The gap between those who can access and use digital technology and those who can't
North Korea is one of the most intriguing countries in the world. With heavy restrictions on access to information and limited tourism, few people really know what life is like in the secretive country. However, through rare glimpses captured by visitors and carefully controlled official images, a fascinating picture emerges of daily life in one of the world’s most isolated nations. These images offer a rare window into the spaces of a country that has kept itself largely hidden from the world.
If you're curious to see a glimpse into the daily life of North Korea, click through this gallery now.
Locals walk past billboards of former North Korean Supreme Leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital city.
Pictures of Russia's President Vladimir Putin hang in the streets of Pyongyang on June 18, 2024, ahead of his two-day visit. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent Putin a birthday message a few months later, referring to him as his "closest comrade."
Pyongyang is decorated with the North Korean flag and pictures of President Putin and Kim Jong Un, as workers carry a carpet during the rehearsal for the welcoming ceremony for Putin on June 18, 2024.
Pedestrians go about their day-to-day lives, with some entering and leaving an underpass in Pyongyang.
A North Korean army officer stands guard at the entrance of a government building ahead of Putin's visit, marking his first trip to the country in 24 years.
People walk across a bridge from Hyesan, North Korea, towards Changbai, Jilin province, China. Although border crossings do occur, they are tightly controlled by both governments and are typically restricted to trade or diplomatic purposes.
A soldier (standing on the right) watches as women wash clothes through a hole in the ice on the frozen Yalu River in Hyesan, North Korea.
A photographer snaps a shot of the low-slung houses and buildings in Hyesan from Changbai, Jilin province, China.
A woman carries a plastic tub on her head as she makes her way to do laundry in a hole in the ice on the Yalu River, photographed from Changbai, China.
Children play in front of houses in Hyesan, a city in the northern part of Ryanggang province of North Korea, as seen from across the border in Changbai.
A sign written in Chinese and Korean displays the warning: "Sheltering individuals who illegally cross the border and trafficking women and children is strictly forbidden."
Tourists in Yanbian, China, enjoy views of the Korea–Russia Friendship Bridge, a rail bridge over the Tuman River that is the only land link between the two countries.
Pictures of North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il keep a watchful eye over Namyang City, North Korea, as photographed from Tumen, China.
A woman watches on as a delivery of blocks of heating fuel is unloaded outside an apartment building in Pyongyang.
Students of the Pyongyang International Football School take part in a training session in Pyongyang. The school, which opened in 2013, has 200 students and accepts 12 new entrants each year.
Two people wait on a street in Pyongyang. The squatting position, as pictured on the right, is a popular resting position that is a common sight in Asian cultures.
Students sit in a classroom in Pyongyang, taking a test, while one curious student peeks around toward the camera.
A newly married couple poses for photos on a boat moored on the Yalu River, with North Korea providing an interesting backdrop.
A large screen near the Yalu River broadcasts Chinese propaganda films to passersby in North Korea. The two nations have maintained close diplomatic ties since 1949.
Anglers cast off on the Yalu River, under the imposing shadow of a North Korean watchtower.
Residents of the small North Korean village of Hyesan go about their daily lives, as observed from Chinese territory.
A man takes a selfie with North Korea and a broken bridge, which was likely destroyed during the Korean War, in the background.
A solitary North Korean observation post near the Yalu River is photographed from China. The lookout tower enables guards to monitor everything happening in the vicinity.
Commuters make their way toward a subway train platform in the Pyongyang metro. The network comprises two lines with a total of 17 stations and is one of the deepest metro systems in the world.
North Korean residents stroll along a street in Pyongyang, using umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun.
A tourist scans the North Korean countryside through binoculars atop a Chinese lookout tower. From there, it's also possible to catch glimpses of Russian territory.
A Chinese resident peers through binoculars at their nearby but isolated neighbor, with the bridge connecting Dandong to the North Korean city of Sinuiju visible behind him.
Young children pass the time playing and collecting water along the banks of the Yalu River in North Korea.
Photographed from China, a North Korean soldier and two residents have a conversation on the banks of the Yalu River.
A North Korean border guard stationed near Hyesan looks back into Chinese territory as the photograph is taken.
Sources: (Getty Images) (Reuters) (BBC) (CNN)
Fascinating pictures of daily life in secretive North Korea
A snap shot into the day-to-day of North Korea
LIFESTYLE Tourism
North Korea is one of the most intriguing countries in the world. With heavy restrictions on access to information and limited tourism, few people really know what life is like in the secretive country. However, through rare glimpses captured by visitors and carefully controlled official images, a fascinating picture emerges of daily life in one of the world’s most isolated nations. These images offer a rare window into the spaces of a country that has kept itself largely hidden from the world.
If you're curious to see a glimpse into the daily life of North Korea, click through this gallery now.