the Hermit Kingdom with a lack of food,

water, and electricity. While the heavily-monitored capital is home to architectural marvels,

spotless streets, and luxurious amenities, these impoverished secondary cities are where

visitors may catch a glimpse of the "real" North Korea. Places like Pyongsong have only

recently been opened to foreign tourism and still suffer from a lack of government oversight,

which gives tourists an unprecedented look into how North Korea really functions.

Pyongsong is sometimes called "North Korea's Silicon Valley," as it is a center for

education and research, and is home to the DPRK's Academy of Sciences. However, despite

the illustrious nickname, the city is terribly impoverished. Pyongsong's dilapidated streets aremostly devoid of vehicle traffic; bicycles and ox-drawn carts are the two main methods of

transport. Lifeless gardens and dead trees dot the city in the winter, only worsening North

Korea's on-going food shortage. Constantly-billowing smoke from local factories and power

plants has blanketed the industrious satellite city in a perennial layer of thick grey smog. The

first place that foreigners are brought to in Pyongsong is the city's central square. Two bronze

statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il stand watch over the square and an imposing granite

building crowned with the words "single-minded unity" dominates the square's eastern side.

After tourists bow to the Leaders, they are free to wander the empty plaza and take pictures.

Below: Topped with red letters reading "single-mindedunity," this local Worker's Party of Korea headquartersdominates Pyongsong's desolate city square.

Above: Outside of the capital city, foreigners see thetrue North Korea. This drab Pyongsong neighborhoodshows how 95% of cities look in the DPRK.



After a short walk in Pyongsong's concrete city square, foreigners are taken to two

local schools, the first one being Kim Jong-suk Higher Middle School, which is the DPRK's

equivalent of a high school. Named in honor of Dear Leader Kim Jong-il's mother, the North

Korean secondary school features dormitories and has housed hundreds of students since it

was first established in the 1970s. The entrance of the school is completely bare except for a

massive painting of the Kim family standing atop a mountain peak. The school does not have

electric lights or heat, as most of the electricity allocated to the building is used to operate the

security cameras which monitor ever classroom to ensure the instructors are teaching properly.

The hallways of Kim Jong-suk Higher Middle School are decorated with paintings and

photographs of the Great General and Dear Leader interspersed with colorful propaganda

posters. By law, portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il are hung in every room in the school.

Tourists are promptly guided through empty classrooms by the school's headmasterbefore being brought to an English class — one of the only places where visitors are allowed

to interact with students. While the faculty and tour guides act as if tour groups simply "drop in"

on class, the interactions between the students and foreigners are carefully staged. Only the

best English-speaking pupils are included, and the questions which they "spontaneously" ask

visitors are obviously scripted. After conversing with the students, tourists are escorted back to

their tour bus and brought to the next school: Pyongsong Elementary School #2. Known as a

"gifted school," it is where 600 young students who excel at art, music, sports, and dance are

brought from around North Korea to master their chosen talent for the betterment of the DPRK.

Below: The dark hallways of Kim Jong-suk HigherMiddle School lack electric lights and are bare exceptfor a few propaganda posters glorifying the Leaders.

Above: Posters showing Americans terrorizing NorthKoreans hang in a so-called "propaganda classroom."Note the two security cameras mounted to the ceiling.



First established during the reign of Great General Kim Il-sung, gifted schools like

Pyongsong Elementary #2 are given significantly more resources than other public schools in

the country, and children are able to receive a much better education than they would if they

attended a non-gifted school. Much like the nearby Kim Jong-suk Higher Middle School, the

elementary school has no electric lights or heating, though the facilities are maintained better.

Because it is attended by some of North Korea's best young minds, the school is used to

showcase the DPRK's "superior revolutionary education model." All children in attendance

wear matching uniforms that indicate their grade level. Posters illustrating the four "approved

haircuts" hang in the hallways. Students do not speak unless spoken to, and are referred to by

number rather than by name. Order is emphasized and foolishness is not tolerated.

One of the first and most bizarre places in the school to which tourists are brought is

the computer lab. While it is meant to show visitors that the DPRK is just as technologicallyadvanced as other nations, it is clear that the classroom is staged. Students use obsolete

fifteen-year-old laptops that run RedStar OS, North Korea's state-controlled operating system.

The computers the children use, like all computers in the Hermit Kingdom, do not have access

to the internet. In North Korea, there is only "intranet," a small government-monitored network

that was designed without the capability to communicate with the outside world. The computer

lab is eerily silent — there is no writing on the chalkboard, and no instruction from the teacher.

Though some of the students were seen repeatedly typing the word "welcome" in both English

and Korean on a word processor, most of them stared blankly at their screen-savers.

Below: Boys dressed in blue and girls dressed in pinkin the first grade do an activity with their teacher atPyongsong Elementary School #2.

Above: Young children learn about computers underthe watchful eyes of the Leaders, whose portraits aremandatorily hung at the front of every classroom.



After visitors are shown a litany of classrooms dedicated to subjects like Songun

philosophy, traffic safety, and "anti-imperialism," they are taken to the school's third floor where

they are given a show. For each tour group that visits, Pyongsong Elementary School #2's

most gifted performers are assembled for a series of displays meant to dazzle and impress

foreigners. First, tourists are treated to three dance shows, all of which are performed by

female students as young as five years old. Girls dance to marching music blasting from aging

karaoke machines while their teachers watch over them intensely, reminding them to smile and

point their toes. After the three performances, visitors are escorted through a dark corridor and

into a long, narrow room lined with mirrors where young children put on a musical concert.

While the teachers play instruments, the students sing a selection of popular North Korean

songs including "Pangapsumnida" and "The Song of Kim Jong-il." After a raucous drum solo

finale by one of the children, foreigners are led downstairs and into the school's courtyard. Adjacent to the main building of Pyongsong Elementary #2 is a smaller, more decrepit

building. This is the school's gymnasium, where young male students practice table tennis for

up to six hours each day. In between the building's dirty windows, the walls are adorned with

red banners sporting authoritarian slogans like "Remember the path to victory!" and "You must

learn for the state!" The expansive gym is one of the few places in the school with electric

lights and heating — a testament to how important ping-pong is to the people of the DPRK. All

visiting tourists are invited to compete against the young table tennis players, though the boys

in bright green jumpsuits skillfully crush any foreigner foolish enough to challenge them.

Below: A group of young girls puts on a coordinateddance performance set to North Korean marchingmusic for the tourists visiting their school.

Above: Gym class in the DPRK — boys in neon greenuniforms practice table tennis for hours. Visitingtourists are invited to join in and play with the students.



While the Korea International Travel Company and Pyongsong Elementary School #2

both do their best to hide any flaws, it is clear that even the DPRK's most pristine school is not

exempt from the hardships that the North Korean people face. The students, who range in age

from five to twelve years old, are horribly malnourished. A recent study found that due to the

harsh conditions which they face, North Korean children are, on average, five inches shorter

than their South Korean counterparts. One traveler reported that a young girl approached him

at a school in the northern city of Sinuiju and said "I'm hungry" in English before being dragged

away by a faculty member. Though some children are clearly mistreated, others appear to be

happy with what little they have and seem ever-grateful to the Leaders for providing it to them.

After leaving the elementary school, tourists are loaded onto their bus and driven 45

minutes back to Pyongyang. On the way, the drab landscape that is the North Korean

countryside is on full display. Dying crops, abandoned buildings, and chimneys spewing toxicblack smoke make up the majority of the drive's scenery. Stretches of empty highway leading

from Pyongsong to Pyongyang are marred with potholes large enough to swallow cars; it is not

until tour buses reach the city limits of the capital that roads once again become smooth. Once

back in Pyongyang, visitors are taken to the Foreign Languages Bookshop, a prominent

souvenir store located one block away from Kim Il-sung Square. As its name suggests, the

Pyongyang gift shop is one of the few outlets in the DPRK that is authorized to sell books

written by the Leaders to tourists; here, outsiders are able to purchase the complete works of

Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un in languages ranging from Afrikaans to Zulu.

Below: A sign featuring a Korean People's Army soldierblowing a horn stands atop a government buildingbeside the Foreign Languages Bookshop.

Above: Enormous murals like this one of a young KimIl-sung addressing a cheering crowd stand near thesquare. Note the man at the bottom left for scale.



Following a brief stop at the Foreign Languages Bookshop, visitors are taken to the

southern outskirts of the city for a ride on the Pyongyang Metro, which is the world's deepest

at over 360 feet below the ground. Construction of the metro is believed to have begun in

1965, though the majority of stations were opened to the public between 1969 and 1973. While

the Pyongyang Metro was originally intended to have over 40 stations, a major setback

occurred when an unfinished tunnel beneath the Taedong River flooded in 1971 and killed over

100 workers. After the devastating accident, the pace of construction was slowed and plans for

additional tunnels and stations east of the river were abandoned. When it was finally

completed in 1987, the two-line, seventeen-station metro system became a point of national

pride. Its lavishly patriotic stations have names like Comrade, National Foundation, and Red

Star, and are each decorated with socialist propaganda and monuments to the Leaders.

Great General Kim Il-sung's orders to build an expansive underground metro systemfor his nation's capital city came at the height of the Cold War in the mid-1960s. The

communist Soviet Union, North Korea's then-closest ally, was engaged in a heated feud with

the capitalist United States, and a war between the two superpowers and their allies seemed

imminent. Fearing a repeat of the destructive events of the Korean War, Kim Il-sung ordered all

stations of the newly-commissioned Pyongyang Metro to be built at a minimum depth of 100

meters and to be fortified with blast doors and reinforced concrete so they could double as

bomb shelters for the public if an attack on Pyongyang were to occur. Though militaristic

paranoia of this nature can be found throughout the DPRK, the fortification of the Pyongyang

Metro gave rise to numerous conspiracy theories surrounding its construction.

Many years ago, foreigners were only legally allowed to stop at two of the system's

seventeen stations: Puhung and Yonggwang. In addition, tourists were forbidden from taking

pictures in the direction of or inside the subway tunnels. These seemingly-arbitrary restrictions

gave rise to conspiracies that claimed the Pyongyang Metro was merely two stations in total,

and the North Korean "commuters" were just actors assigned to give tourists the impression of

an extensive public transport system that did not actually exist. This theory persisted until 2010

when Kim Jong-il lifted the bizarre "two stop restriction" and foreigners were given access to

stations other than Puhung and Yonggwang for the first time in history. Today, due to recent

improvements made to the public transportation system, trips to the DPRK commonly include a

six-stop ride on the spectacular Pyongyang Metro, though some specialty tours have recently

been granted permission to bring visitors to all seventeen stations on both lines.



Below: Puhung Station, translated as "Rehabilitation,"is the southern terminus of the Metro's Chollima Lineand is adorned with sculpted bronze panels.

Above: Yonggwang Station, called "Glory" in English,is the second stop on the Chollima Line and featuresornate chandeliers and mosaic murals of the capital.

When foreigners ride on the Pyongyang Metro, they typically start at Puhung Station,

the southern terminus of the system's Chollima Line. Opened in 1987, Puhung Station, whose

English name is "Rehabilitation," was the seventeenth and final station to be completed.

Located deep below the ground, its platform takes almost four minutes to reach by escalator

from street level. The air in the station is cool and damp; the atmosphere is reminiscent of a

mine. Puhung Station's dark marble walls are lined with grand bronze panels that depict the

efforts to rebuild Pyongyang in the aftermath of the Korean War, and is dominated by a well-litmural of Kim Il-sung leading a group of workers. After several minutes on the platform, tourists

are ushered onto an awaiting train. The dark interiors of the aging red-and-green train cars are

paneled with stained wood and aluminum, and are all monitored by two portraits of the

Leaders hung at each end. Though guides claim the train cars were built in the DPRK, records

show that they were imported from East Germany in the 1970s.

The frequency at which the metro runs is sporadic and ranges from four to ten minutes

between trains, though some experts theorize that the Pyongyang Metro is only operational

when tourists are around. All doors have to be opened and closed manually, and have been

known to break and swing open unexpectedly during rides. After a four minute jaunt along

bumpy, uneven underground track, foreigners disembark at the Chollima Line's next stop:

Yonggwang Station. Translated in English as "Glory," Yonggwang is regarded as the metro

system's most opulent station and was where all tourist were had to exit prior to 2010.



Featuring arched ceilings, blown glass chandeliers, thick marble pillars, and two

identical mosaic murals of Pyongyang in the springtime, Yonggwang Station is also the metro's

largest system. The towering station is largely devoid of electricity; vintage clocks mounted to

the wall display the time and news is dispensed from poles fitted with frames containing copies

of Rodong Sinmun and the Pyongyang Times . Lights are rare in the tunnels and with no

electric signals, the Pyongyang Metro's trains are all directed by hand. Female soldiers in black

uniforms can be found at every station directing traffic using a large paddle that is red on one

side and green on the other. This antiquated system is just one of the historic quirks that can

be found on the aging metro. While tourists are permitted to "explore freely" and photograph,

guides tightly control where they wander and who they meet. Foreigners are asked to remain

on one side of the platform so locals can pass by them without having to interact.

After several trains come and go, tourists are again corralled and brought fromYonggwang Station through three stops before getting off again. They disembark for the final

time at the sixth stop on the Chollima Line: Kaeson Station. Known in English as "Triumphant

Return," Kaeson Station is relatively bare and primitive when compared to the previous two

stops that tourists were allowed to explore. The dark, narrow station is dominated by a well-lit

golden sculpture of Great General Kim Il-sung that towers over the platform. In keeping with

the theme of "Triumphant Return," the walls of the station are covered with dramatic Juche-

inspired murals of soldiers and citizens proudly eager to rebuild their country after "emerging

victorious from the defining Korean Peninsula conflict provoked by American forces."

Below: A uniformed female soldier stands guard atKaeson Station as a train approaches the platform.Note the intricate propaganda mural lining the wall.

Above: The narrow platform of Kaeson Station, whoseEnglish name is "Triumphant Return," is headed by alarge golden statue of Great General Kim Il-sung.



Upon exiting Kaeson Station, tourists find themselves at the base of Pyongyang's Arch

of Triumph. For the third time, visitors are guided around the monument and its surrounding

murals and are told the history of North Korea's victory in the "Fatherland Liberation War." East

of the Arch, hundreds of workers toil day and night to build a massive new soccer stadium

which, when completed, will be the biggest one in the country. As foreigners are forbidden from

photographing anything to do with construction, all cameras are thoroughly inspected after

leaving the Arch to ensure no pictures of the worksite were accidentally or intentionally taken

by tourists. From the Arch of Triumph, visitors are taken to the eastern bank of the mighty

Taedong River to walk along a newly-constructed section of waterfront.

After walking one mile along the river where the unearthly skyline of Pyongyang is in

full view, tourists are brought to the DPRK's only bowling alley, Pyongyang Gold Lane. The

vintage building reeks of cigarette smoke and could pass for an older American bowling alleywere it not for the red propaganda banners and paintings of Kim Il-sung hanging on the walls.

Foreigners are given the option to bowl one frame at Pyongyang Gold Lane for $6. Those who

wish to participate are issued worn out shoes and balls, and are placed on a section of lanes in

the middle of the bowling alley far away from any locals, who are at the far end. Everything at

the North Korean bowling alley is outdated, from the carpet to the computers to the way the

pins are set and reset. A row of Chinese-made slot machines and a stack of broken American

arcade games beneath a tarp sit on the bowling alley's mostly-empty second floor. Tourists are

not permitted to gamble, though, and are escorted out after one game of bowling.

Below: One man walks alone along the eastern bankof the Taedong River. Across the river is Kim Il-sungSquare and the Grand People's Study House.

Above: North Korea's only bowling alley, PyongyangGold Lane, features furnishings and styles that arereminiscent of an American bowling alley in the 1970s.



Above: A panorama of Pyongyang taken from the west side of the Tower of Juche Idea shows the capital's "betterhalf." Clearly visible across the Taedong are Kim Il-sung Square (center) and the Ryugyong Hotel (center-right).

From the observation deck, which is over 500 feet high, tourists are given a full 360°

panorama of the expansive capital city. Atop the Tower of Juche Idea, parts of Pyongyang

which are normally inaccessible to foreign visitors are placed in full view. In general, tours to

North Korea stay in the western and northern sections of the capital, which are west of the

Taedong River and far more modern than the rest of the city. However, when looking east,

Pyongyang appears to be nothing but a collection of brutalist apartment blocks and dirty grey

buildings without electricity. There are no laws against "looking east," though guides generally

try to keep tourists on the west half of the observation deck, claiming the winds are less harsh

there. When looking at Pyongyang from the western side of the Tower of Juche Idea, glittering

monuments and feats of construction like Kim Il-sung Square, the Ryugyong Hotel, and theMansudae Grand Monuments are all visible through the hazy skies of the capital — this is the

view that guides prefer foreigners see, as it casts North Korea in a more positive light. After 20

minutes on the observation deck, tourists are escorted back down to the tower's base.

On the final night of their tour of the Hermit Kingdom, foreigners are treated with a

visit to Pyongyang's famous Taedonggang Microbrewery. With four different local beers on tap,

the microbrewery is one of several lounges in the capital that offer domestic brews. Unlike

most restaurants in North Korea, the Taedonggang Microbrewery is also frequented by

wealthier locals who are able to watch a selection of soccer matches and Russian dash-cam

videos on the bar's large screen. After sampling the local North Korean beers, foreign visitors

are taken to a nearby duck barbecue restaurant for a farewell dinner where they formally say

goodbye to their guides who have accompanied them for the entire trip. After a filling dinner,

tourists are taken back to their hotel so they may pack their bags and prepare to leave.

Southwest West Northwest



While Kim Jong-un has been a champion of tourism in his country, not everyone is

thrilled about this uptick in foreign visitation. Since it was revealed North Korea first tested a

nuclear weapon in 2006, many have seen the isolated nation as a rogue nuclear state that

has the potential to start World War III. The country been deemed "dangerous" and "unfit for

tourism" by most developed nations. Now, Byongjin's goal of building a nuclear arsenal has

angered many world powers and drawn tough economic sanctions from the United Nations.

North Korea's two most recent nuclear tests in 2013 and 2016 were met with overwhelming

condemnation from around the world, though Kim Jong-un has ignored the criticism and vowed

to continue to pursue the creation of a nuclear warhead capable of reaching the mainland

United States. He has stated this is "a protective measure" and that the DPRK will only attack

if provoked. Many nations have pleaded with the North to discontinue its nuclear program by

offering incentives like food aid and easing of sanctions, but Pyongyang has refused to do so. Even though sanctions have been imposed as a result of their nuclear tests, North

Korea has been defiantly attempting to stimulate its economy through illegal foreign investment

and trade. For example, in 2015, a group led by high-ranking DPRK government officials tried

to persuade South Korea to let the Hermit Kingdom co-host the 2018 Winter Olympics with

them — an idea that encountered strong opposition in the South and from the International

Olympic Committee, and ultimately failed to materialize. In the modern world, China is

regarded as North Korea's only ally. While the DPRK maintains diplomatic relations with a

handful of countries ranging from Mexico to Syria, many former allies have abandoned the

North in recent years in compliance with UN sanctions. This loss of alliances has forced North

Korea to continue to branch out to the outside world and increasingly rely on China for support,

as Kim Jong-un's isolated kingdom would be unable to survive on its own.

Many believe changes are coming to North Korea. Since the 1970s, occasional rumors

of rebellion and revolution have trickled out of the DPRK, though it seems every attempt to

change the notoriously-unstable North Korean system has thus far been quelled by the ruling

Worker's Party of Korea. At just 32-years-old, Party Chairman Kim Jong-un is currently the

youngest head of state in the world, and his inexperience is widely known. Foreign experts

have theorized that Kim Jong-un could lose his grip on power at any moment, and it is thought

that he is well aware of this as he regularly executed government officials when he deems that

they have accumulated too much power. No one can say for sure what the future holds for

Under Watchful Eyes: A First-Hand Look Inside North Korea

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