Images of North Korea, March 2006
 
This page contains a selection of 159 images taken when I visited North Korea (DPRK) in March 2006 with a group of 14 students. Thanks to the Rotary Club of Kowloon North for its generous sponsorship
 

   


The Air Koryo check-in counter at Beijing Airport
We flew on this Soviet-built Ilyushin Il-62
Pyongyang Airport Terminal
We were taken by bus for the 20 second drive from the plane to the terminal
Our first stop was the Arch of Triumph, celebrating Kim Il Sung's 1945 return
A sculpture on the Arch celebrates victory over Japanese imperialism
This mosaic near the Arch shows Kim Il Sung's return to Pyongyang in 1945
Jubilant Koreans welcome the victorious Kim Il Sung
Kim Il Sung Stadium, near the Arch, seats about 100,000 people
Children gather before Kim Il Sung's mosaic to practice for the Mass Games
The Arch of Triumph, 9 metres higher than the one in Paris
In Kim Il Sung Square, women practice for this year's Mass Games
Emotive paintings adorn the walls of the National Art Gallery
Each red star on a Pyongyang bus represents 50,000 accident-free kilometres
The Ministry Buildings overlook Kim Il Sung Square
Our student group celebrates arrival in Pyongyang - in Kim Il Sung Square
The Tower of the Juche Idea celebrates national self-reliance
Looking across the Taedong River to the Tower of the Juche Idea
Buildings beside Kim Il Sung Square in central Pyongyang
The Grand People's Study House dominates Kim Il Sung Square
Socialist Soviet/Chinese lights adorn a riverside walk
This boat on the Taedong River serves as a restaurant
I've eaten there 3 times, but it has never left the bank
One of the old city gates to Pyongyang - the Gate of Great Harmony
Our residence in Pyongyang, the Haebangsan Hotel
The view from my hotel window - fairly typical central Pyongyang
At night, Pyongyang is a DARK city, except for floodlit pictures of Him
DPRK television focusses on the Dear Leader's on-the-spot guidance
More TV displays a flower show - just one type of flower, the Kimjongilia
A TV show about people watching a TV show about Kim Jong Il
Another of Pyongyang's very safe, experienced buses
Next morning we visited Kim Il Sung's birth place, Mangyongdae
The Great Leader's poor background is shown by the twisted water jar
Mangyongdae, a place of pilgrimage, is kept in immaculate condition
Our group looks at a mosaic showing young Kim Il Sung on Mangyongdae Hill
The young Kim Il Sung decides to free Korea from japanese oppression
A view from Mangyongdae showing Pyongyang and its manufacturing zone
The elite officers' training school on Mangyongdae Hill
Another mosaic showing the Great Leader's determination to free Korea
One of Pyongyang's many wide new streets
There is almost no commercial advertising, but ...
A police officer directs traffic in Pyongyang, not an onerous task!
Pyongyang's streets look bare to westerners with so little adververting
This street in central Pyongyang leads to the Grand People's Study House
The Great Leader welcomes visitors to the Grand People's Staudy House
The Eternal President and Great Leader, Kim Il Sung
Inside the Grand People's Study House
A display of books by the Great Leader in the Grand People's Study House
Using the national intranet; there is no internet access
The music room in the Grand People's Study House
Ministry Buildings from the balcony of the Grand People's Study House
The Juche Tower from the balcony of the Grand People's Study House
View from the balcony of the Grand People's Study House
View from the balcony of the Grand People's Study House
Kim Il Sung Square from the balcony of the Grand People's Study House
One of the world's few buildings with portraits of Marx and Lenin
Kim Il Sung Square from the balcony of the Grand People's Study House
Fountain beside the Mansudae Art Theatre
Fountain beside the Mansudae Art Theatre
A wedding couple and best man pose for photographs
Sculptures celebrate Korea's freedom from Japanese and US oppression
The Monument to the Founding of the Korean Workers Party
The Chollima Momument celebrates Korea's rapid economic development
Sculptures celebrate Korea's freedom from Japanese and US oppression
The 20 metre high bronze of statue of Kim Il Sung draws visitors every day
Paying respect to the Eternal President, Kim Il Sung
The statue of Kim Il Sung looks down on modern socialist Pyongyang
The national policy of "Songun" means "Army-first, Army-led"
One of central Pyongyang's busier streets
A typical Pyongyang street scene - high rise buildings and very few cars
The Great Leader welcomes us to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum
Inside the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum
Kim Il Sung planning the defeat of US aggression in Korea (1950-53)
"Kim Il Sung defeated US and Japanese aggression in a single generation"
Inside the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum
A MiG-15 fighter jet from the Great Fatherland Liberation War
A heroic tree that sacrificed itself to provide camouflage for truck convoys
Captured US vehicles from the Korean War
A display showing the capture of a US helicopter in 1994
The confession of the US helicopter pilot, captured in 1994
The confession by the crew of the captured spy-ship Pueblo (1968)
Vibrant street art in Pyongyang
This park in Pyongyang celebrates the Korean victory over US aggression
Sculptures in the park celebrating Korean freedom from foreign aggression
A Korean family reflects on a sculpture showing soldiers' heroism
The captured US spy ship Pueblo is now a DPRK trophy in the Taedong River
Capture of the Pueblo resulted in some damage (circled)
Encryption machines, 1968 vintage, on the captured spy ship, Pueblo
Uniforms and flag captured on the Pueblo in 1968
The official confession given to the DPRK by the US for the Pueblo incident
We shown through the Pueblo by one of the sailors who helped capture it in 1968
The Pueblo's machine gun still points aggressively towards Pyongyang
A factory opposite the wharf where the Pueblo is docked
Poster in central Pyongyang expressing the universal wish for Korean unification
Central Pyongyang street scene
Eastern Pyongyang street scene
The Monument to the Founding of the Korean Workers Party
Sculpture representing the three classes in Korean society
The Monument to the Founding of the Korean Workers Party
We were privileged to go inside Kim Il Sung's mausoleum
Our group after its visit to Kim Il Sung's mausoleum
In the spacious grounds of Kim Il Sung's mausoleum
We visited the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery
Pride of place goes to Kim Jong Suk, wife of Kim Il Sung
Each grave is marked by a realistic bust of the martyr
The Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery in north-eastern Pyongyang
The Tower of the Juche Idea
The base of the Tower comprises congratulatory stones from around the world
Stones at the foundation of the Tower to the Juche Idea
A sculpture in front of the Tower to the Juche Idea
The Grand People's Study House seen from the Tower to the Juche Idea
View across the Taedong River from the Tower to the Juche Idea
View north from the top of the Tower to the Juche Idea
View south from the top of the Tower to the Juche Idea
View west from the top of the Tower to the Juche Idea
The Arch of Triumph seen from the Television Tower
Pyongyang's skyline seen from the Television Tower
Meeting the Principal on arrival at the June 9th Secondary School
Our group in the foyer of the June 9th Secondary School
Exchanging gifts with the Principal of the June 9th Secondary School
Our students meet students from June 9th Secondary School
Our students meet students from June 9th Secondary School
A wall poster in the June 9th Secondary School
Two girls do a chemistry experiment at the June 9th Secondary School
Rote learning in an English class at the June 9th Secondary School
Rote learning in an English class at the June 9th Secondary School
One of our students from Turkey meets local a local North Korean student
Our students from Colombia and Guatemala meet local North Korean students
The students at the school performed brilliantly for the visitors
The visitors then performed, and then danced with the local students
A group photo after the reciprocal performances
A friendship football match was played, with some visitors in both teams
Spectators watching the match beside the school's football field
The two Principals stand beside the welcome sign
Shaking hands at the end of the friendship football match
The two football teams pose for a photo at the end of the match
Entering the DMZ at Panmunjom - the signs proclaim "Korea is One"
An army officer outlines the history and payout of the Joint Security Area
The hut where peace negotiations were held from 1951 to 1953
The building where the peace armistice was signed on 27 July 1953
Negotiating huts on the border between the two Koreas (looking into South Korea)
Looking across the border into South Korea
The line of microphones in the hut marks the border between the two Koreas
Guarding the border (the concrete strip), looking from South Korea
The flags in the main hut show the countries that fought against the DPRK
Walking from the negotiating hut back into North Korea
A view of the negotiating huts at Panmunjom, looking south
This peaceful scene hides the tense front-line atmosphere of the border
The city of Kaesong in North Korea is just 7 km from Panmumjom
A large statue of Kim Il Sung tops the hill overlooking Kaesong
The main street of Kaesong is remarkably free of cars and buses
Street scene in Kaesong
We visited the concrete wall, built by the US to separate the two Koreas
Talking to a Korean People's Army colonel at the concrete wall
A diagram of the concrete wall showing a cross-section and dimensions
Our group in the hall overlooking the concrete wall
We returned to Pyongyang on the Reunification Highway - no traffic jam!
We left Pyongyang aboard another Ilyushin Il-62, bound for Beijing
Inside our Il-62 on the way to Beijing from Pyongyang