Wandering Camera in North Korea
North Korea is on a lot of political agendas right now. The communist state has always had the watchful eye of the “developed world” – it was on Bush’s slightly Orwellian Axis of Evil back in 2002, and has been in and out of trouble over its nuclear programme for decades – but it has had a lot more attention since the recent missile crisis.
I always find it interesting how the Western media paints such states, showing only images that support the prevailing political point of view, and no coverage showing the nation as a place full of real people living real lives. It was very similar on the run up to the Iraqi and Afghan wars – we saw pain, suffering and terror, not people going shopping, taking their children to school or having a meal in their favourite restaurant. Those things just don’t make news, despite being equally if not more important than the pictures we actually saw before starting to bomb.
The following picture is from a New York Times article on Kim Jong-Il’s health:
I was therefore delighted to rediscover a site I found a year ago, called Wandering Camera. This site documents the visit to North Korea by a curious Russian photographer, who wanted to see what it was really like for himself. Being a tourist, his access to wander the country freely was a little limited, so really you’re seeing the opposite of the current media storm rather than an objective reality, but I still find it enlightening.
I’m going to be a hypocrite now and steal the one photo that most supports my point (if they can, so can I)! There are few photos of people, and most of them street scenes – the following is from the page on historical buildings:
The whole series is backed up by a commentary that pretty honestly describes the good and bad that they discovered along the way. Its all just one person’s opinion, but the sooner we realise that no media or medium is particularly objective, the better!
OMG… so what your trying to say is that North Koreans are just “People”… like you and me? I hear that they are supposed to be the “bad guys”.
I wonder if their society feeds off of drugs, crime, violence, gangs, etc. like the west does?
I am sure they have their vices like anyone else. As humans they will love, hate, laugh etc… Sadly they are not free. they choose their words carefully. Living in fear stinks, ask any old east german.
We should make a parking lot out of the north
Of course the last time you tried that, you lost. It amazes me how small pockets of American arrogance continue to thrive so virulently in the face of such damning evidence to the contrary.
Fuck Em’— Pardon My French, They Dont Contribute To The World In Any Way Other Then Being The Child Nagging At The Heels Of The Rest Of The World. There government is oppressive and hostile, there focus is achieving a scare tatic rather then feed there people. Every country has the poor, thats a fact, but billions of people are hungry in this (Korea) country. As for the “drugs, crime, and violence that the west does.” EXCUSE ME! Every country in this entire world has a problem with at the least one of those 3. You can flash pictures of children in my face all day, those kids are innocent, your right! But your telling me that the North is promoting peace, happiness, and kind thinking towards any other country? That there children are growing taller and living longer, and attempt to work together with other countries? Ha. A Eutopia can never exist. Period. Show me one place on earth theres no drugs, gangs, guns, violence. Lets Get Real!
I wouldn’t claim to justify (or even know much about) the actions of the North Korean government. But at some point the name “North Korea” became synonymous with their government, and not the country as a whole. I think it’s nice to see some real “holiday snaps” from a place that we know so little about – with real people rather than soldiers or Kim Jong Il. That’s all.