In Pictures: A Note from North Korea (Part 1)

Central & South Asia / Politics / International Security / 360° Analysis / North Korea / Pyongyang

In Pictures: A Note from North Korea (Part 1)

12 April 2013
Michael Bassett
Copyright © Michael Bassett - Workers at the Water Bottling Plant near the central-western coastal city of Nampho. The workers are harvesting the fields around the plant, which produces mineral water considered to be the "San Pellagrino" of North Korea — it was recently closed for unknown reasons.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - Workers at the Water Bottling Plant near the central-western coastal city of Nampho. The workers are harvesting the fields around the plant, which produces mineral water considered to be the "San Pellagrino" of North Korea — it was recently closed for unknown reasons.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - A hut in the Sariwan Folk Village near Pyongyang where Kim il Sung lived for most of his childhood. The site is a popular tourist destination for North Koreans, a place to be married, and is said to represent the humility and affinity for the countryside that is held by most citizens.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - A hut in the Sariwan Folk Village near Pyongyang where Kim il Sung lived for most of his childhood. The site is a popular tourist destination for North Koreans, a place to be married, and is said to represent the humility and affinity for the countryside that is held by most citizens.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - A monument at a co-operative farm near the city of Nampho. It depicts Kim il Sung surrounded by young and old workers and a soldier, and it is a reminder to North Koreans of the sacrifice and honor of people coming together for agriculture to sustain their nation.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - A monument at a co-operative farm near the city of Nampho. It depicts Kim il Sung surrounded by young and old workers and a soldier, and it is a reminder to North Koreans of the sacrifice and honor of people coming together for agriculture to sustain their nation.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - An ancient Buddhist temple near Mount Myohyang in the central region of the country. The temple, a popular destination for North Koreans, was badly damaged during the Japanese occupation (1905-1945) and Korean War (1950-1953), and is an especially painful reminder of the trauma suffered by North Koreans during the 20th Century.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - An ancient Buddhist temple near Mount Myohyang in the central region of the country. The temple, a popular destination for North Koreans, was badly damaged during the Japanese occupation (1905-1945) and Korean War (1950-1953), and is an especially painful reminder of the trauma suffered by North Koreans during the 20th Century.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - A still-shot of a video played at the tourist center at West Sea Barrage, near the city of Nampho. The port is a symbol of national pride for North Koreans, and serves as a major port for trade during periods when North Korea is under fewer international sanctions.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - A still-shot of a video played at the tourist center at West Sea Barrage, near the city of Nampho. The port is a symbol of national pride for North Koreans, and serves as a major port for trade during periods when North Korea is under fewer international sanctions.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - A co-operative farming community on the road to Mount Myohyang. The community is a typical one that is found throughout North Korea. Often lacking hot water and electricity for many hours a day, they are symbolic of the Juche ideology that emphasizes nationalistic spirit and self-sufficiency.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - A co-operative farming community on the road to Mount Myohyang. The community is a typical one that is found throughout North Korea. Often lacking hot water and electricity for many hours a day, they are symbolic of the Juche ideology that emphasizes nationalistic spirit and self-sufficiency.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - A North Korean couple getting married in an ancient Buddhist temple near the southern city of Kaesong, close to the South Korean border. North Korea is a society that places great value on its traditions, such as this Buddhist wedding. The society pays deep respect to the history of the Korean people as an inseparable part of present and future life.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - A North Korean couple getting married in an ancient Buddhist temple near the southern city of Kaesong, close to the South Korean border. North Korea is a society that places great value on its traditions, such as this Buddhist wedding. The society pays deep respect to the history of the Korean people as an inseparable part of present and future life.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - A picture of soldiers working on a collective farm near Kaesong. The picture depicts the important role of the North Korean military as both defenders and developers of the country; a position that may receive greater emphasis under the tutelage of Jang Sang Taek, a once-purged technocrat who is now one of Kim Jung-Un's closest advisers.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - A picture of soldiers working on a collective farm near Kaesong. The picture depicts the important role of the North Korean military as both defenders and developers of the country; a position that may receive greater emphasis under the tutelage of Jang Sang Taek, a once-purged technocrat who is now one of Kim Jung-Un's closest advisers.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - Image of a road that travels from Kaesong towards the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) with South Korea. It is not uncommon for North Koreans to walk an hour or more to work, as the people walking on the side of the road in the picture are doing because of fuel shortages as a result of sanctions or the lack of transportation other than bikes, cattle cars, or army trucks in the countryside.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - Image of a road that travels from Kaesong towards the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) with South Korea. It is not uncommon for North Koreans to walk an hour or more to work, as the people walking on the side of the road in the picture are doing because of fuel shortages as a result of sanctions or the lack of transportation other than bikes, cattle cars, or army trucks in the countryside.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - The first train cart used by Kim il Sung and his wife during their revolutionary struggle against the Japanese, which is kept at the Railway Museum in Pyongyang. The museum is a popular destination for North Koreans, and this cart is an important symbol of Juche ideology by reminding North Koreans to be determined and strong against all challenges, whether local or foreign.
Copyright © Michael Bassett - The first train cart used by Kim il Sung and his wife during their revolutionary struggle against the Japanese, which is kept at the Railway Museum in Pyongyang. The museum is a popular destination for North Koreans, and this cart is an important symbol of Juche ideology by reminding North Koreans to be determined and strong against all challenges, whether local or foreign.

Read Michael Bassett's article, "A Note from North Korea: Rhetoric and Realities".

View "In Pictures: A Note From North Korea (Part 2).