Crazy North Korea
Here are some incredible photographs that were smuggled out of the country:
North Korea spends a fortune on its armed forces
It is unknown how much exactly the North Korean leader, Kim Jung-Un spends on funding the Korean People’s Army, though it is said to be quite a fortune. The North Korean army uses lasers and missiles banned in other countries and has an impressive cyber warfare unit.
It is mandatory for every North Korean over 18 to enlist, even women.
You need to work for your education in North Korea
Did you know that the students in North Korea are required to purchase their own chairs, desks, and heating during the winter?
And if that wasn’t enough, they are also forced to work during school to produce things for the government.
Only less than 3% of their roads are paved
Without a lot of government funding, most of the roads are left unpaved. In fact, if you travel through North Korea, you will only see less than 3% of their roads finished.
That is, out of the 120,538 square kilometers of roads, only about 2.83% are paved.
Bill Gates’ net worth is larger than North Korea’s GDP
Bill Gates has a net worth of about $78.2 billion as of 2016, which is four and a half times larger than North Korea’s.
According to the reports, North Korea’s gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to be about $17.4 billion, while United States is $16.77 trillion.
The country was named the most corrupt in the world
This probably won’t shock you but last year, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index, North Korea is tied as the most corrupt country in the world! They were tied with Somalia with a score of 8.
The rating is between 0 (highly corrupt) and 100 (very clean).
North Korea is about the size of Pennsylvania
Looking at these pictures, you might think that North Korea is a big country but in truth, it is about the size of Pennsylvania. North Korea’s area is about 120,538 square kilometers, which is only slightly bigger than the U.S.
state. Unlike PA, though, only about 19.5% is able to be used to grow crops.
Western citizens can’t walk by themselves in North Korea
After your visit has been approved by the party, they will assign a guide to you.
To be clear, you can’t say “no thank you.” For the rest of your stay, the guides will be with you at all times and your tour will rarely leave the minivan.
Soldiers are everywhere in North Korea
In this photo, the photographer managed to capture two soldiers having a conversation.
It isn’t that uncommon to see soldiers everywhere if you live in North Korea.Huniewicz probably would have gotten into big trouble if he was caught taking their picture!
Smoking Marijuana is legal in North Korea
According to reporters who’ve visited the country, you can both consume and purchase pot pretty freely and not worry about being prosecuted anywhere in North Korea. It is unknown wether there aren’t any rules against pot altogether, or there are rules that aren’t being enforced.
It is also unknown if the same rules apply for both tourists and North Korean citizens.
North Korean public service is tough
This photo was taken at the Mansu Hill Grand Monument. The uniformed girls are sweeping one of the walkways as a form of public service. Not something you would see in the U.S.
that’s for sure. The state on the left-hand side is the Socialist Revolution monument.
All male citizens are forced to get a certain haircut
According to an anonymous source from Pyongyang, who contacted South Korea newspaper, The Chosun Ilbo men in North Korea were ordered to cut their hair so it wasn’t longer than 2 centimeters.
They were also told to model their hairstyles after Kim Jong Un, whose hair has been described as “ambitious.”
It costs $8,000 to leave North Korea
It isn’t easy to leave North Korea and you will be punished if you are caught trying to escape. There is a way, though, to defect but it would cost you $8,000 to do so.
That will only get you to China, though and very few North Koreans would actually be able to afford that.
Locals and tourists can’t shop in the same shops
You aren’t free to go wherever you want when exploring North Korea. When the photographer was able to get away from his two guides for a minute, he stumbled upon a local shopping area.
He was soon removed by a cop as it was for locals only.
Military truck aren’t what you think
When you picture military trucks in the United States, this is probably not the kind of truck you have in mind. Well, in North Korea, these are the vehicles that transport soldiers around.
This is definitely an illegal photo to take! Any photos of military personnel would get you in serious trouble in North Korea.
You have to keep the streets clean
While traveling around Pyongyang, its cleanness is very noticeable. The government spends a lot of time making sure their capital city is one they would proudly show.
Photographer Huniewicz managed to capture the reality as we see this man relieving himself on the side of the road.
You can’t travel around the country freely
Even if you are a citizen of North Korea, you aren’t allowed to roam around the country freely. You are required to get a permit if you want to travel outside of your city/town.
This is so the government can keep tabs on where everyone is.
There’s a “three generation of punishment” rule in North Korea
If you break the law in North Korea, you’d probably be sent to a prison or work camp, which currently hold around 200,000 prisoners.
The problem is, you won’t be the only one suffering for your wrongdoings.It’s common for entire families to be punished if a family member breaks the law.
North Korea takes pride in Pyongyang
This is the capital city of Pyongyang and is the largest city in North Korea.
It was destroyed during the Korean war and eventually rebuilt with Kim II-Sung’s plans.
State workers work very hard in North Korea
Here we see state workers carrying some unknown object across a bridge.
Looks like they don’t have access to a truck or something that could carry the heavy object or at least transport the workers to their construction site.