ONE WEEK IN NORTH KOREA (DPRK)PART ONE

[calflier]

As a follow on to my recent aviation article on North Korea,here are some non aviation photos, taken during a week touring in North Korea (DPRK).
Hope you like them.

This is the statue of the Reunification in Pyongyang City,The two ladies represent North and South Korea,which one day may be reunified,but some hope at the moment!


USS Pueblo,still a major embrassement to the United States,was aledgedly caught spying, in North Korean waters in 1968,and has been moored on the Taedong river in Pyongyang city ever since,although the crew were released back to the US,after a few weeks.



The tower of the Juche Idea stands on the banks of the Taedong river in Pyongyang city,Juche is the system the North Koreans live undersince their founder leader Kim Jong Il,established the country in the 1950,s after years of Japanese rule proved disasterous to the Korean people.




Pyongyang railway station at Night,trains depart here for Beijing as well as other cities in North Korea.



The amazing Pyongyang metro,The deepest metro in the world and some of the stations are lavish,with statues of the Great leaders,and marble etc.







Pyongyang city relies on the metro system,and buses and trolley busses for its residents to get around,this a North Korean built bendy trolley bus.



Pyongyang City at night,near Kim IL Sung square,where the state occassions take place.




Chinese built locos in the science museum at the three flags exhibition area in Pyongyang city.



Statues of The Great leaders,Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il,in Pyongyang city.





Kim Jong Il square at night.



Kaesong city near the DMZ (Demiliterised zone)some North Korean children walk under a government Sogun poster,which depicts a North Korean soldier fighting the evil enemy,in other worlds North Korea agaist the World.



Panmumjom village at the DMZ,This the village,that is right on the boarder between North and South Korea,the blue huts are the negotiation buildings,that North and South Korea diplomats meet in Occassionally,there are seven in all,and a grey line through the middle of the buildings indicates the boarder between the two countries.The white building in the distance is in South Korea,I had been in the white building 10 days before on a tour of the DMZ from the South Korean side,I then flew via China to Pyongyang to get to the same place in North Korea 10 days later,A strange world we live in!



Two North Korean soldiers guard one of the four North Korean buildings,in the week before this I believe a North Korea soldier was shot trying to escape to South Korea,so everyone was a bit twitchy to say the least!



Arch of Triumph Pyongyang City,



These photos are meant as a view of life. into the very insular world of North Korea,I dont want to start a debate about the rights and wrongs of the country,as regards human rights etc.,
That all for now,as usual I can show more if anyone wants to see them
thanks for looking.

[Deleted]

Calflier, the only comment I want to make is thanks for posting! Another fascinating set and I for one would be very happy to see more of them.

Merry Christmas,

Dave

[calflier]

Hi Dave,thanks for that,I didnt want to start off anyone ,who maybe thinks they know better about North Korea, if you know what I mean!,
will post some more ASAP,

I also have quite a few photographs from the Datanshan Aviation museum Beijing China whic I will post soon
Merry christmas and thanks again.

[Beemer]

As Dave says Calflier, I too would be very happy to see more. Regards Beemer and a Merry Christmas.

[johnoakes]

brilliant photos--would love to visit these places.
No supporter of the regime but it MUST seem like heaven after Japanese occupation as many of my friends and family who had first hand experience of those barbarians would concur.
How long were the Japs there?
Who were the liberators?
Very much a gap in my knowledge bank here.I am surprised you wer allowed such freedom with the camera--shows that the image posed by the media is not always accurate--surprisingly?
.LOL
Happy New Year and please keep them coming--what a combination--high quality photo that are educational and informative 2013 could not get a better start.

[calflier]

Dec 26, 2012 8:42:03 GMT 1 Beemer said:

As Dave says Calflier, I too would be very happy to see more. Regards Beemer and a Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas, to you also Beemer,and keep up the excellent work on the photography front,it will be a great historical record in years to come,when 4th hand A380,s are on Liverpool routes!

best regards Calflier.

[calflier]

Hi John,
I am not an expert on history,but I think Korea (both countries)was ruled by the Japanese for about 150 years,and it was a difficult time for the Korean people,It all ended of course with the Japanese surrender in 1945,what happend then the North of Korea was allocated to the Russian/Chinese for adminstration,and The south as we know to the Americans,This then caused what we know as the Korean war between North and South,which Britain was dragged into,after this war was over,oddily enough after that time the North prospered under new leader Kim Il Sung,and the south was impoverish,but after a few years the North became more and more insular,and with only 20% of the land able to be farmed,soon stavation set in and people in the country started to die,Whilst the South became an economic power house during the 1960,s probably with the help of America.The rest as they say is history.People of both countries have family separated by the border and no one from the South can visit the North,and vice versa.This of course was the case with Germany,but I think the desire may have gone away now that that the older people, who remembered the country of Korea have gone,the younger people may not be so interested in tracking down family any more,so I am not so sure of any immediate reunifcation of both countries.

North Korea is finding it difficult I think, to feed its people especially in the countryside,due to the mainly mountainous terrain,and most people will see billions being spent on rocket launches etc,But the same thing is happening in India,where their GDP,does also not justify spending on space programme like they are.

I did say I didnt want to get into a debate on the rights and wrongs of the North Korean rule,But I hope this has helped with the history,at least as I see it.

and thanks,John for asking,
best wishes Calflier.

[Deleted]

Fascinating insight into North Korea, what a cultural contrast to the Americanisation of South Korea!

The monument to the left of the Great Leaders' statues is reminiscent of the one in front of Mao Zedong's mausoleum in Tiananmen Square.

Thanks for posting and would love to see more!

GC

[calflier]

Thanks Silverback,yes there are a lot of similar statutes and monuments in China and North Korea,and I know the one you mean in Tianamen square,South Korea is indeed very Americanised,like the Phillipines too,to the point that they are not that different to other westernised counties in some way,I will post some more photos soon
thanks again Calflier.

[Deleted]

Found a shot I took in Tiananmen Square a few years back:

Dec 26, 2012 17:08:27 GMT 1 calflier said:

South Korea is indeed very Americanised,like the Phillipines too,to the point that they are not that different to other westernised counties in some way

The thing that got me when travelling in South Korea was the American style "Interstate" road signs, could have been on Route 66!

Can't wait to see more shots from the North.

Thanks,

GC

[ian531]

Another great set of photo's, please post some more

Ian

[Deleted]

I was going to go there this year, but a number of things happened to prevent the trip. However, I understood that it was difficult to fend off the minders, so I'm curious about your photos. Were you 'accompanied' when you took them, or have they relaxed the rules a little - or did you just dig your way out of the hotel? ;D

Excellent pictures, btw. Reminds me of Moscow in the 1970s, especially the lack of traffic.

[calflier]

Hi Garstonby,You are correct,you have to be accompanied by tour guides,which are of course government officers,they speak excellent English,and are quite pleasant people,but yes its quite controlled where you go etc,for example I was stopped taking a picture of a wood burning,lorry,which are quite common in the countryside,due to the lack of petrol they plod along in a cloud of smoke,but it was not looked very well when I tried to take a picture of one,having said that I was suprised how much freedom we were given,We were not allowed out of the hotel on our own but we went out each night to dinner, so this was not a hardship,
What amazed me was whilst I was on the metro an elderly man got up to give me his seat,when I said no the guide said to me sit down he will move,This is how the North Korean people treat foreigners,Also our group was guest of honour at a wedding,it made the day of the happy couple to have a group of visting foreigners in their wedding photos,this was a major event for them to include us in their photos!.
If you can go,its an amazing country to visit,you wont regret it.
I have work duties at the moment but will upload some photos hopefully in the next week
Calflier.