MUST SEE: Recent Scenes from North Korea

by Robert Koehler on September 25, 2008

The Boston Globe has posted 32 photos recently taken in North Korea.

Really, really good stuff, including several by photographer Eric Lafforgue, to whom we’ve linked a couple of times before.

(HT to reader)

{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

1 exit86 September 25, 2008 at 4:05 pm: Great photos! How did this dude get away with photographing soldiers
and ordinary citizens? I wonder if these folks are in danger now that their
faces have been seen by a few million of “the enemy.”

Further, I’m not quite so sure the “남남북녀” idea applies as much today
as it might have in the past. Those North Korean honeys are pretty, in their own half-starved, mind-controlled, male-dominated way . . . I guess, but . . .
2 exit86 September 25, 2008 at 4:08 pm: Also, chicks with guns: scary.
Korean chicks (if they are as crazy as my wife) with guns: really scary
North Korean chicks with guns: YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3 hoju_saram September 26, 2008 at 12:28 am: Thanks for the link Marmot. These are the best photos I’ve seen yet from NK. Interesting he got away with taking pics of soldiers. I’d love to pic this guy’s brains (and use his equipment).
4 NewYorkTom September 26, 2008 at 3:47 am: 남남북녀..I always wondered about this myth.

Well definitely 남남 since NK’s men are deprived of their full potential in height, weight and overall general health. 북녀, on the other hand, I suppose some SKoreans will find this appealing since it seems to me alot of SKoreans I know seem to not know the difference bw the starved skinny look as opposed to exercised skinny look.
5 Lazy_Contractor September 26, 2008 at 12:54 pm: “…(highways in North Korea) You can even see kids playing in the middle of the road. Security is a major problem because children and old people are not used to seeing cars, so they cross over the roads at any time, without watching out for oncoming traffic.”

Sounds familiar…..hmmmmm….
6 hitest September 26, 2008 at 4:07 pm: Spectacular. Thanks for the link.

A lot of lean, mean looking citizens.
7 Baek-du boy September 27, 2008 at 2:47 pm: I’m just back from a 5 day trip to north Korea.

Pyeongyang was very busy, roads, shops, department stores etc. Seems like a quite a normal life for those lucky enough to be living in the capital.

I got to ride the subway, walk freely around the streets (but not for long).
Most people I interected with have had exposure to foreigners, but not all.

I even went to a Mokyoktang with some locals!

Lots of pics, will post a link a few weeks later…still some more travel to do first.