Life in North Korea Photographed with a Smartphone

The world is rarely offered a glimpse into what it is like to live in North Korea. What images are released from the state tend to walk the line of being propaganda . Thanks to photojournalist David Guttenfelder, whose story and photography we’ve featured in the past, you can take a peek at mysterious North Korea through the eyes of an AP photographer. Here are more intriguing shots captured with his phone camera:

Guttenfelder spends 100 days a year, broken up between about 30 trips, in North Korea. The opportunity arose when the president of the Associated Press had the idea to open a North Korean bureau in 2011. They must put in requests to photograph different places, many which are denied. Guttenfelder must use low profile film cameras that make minimal noise. He began documenting life with his phone as soon as the North Korean government began permitting mobile phones in February 2013.

“Photography is a very powerful tool despite the restrictions there. Photography carries a point of view and a mood and a sense of place that I don’t think you can say in any other way, in other language than with your camera.”

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3 responses to “Life in North Korea Photographed with a Smartphone”

  1. Debbie says:

    The city looks so clean. Is it really like that?

  2. Richard says:

    Count the number of cars and motorcycles you see on all the streets.

  3. Richard says:

    What’s wrong with those photos? Note the numbers of people on the street. School children at concert , no smiles. Students working on computers INDOORS dressed in 3 layers of over clothes. NO Heat? Stores are vacant. Tell Dennis Rodman if he likes North Korea so much then stay there. He is absolutely the worst example of how an American citizen looks. What an impression those people must have!

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