In the morning, students wearing face masks go to Kumseong Second Intermediate School in Pyongyang, North Korea. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
Cha Song Ho/AP
- People in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) live a tightly controlled life.
- With no contact with the outside world, North Korea preserves family ties and traditions.
- Here are some pictures that show different aspects of everyday life in North Korea.
Family is extremely important to North Koreans
A boy and his grandmother walking in masks. A street along Pyongyang Station in the central district of Pyongyang, November 4, 2022.
Jon Chol Jin/AP
Many North Koreans have family in South Korea, and they only get to see each other on limited occasions. Therefore, the concept of family and lineage is very important, according to the American public media NPR. According to a 2022 report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), North Korea has very strict restrictions on travel (some of which are due to the pandemic).
Most North Koreans live in poverty, but pictures of the capital, Pyongyang, make it unlikely. Only a few rich people live in modern Pyongyang. The capital has been called the “showcase of the 21st century.”
Family reunions across the North and South have been postponed for years
Taken on October 1, 2020, at the Imjingak observatory overlooking the North-South Military Separation Line in Paju, South Korea. Cho Kyung-hyun (left) and his North Korean family worship their ancestors during Chuseok, the Thanksgiving holiday on the Korean Peninsula.
Ahn Young-joon/AP
South Korea offered in September 2022 to resume reunifications for families separated after the Korean War, but North Korea refused, according to NPR. Inter-Korean exchange programs were suspended during the 2019 nuclear talks and have since been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NPR reported.
Enjoy traditions like making kimchi with your neighbors
A family from Seomun-dong, the central district, makes kimchi with their neighbors in their home in Pyongyang before the arrival of winter. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
Jon Chol Jin/AP
Kimchi, a traditional Korean dish of pickled vegetables, is usually served with meals, according to the Associated Press. According to Radio Free Asia, in 2022, a poor harvest meant that many families could not enjoy their annual kimchi making.
Expansion of compulsory education with an emphasis on science
In the morning, students wearing face masks go to Kumseong Second Intermediate School in Pyongyang, North Korea. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
Cha Song Ho/AP
Under supreme leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea expanded compulsory education in 2012, according to the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP), a non-profit think tank in Stockholm. Especially STEM (Science) subjects[科学]technology[技術]Engineering[工学]、Mathematics[数学]) is emphasized.
Zoos where you can see foreign animals are popular among Japanese people
A woman and her son look at a sea turtle in front of a tank at the Central Zoo in Pyongyang. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
Cha Song Ho/AP
The Central Zoo in North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, has been attracting visitors for decades, AP reports. In 2016, the “Inukan” which exhibits different breeds of dogs was popular.
There are also reports that the number of people seeking divorce has increased due to the pandemic
After taking a wedding photo with Pyongyang’s Juche Thought Tower in the background, the bride and groom walk towards us. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
Dita Alangkara/AP
Radio Free Asia and Daily NK reported in 2022 that during the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are seeking divorce due to financial hardship. In North Korea, divorce is seen as “anti-socialist” and an uproar for “social unrest,” and citizens pay bribes to arrange divorce trials, Radio Free Asia reported.
The “ingredients” system that divides the population into social strata
Two women holding national flags in front of the People’s University in Pyongyang. Retrieved on December 24, 2020.
Cha Song Ho/AP
According to a 2022 report by Human Rights Watch, North Korea has a class system called “components,” which divides its citizens into three classes: the “core class,” the “disruptive class,” and the “hostile class.” he said that
Gender-based violence, sexual abuse and human rights violations are also common among vulnerable groups such as women, the report said.
Encourages nationalism and worship of national leaders
People look at works at the newcomer national art exhibition held at the Okryu Exhibition Hall in Pyongyang. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
Cha Song Ho/AP
The 25 million people of North Korea are taught from an early age to worship leaders like Kim Jong Un as an all-powerful god, according to the BBC. Many of the people sing songs in public to praise their leaders, but they know the depth of their respect because those who disagree risk being sent to labor camps or face a difficult death.
Celebrations honoring military might
Students dance to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army at the Pyongyang Gymnasium square in Pyongyang. Retrieved on February 8, 2022.
Cha Song Ho/AP
The founding day of the North Korean Army (Korean People’s Army) is considered a public holiday (Army Day), and people celebrate this day every year. In 2023, there was also speculation that Kim Jong-un could test a tactical nuclear weapon to coincide with National Army Day, according to The Daily Beast.
North Korea’s Great Power is Propaganda
Kijong-dong, a propaganda village in North Korea. The North Korean flag flew.
Chung Sung-June/Getty Images
Propaganda plays an important role in underpinning North Korea’s nationalist ideals. The idyllic village of Gijong-dong, north of the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea, is supposed to encourage South Koreans to seek asylum, according to the Los Angeles Times. The village is called “Peace Village” in North Korea, but “Propaganda Village” in South Korea.
Kim Jong-un uses propaganda to maintain his support during a recession
People emerge from an underground passage on a main street in the central district of Pyongyang. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
Cha Song Ho/AP
Kim Jong-un relies on the Korean Workers’ Party Congress to emphasize the ideals of independence and militarism. In March 2022, he called for a new propaganda campaign to boost public morale amid the economic downturn.
Vox reports that Pyongyang authorities prevent foreigners from taking photos during the off-season when the landscape is devoid of greenery and ugly. Most of the population lives in poverty in desolate rural areas.
Traveling without authorization is punishable by death
Commuters walk through Fuxing Station on the Pyongyang Metro. Retrieved on September 11, 2019.
Dita Alangkara/AP
Traveling without written permission, whether outside the country or within the country’s “areas” (areas), is against the law, Human Rights Watch reported. Leaving the country without permission is a crime punishable by death, but some people are said to be taking great risks to defect to South Korea.
