Holiday snaps from the DPRK

Tom Coyner has delivered another gem of an email to his readership: a link to a great collection of new photographs of North Korea, apparently taken by a young Russian tourist couple very recently. An example is shown left. Visit http://www.fishmonger.ru/06-07-27/index.htm for the full set.

Aidan Foster-Carter provides additional commentary. Unfortunately the description of the photos in the above link is in Russian,

but the pictures – large, crisp; about 70 in all – speak for themselves.

Most seem to be in or near Rajin-Sonbong; including the imposing but apparently deserted pile of the Emperor Hotel & Casino, with statuary.

The greater part are scenes of everyday life, which Coyner compares to South Korea in the 1970s. They include:

• Views inside a home, including ondol.
• Women carrying water, on their heads and on shoulder-poles
• In general, many persons carrying, pulling or pushing various loads
• That age-old Korean icon, the bony bullock patiently pulling a cart
• A tourbus stuck on a muddy rutted road, pulled out by a bulldozer
• Assorted boats
• Miscellaneous electrical equipment
• and much much more.

Aidan also takes the opportunity to commiserate with all those who were looking forward to visiting the DPRK in the coming months to see the mass games, but whose tours have been abruptly cancelled. See this Washington Post article.

Coming soon… a link to some great DPRK propaganda videos, again courtesy of Tom Coyner.

Update (3 Aug 06)

I just came across some more holiday snaps, from about two years ago, from some other Russian tourists. This time the commentary is in English. Link is here.

Update (20 Oct 06)

Some photos of the 2000 Mass Games (Thanks to Tom Coyner for the link). These are from a set comprising a travelogue of a trip to the DPRK. Start here for the full set.