Unique photos of North Korea taken on phone

North Korea is one of the most closed countries in the world. There is a very strict policy regarding foreign citizens, and only what is approved by the ruling party gets on television and the press.

Website It shows the reader unique footage of life in North Korea, taken by photographer Xiaolu Chu while traveling across the country.

In August 2014, Xiaolu Chu decided to travel to North Korea by train. The photographer knew that all gadgets are carefully checked, but nevertheless took with him a professional camera, laptop and smartphone

Xiaolu Chu decided to start his journey from the northern port of Tumagan, bordering Russia



From there, he intended to take a train to Pyongyang, but his flight was canceled due to the conflict between South and North Korea .



While waiting for the next train, Chu went to the nearest village to photograph the locals .



Most people lived in extreme poverty, many begging and being extremely intrusive



The photographer noted that it is difficult to find overweight people in North Korea, and villagers are on the verge of exhaustion



Most of the buildings were literally falling apart and required major repairs .



When Chu returned to the station, he noticed that there was no street lighting. Special spotlights illuminated only portraits of former rulers of North Korea



Almost everywhere you can see portraits and monuments dedicated to Kim Cher Il and Kim Jong-un



A day later, Xiaol Chu still managed to get on the train going to the capital of the country .



There his tablet underwent a thorough inspection by customs officers



The photographer’s laptop was also carefully checked. Chu noted that the young customs officer was well managed with the technique .



While en route to Pyongyang, Xiaol managed to capture rare footage on his phone. Here, for example, is a boy picking up the remains of corn near the railway tracks .



The vast majority of North Koreans ride bicycles



There are no specially organized beaches, but nevertheless children often swim on the banks of the rivers .



At almost every train station, Xiaolu Chu met young children begging for food or money



We managed to shoot him and how the soldiers of the Korean army stopped for rest right on the railway tracks



Xiaolu made his photos exclusively on the phone, as he was afraid that the locals, when they saw his professional camera, would be afraid of problems and report to the authorities.



Once Chu's fears were confirmed. someone from the local residents wrote a report to the police and soon he was detained. Police demanded that the photographer delete all the pictures from his phone, but he was able to hide most of them .



North Korea allows student groups to be filmed during classes or rehearsals



Xiaol even managed to capture the rally participants speaking against the United States and South Korea



At the station of Pyongyang is not welcome to take pictures, but strictly ban them still no



When Xiaolu Chu was asked if he was afraid he would be arrested and jailed for the photos, the photographer replied that he was completely calm about it .







via www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-life-in-north-korea-2017-4/#chu-took-the-long-way-around-during-his-visit-to-north-korea-1