NORTH KOREA

INTRODUCTION

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) still is not recognized formally by the USA, Japan and some other Western  countries by political and  ideological reasons, it is actually an independent state, and nowadays may be one of the most independent in the world. Life in this  country is difficult but it had never been easy. In its history, feudalism, than the Japanese colonial rule, war and confrontation with enemies and finally national division have taken away many resources and human efforts.

The DPRK used to be a part of the international socialist system. It means that many factories and plants had been built there with assistance of the Soviet Union and other former socialist states for production of machinery and spare parts ordered by the allies. After collapse of the system nobody supplied the factories with resources and nobody ordered production from overseas any more. Many facilities became useless, but for converting it into another kind of production North Koreans desperately need investments which are so hard to get. Natural disasters also played sinister role and worsened life of people in the DPRK in the 90s.     Under the new circumstances, the country realized the need of changes, but the painful experience of rush and rapid reforms in other countries, mostly in Eastern Europe, can be just suicidal in the northern part of the Korean peninsula. The main task now is to improve economy, attract investments and develop partnership with foreign countries in the new international environment. In this way the DPRK does changing and does it very carefully, step by step but the basic ideology is being preserved untouched.

It is unfair to say that it is a closed doors country. Better to say that it’s not free to visit for everybody due to suspicions about the real intentions of those who come. Tourists are welcomed but backpacker style is impossible. Pyongyang is mostly open for foreign visitors but there are certain restrictions for visiting provinces and other cities. All tourism activity for foreigners is organized and guided.       A lot of stories are told about food shortages in North Korea but it is about distribution only and for foreigners in Pyongyang basic food provided regularly and its quality is quite satisfactory. Mostly, it is brought from abroad, including fresh products. Restaurants serve a variety of Korean, Japanese, European and a sort of Chinese food. And one can always meet North Koreans enjoying the food and paying for it in hard currency. The North Korean cuisine has its own taste, slightly different from South Korean food.

Pyongyang is one of not so many cities on our planet, which have a difference - there are still clean air to breathe and a unique kind of sanatoria rhythm of life, indescribable splendour of parks and gardens in spring, warmth and fascination of autumn. It is true, as the other truth is the food shortages, poor infrastructure, total control and fear. But life is going on there and people believe better days are to come.     The author has spent more than five years as a journalist in Pyongyang and presents here pictures of life in North Korea that are different from the stereotypes of this country in the world. Let's say, if you publish photos only of homeless people and beggars in Japan or any other developed country, its image will be actually wrong.