Arirang Games, Pyongyang
[T]he DPRK, better known as North Korea, is a nation which, in the name of Juche Idea (the official state ideology, usually translated in “self-reliance”) has isolated itself from the rest of the world and indeed is one of the most difficult to access for foreigners.
Established in 1948, with the 38th parallel chosen as a demarcation line with South Korea, with the “Grate Leader” Kim Il-sung at the helm is now runned by his son Kim Jong-il who is reported to be severely ill and has just chosen his successor, his son Kim Jong-un.
Transition of power is always a big issue in non democratic regimes: in fact Kim Jong-il was seen alongside his father for 14 years and the succession between the two appeared natural to the people but the main question for the future of the Kim regime is how the north koreans will accept as a leader a young boy of whom they ignored the name and the face until this days.
Street cleaners in front of the Party Monument, PyongyangNorth Korean soldiers at the border with South Korea inside the DMZ (demilitarized zone) in PanmunjomDay of the deads, Revolutionary Martyrs Cementery, Mt. Daesong. In the background the Arirang Stadium and Pyongyang skyscrapers, including the abandoned Ryugyong Hotel are seenBus passengers, PyongyangNorth Koreans waiting their turn to have their picture taken, Kumsusn Memorial PalaceA pregnant woman in Pyongyang maternity hospitalStudents in Pyongyang parkNorth Koreans posing in front of the Kumsusan Memorial PalaceNorth Koreans in a meeting room of the Koryo Hotel in PyongyangThe Juche Idea Tower seen from the other side of the riverPyongyang metroPyongyang metroFull moon in PyongyangKaeson Youth Park; Pyongyang