Beauty and Grace at the Arirang Mass Games
It’s not all about high kicking sexy military girls and mass flip card human mosaics at the North Korean Arirang Mass Games; experience the more delicate side of the games with the following set of photos showcasing the beauty and grace of North Korean women in their traditional Korean chosŏn-ot dresses.
Dancing Maidens at the Arirang Mass Games
Young North Korean maidens dancing in an orchard……
and then the nightmare begins!
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Old Fashioned Girls
Performance at the Pyongyang Children’s Palace.
Commented on my Flickr – “I like this picture, there is a certain old fashioned style in the colors, the postures…..”
I took over 5,000 pictures in North Korea. The best pictures stood out immediately, many I couldn’t do anything with, and then there were those I discovered later – pictures initially overlooked in the huge file but somehow later to capture my eye and ultimately my heart. This picture is one of those. Initially missed but quickly to become a cherished favorite.
I agree with the above commenter, there is just something old fashioned about North Korea and this picture sums it up perfectly – that’s why I love this picture!
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Koryo Dynasty Tombs
A visit to the Koryo Dynasty Tombs outside Kaesong, DPRK, North Korea.
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The Northern Side of the Korean Demilitarized Zone
Approximately 250 Kilometers long, 4 KM wide, and running roughly along the 38th parallel, the Korean Demilitarized Zone continues to be the most heavily militarized border in the world. Most people visit it from the south but I am one of approximately 300 Americans who have visited it from the North.
North Korean guard at Panmunjom, DMZ.
The trip to the border region south of Kaesong was the first activity on our week long visit to the DPRK. The DMZ would also be our first chance to test our preconceptions for what our visit to North Korea would be like:
We were marched (you know it’s serious stuff in North Korea when you are marched around as we were also later to do at the Kim Il-sung Mausoleum/Kumsusan Memorial Palace and the International Friendship Exhibition) – didn’t really expect that but since I went to military school I was ahead of the curve. Pictures we took would NOT be instantly scrutinized and deleted, our military guides smiled and were very friendly, we would NOT be able to give South Korean soldiers profane finger gestures, we would NOT instantly be arrested for giggling about Kim Jong-il (our guide would blush in concern that we were giggling over her English usage, not the ‘Dear Leader’), and “the DMZ is the one place in North Korea where you ARE free to take as many pictures as you want” rule was severely tested by my 10 pictures a second Sony A55 – I was warned to tone things down.
The DMZ was also our first full on introduction to North Korea’s alternate historical reality. What we know as the ‘axe murder incident‘ was simply explained away as a misunderstanding when an axe got innocently thrown over a fence – no mention of murdered US servicemen. Desire for peaceful reunification was talked up while anti American propaganda was pointedly avoided, but the alternate historical reality crept back when all of us tourists were sat around a table used during armistice talks. Our guide enthusiastically named off North Korean officials and where they had sat, but when asked who had sat in my seat, the guide dismissively answered “some American aid or secretary” – hmmmmm, my seat was at the head of the table on the American/South Korean side.
Soldiers marching at Panmunjom, DMZ.
Tour guide Ms. Kim pointing out the DMZ – photo by Kinabalu
Local guide at Panmunjom, DMZ.
North Korean guard at Panmunjom, DMZ.
North Korean guard at Panmunjom, DMZ.
North Korean guards at Panmunjom, DMZ.
The Korean War and the DMZ explained in sign language by tour leaders of a group of the hearing impaired.
Jordan Harbinger points out the Northern side of the DMZ.
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Traffic Girl Style
A peek at the details of the Pyongyang traffic girl uniform.
More Pyongyang traffic girl photos below – all from our 20 min. escorted walk in Pyongyang.
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Peaceful Unification Propaganda at the Demilitarized Zone Northern Side
“Let us pass on the united country to the next generation!”
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After School Pyongyang in Black and White
Two young girls walk home from the Pyongyang Children’s Palace.
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Guard Duty Pyongyang
Interesting set of photos showing a woman with rifle on guard duty in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Post 101
Is this really post 101?
At An American in North Korea I have tried to post something new and original on a daily basis. For the most part I have succeeded – but damn have I been busy lately! My ship is coming out of dry dock and I have been run ragged getting her cleaned up and ready for sea again.
Unfortunately I am also starting to run out of original material and photos to post. But don’t worry! I still have some ideas for when things quiet down and there is a Spring trip to the DPRK being planned!
Posting a picture of the North Korean maritime industry as a reminder that no matter how crazy and busy things get on my ship I always have something to be thankful for!
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10 of the world’s ugliest buildings – CNN
North Korean Hotel of Doom - photo by Joseph A Ferris III
CNN fluff web article on the world’s ugliest buildings:
Mass Gymnastics
North Korean girls perform mass gymnastics at the Arirang Mass Games in Pyongyang, North Korea.
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Favorite Moments in North Korea
Joshua Spodek helps rekindle memories from our trip to North Korea with the following posts:
My favorite moment was learning that the sailor who led the tour of the USS Pueblo was a member of the original boarding party of the ship. I felt he had communicated a message to take what we had learned there and use it to help promote peace, a different message than most of the government-promoted messages. Learning his role made the message feel more genuine – Joshua Spodek
Tour of the US spy ship Pueblo given by an original crew member that participated in its capture – photo by Joseph A Ferris III
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Hello Kitty in North Korea
Young boy in Pyongyang, North Korea with Hello Kitty bag and his sister’s socks!
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Laughter, Blogging and North Korea
The day I became a blogger: Gabriel Mizrahi’s observations on North Korea, humor, blogging, and his recent Huffington Post article.
Laughter in North Korea - photo by Joseph A Ferris III
Pyongyang Pizza
Pizza in Pyongyang, North Korea – the story is old but the pictures are new and original.
Pizza in Pyongyang, North Korea – photo by Joseph A Ferris III
Neil Strauss with his authentic Italian pizza in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Frisbee Diplomacy in North Korea – Picture Post #2
A series of photos from our day of Frisbee diplomacy in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Above Gabriel Mizrahi of The North Korea Blog teaches young North Koreans how to throw a Frisbee.
Frisbee Diplomacy in North Korea – Picture Post #1
A series of photos from our day of Frisbee diplomacy in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Pyongyang Beer Stand
Government authorized capitalism? Street side beer stand in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Don’t try to buy a drink on your own, only your North Korean guide can purchase for you at the government set rate – although if no one was watching, and if the guides really trusted you, a black market purchase could be possible.
North Korean Frisbee Diplomacy
Traveling in North Korea as a small private group on a custom tour gave us a lot of opportunities that the larger groups never had. Koryo Tours invited us to join up for an afternoon with a group of western Ultimate Frisbee fanatics who had rented a field in Pyongyang and arranged the first ever North Korea Ultimate Frisbee tournament…..how killer was this we thought, playing a first ever event with North Korean locals! But it turns out that Ultimate Frisbee, no matter where it is played, is kinda lame.
There were no North Korean locals included in the tournament (we should have anticipated), instead a handful of North Korean guides participated. I went in for a couple rounds of play but the Ultimate Frisbee fanatics matched me up against one of the best opposing players. Exhausted, I decided my priorities lay elsewhere when a BMW with a trunk full of black market beer pulled up field side. With drink in hand I went out to test the limits to which I could explore. Unfortunately boundaries had been set with two government agents not so discretely maintaining a vigilant watch on all our activities. Adjacent to the tournament field was an amusement park fun fair with locals and soldiers enjoying rides. I was unable to explore there but I did sneak some telephoto shots despite the agent’s disproving scowls.
North Korean guides and foreigners team up for Ultimate Frisbee.
Our guides relax in a BMW with a trunk full of beer.
The fun fair (off limits) adjacent to the field.
We were playing the tournament on World Youth Day, and although the fun fair was closed to me, the Youth Day celebrations held closer to the field were a bit more accessible.
Bobbing for apples relay race.
Tug of war.
Dizzy bat relay race.
As the Ultimate Frisbee geeks played on, us slackers enjoyed a BBQ lunch put on by the famous singing waitresses of Pyongyang. After filling our tummies with terrific grilled seafood and meats, and topping our glasses with the local black market beer, the waitresses made us work off the feast by having us participate with them in singing and dancing the North Korean folk classics.
Lunch, songs, and dancing with the famous singing waitresses of Pyongyang.
The absolute highlight of my trip to North Korea occurred after the BBQ lunch. The day was winding down and the locals were leaving the Youth Day celebrations and festivities. Those of us that had given up on the tournament gathered all the spare Frisbees and started tossing them to the locals. The reactions to the flying disks were varied, young boys were game from the start, young girls would catch a rouge Frisbee, shriek wildly, toss and run, while old men stripped down to their undershirts, cigarettes dangling from their mouths, would strut Frisbee in hand before condescending to make a toss. It turned into a wild scene despite the government agent’s best efforts to keep the crowd moving past this foreign temptation (the tour company had to tell the North Korean Government that Ultimate Frisbee was invented in Canada – supposedly no American sports are permitted in the DPRK) – North Korean Frisbee diplomacy would not be stopped!
Frisbee with North Korean locals.
Several of the boys we were playing with were repeatedly told to get lost by the government agents, but boys being boys, they would simply reappear back in line ready to receive another Frisbee toss. We tried to give away Frisbees to the most enthusiastic kids but somehow our pile was magically being replenished – I’m guessing we kept the government agents busy tracking down and confiscating all the Frisbees we gave out. We were determined to give away at least one Frisbee, so making sure we that we were not being watched, we gave a Frisbee and mimed run to our most ardent student. The message was clear, and checking to see that the coast was clear, the boy took off and made away with a smile and his forbidden American prize.
More Photos from the Pyongyang Children’s Palace, North Korea
Photo series of performances from the Pyongyang Children’s Palace, DPRK, North Korea.
