In pictures: Unseen North Korea

[Chicom]

Introduction

A Western businessman who has had the rare chance to travel throughout North Korea has sent these images of daily life to the BBC News website. These are his observations from within the normally secretive state.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pict...orea/html/1.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/asia_pac_unseen_north_korea/html/1.stm)

[Jadan ja]

Interesting pictures, but they are all from rural areas. I am more interested to see how Pyongyang and other urban areas look like, but I could not find a lot of pictures.

[Body Count]

Thanks for the link.

Although I am not for the Dynasty there, the few captions tell me that there is at least SOME progressive habits in the country.


But even though these roads host few vehicles, they are beautifully tended. Every Sunday, the people who live close by can be seen dusting down the gutter and pruning the shrubs on the road. Some might be visible in the distance here.


The most impressive aspect of such villages is that even in the remotest areas and despite their poverty, they are maintained with great care.

Scrap metal and twigs are intricately entwined to create the fencing that demarcates each home. Villagers often tend allotments together and share the produce.


The yards are tidy. Even the most humble dwellings are clean and well-presented.


Despite the deprivation, children will always find creative ways to play. As they are too poor to afford ice skates, these boys have improvised with knife blades stuck onto blocks of wood. They propel themselves along with sticks.

Disregarding exactly what kind of economy NK has, even though the photographer tried to be as biased as possible, it appears to me that people in NK are proud and take care of what they have, even if its very little, and that they know how to make due with limited supplies.

Just think, with this type of attitude already inplanted in people, think of what could be done if the country was ran a little better?

[Hiero]

Oh no DPRK is not as rich as the US? Who would of thought.

This pictures actually promote the DPRK to other Third World people. Just look at this picture.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/asia_pac_unseen_north_korea/img/3.jpg

The only people who would be shocked by these photos would be people from the first world who are outraged that they don't see a satilite dish on each person house.

When these pictures are compared to other third world nations, it is clear that today the DPRK is the most progressive. Thers is obviously some good work that goes on in DPRK contray to the propoganda printed by the Imperialist media and spouted by the governments.

This isn't a normal thing to see. People who live in poverty normally lose all ties with their environment and let it turn to garbage. This can be seen in the slums in third world countries or even some ghettos in the US and Europe. Even some suburbs in Australia have less appeal then what i see in the DPRK.

So the people in DPRK must have a good conscience and good education. This is similar to places in Cuba. The Third World that does not come under some sort of progressive government has alot to learn from this.

[Intifada]

The USS Pueblo is an incongruous presence, moored as it is in the centre of Pyongyang. It's a US spyship that was captured in 1968 for spying in North Korean waters.

The Koreans are very proud to display this as a symbol of their resistance to US "aggression", and to demonstrate to their people the apparently hostile attitude of the USA.

Obviously no bias here...