These restrictions prompted Getty photographer Xiaolu Chu to travel by train through the country in August 2015, documenting everyday life through his phone lens. He told Tech Insider that whipping out his DSLR camera was too risky in some of the villages, where the locals reported sightings to the police.
23 dismal photos of everyday life in North Korea that a visiting photographer captured on his phone
The North Korean government is notoriously secretive . Upon entering the country, visitors are instructed on what they can and cannot take pictures of. Customs agents inspectyour cellphone and other digitaldevices, including cameras, tablets, and storage cards,for banned content.
While some images were deleted during run-ins with the police, Chu shared the remainderof histrip with us.Here's whatitwas like:
Chu took the long way around during his visit to North Korea.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
Most Chinese tourists enter by train through Sinuiju or by plane through Pyongyang. He instead traveled to Russia so he could access the port at Tumangang.
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The train ride from Tumangang to Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, lasts a day. It was canceled because of a dispute between North Korea and South Korea.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
"Fortunately, we had a whole day to go out and take some pictures in the village," Chu says.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
He saw scores of people living in abject poverty. Many begged for money.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
"There are nearly no fat people in North Korea, everyone looks very thin," Chu says.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
Many of the residential buildings looked run down and in need of repair.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
When he later returned to the train station, he noticed portraits of the countrys former leaders and the words "long live" scattered throughout.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
At night, these shrines were the only structures lit up in the village. Other buildings were consumed by darkness.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
The next day, he boarded a train for the nations capital.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
A customs agent on board checked his tablet to make sure it wasnt GPS-enabled. The government also jams signals as a security measure.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
He also checked his laptop and DSLR camera. Chu says the agent had no trouble operating the devices with the exception of the MacBook.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
The train chugged along, giving Chu snapshots of everyday life. This boy was collecting corn cobs beside the tracks.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
Many people rode bicycles, as seen at a railway crossing en route.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
Some scenes were quaint. Children took an afternoon dip in a river.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
But anytime the train pulled into a station, there were painful reminders of the poor living conditions. This little boy begged for money at a station in Hamhung.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
Korean Peoples Army soldiers rested on the tracks.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
Whenever he hopped out, Chu shot photos on his phone. "DSLR is too obvious to take pictures in that condition," he says, "as people in the village were extremely vigilant."
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
Several locals reported him to the police. "A policeman and a solider stopped us and checked our cellphone. I hid most of the pictures, [but a] few pictures were deleted," he says.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
Tourism guidelines encourage visitors to take photos of the student-exercise groups. These kids were rehearsing for a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Workers Party of Korea.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
Photography of anti-American protests is also welcomed. These students were marching against South Korea and the US.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
Eventually, Chu reached the railway station in Pyongyang.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
We asked Chu if he was scared of retribution for publishing he photos.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
"No, absolutely not," he said.
Xiaolu Chu/Getty
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