Surprising as it may seem, North Korea is one of the most mysterious countries in the world. Due to its very strict rules and way of life, very few people get to really know – let alone see – what’s really going on there.
Of course, crossing the border is extremely difficult regardless of the place you come from. Here, it’s forbidden to photograph the army members, officials or certain areas of the country. However, one man managed to show us what life looks like in this part of the world.
Photographer Eric Lafforgue fought hard to get a visa and be able to discover and see for himself how North Koreans live their lives on a daily basis. He photographed extremely rare scenes that few get to see there – and he was banned from the country as soon as officials found out what he’d been doing.
However, the photos remained with him and were shown to the world. Here are some of the most impressive ones:
‘This soldier was sleeping in a field. This picture really contributed to me getting banned from the country.’
‘A woman standing in the middle of a crowd of soldiers. This picture is not supposed to be taken as officials do not allow army pictures.’
‘Pyongyang’s subway system is the deepest in the world as it doubles as a bomb shelter. Someone saw me taking this picture and told me to delete it since it included the tunnel.’
‘The North Korean officials hate when you take this kind of picture. Even when I explain that poverty exists all around the world, in my own country as well, they forbid me from taking pictures of the poor.’
‘When times are hard (as they usually are here), kids can be found working for the farming collectives. For a long time, bans against black market sales have been strictly enforced. Grey market vendors are more common. They earn a little money selling cigarettes or sweets.’
‘One night, on the way back to the hotel my bus had to take an alternate route due to street closures. As we passed by old buildings, the guides asked me not to shoot with flash. The official reason was to avoid scaring people.’
‘Showing poverty is forbidden, but displaying wealth is also a big taboo in North Korea. In a park on a Sunday afternoon, I found this car that belongs to one of Pyongyang’s elite. The owners were having a BBQ.’
‘You can find all kinds of food and drink in Pyongyang’s two supermarkets where things are sold in both euros and wins. They even have Evian water. Only the elite can shop there.’