I Photographed Women In North Korea To Show That Beauty Is Everywhere
For more than two years, I have been doing portrait photography, going around the world with my backpack and my camera. In this journey, I photograph beautiful women surrounded by their environment. My travel photo project is called “The Atlas Of Beauty” and is about our beautiful world’s diversity shown through portraits of women. My last destination was a special one: North Korea.
North Korean women are not familiar with global trends, but this doesn’t mean that they are not preoccupied with their looks. They are, definitely!
The women of the Hermit Kingdom have a passion for high heels and usually wear classic outfits, always accompanied by a pin, on the chest, representing one of the country’s leaders. During celebrations and other special occasions, they wear traditional colorful outfits.
My goal is to continue and take photos of the beauty around the world, showing that our charm is in our differences.
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She was working in a hotel in Sinuiju
Uniforms are very common in North Korea
One of the wide boulevards of Pyongyang
Library in Pyongyang
A singer before her show, in Sinuiju
Bicycles are the most popular vehicle
She was working in a train
On the streets of Wonsan City
A waitress in Pyongyang
Subway station in Pyongyang
Textile factory in Pyongyang
During celebration or other special occasions women wear traditional outfits
Fishing is very popular in Wonsan
People wear pins with the two former great leaders
During the National Day huge mass dances are organized in big cities
Student in Pyongyang
In Sinuiju, a city bordering China
Umbrellas are popular for sun blocking
She was working in a hotel in Sinuiju
Playing instruments is a popular activity
Gates of Koryo Museum in Kaesong
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Most of them look somewhat sad/intimidated. Considering that tourists in N. Korea have to be accompanied by two caretakers (North Korean security) to prevent them from looking the wrong way or saying something inappropriate this is not surprising. Just imagine someone photographing you while that guy is flanked by agents of your highly repressive (you wouldn´t describe it as repressive but you would be very concerned not to offend them in any way) government.
Actually, they look either careful (and of course they do!) and some of them even kinda proud (take this whichever way you want it, but I see it as a positive thing - they live where they live and under the conditions they have, but a self-dignity is kept intact and I wish we respected N. Korean citizens a little more). Others are genuinely happy because they're given a chance to shine, and because they're friendly by nature. But you're totally right about the restrictions and guidances. Tourists can only make photos of places where they are told "here you can take a picture". Before you leave, you camera/phone gets checked once again, just it case. If you're caught having a forbidden picture, if you're lucky, you can get away with an astronomous punishment fee, but prison is said to be a common sentence for such a thing too. I'm not exaggerating here, btw, just reporting about the experience of someone who decided to share their story.
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A real natural beauty. Without heavy make up and the famous duck face.
they are beautiful. But the title is odd, I would never expect N. Korea women to be ugly so I do not find it surprising to see that there are beautiful women in Korea
I'm sure you don't mean the title to sound like you think North Korea is known for it's ugliness, but that's not a good title.
i think it is a silly title for your page. you don't have to say they are beautiful and that beauty is everywhere. it is just show it. if that is the purpose of your article it is sexist and silly and ignorant. women are beautiful everywhere. dumbass. yes korea to. if you are 12 i apologize.
I've never imagined the military woman would let you take a photo of her. Taking photos of the North Korean military is strictly forbidden
I've never imagined they would let you take a pic of a military woman. Taking photos of the military is strictly forbidden in North Korea
Lovely. Each of them has a unique and beautiful story, you can see it on their faces
You wish, but in reality you can't do anything in NK
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would you mind if I painted some of these pictures? these people are very beautiful, their beauty is like, clean, I dont know how to explain, and I believe north korean people deserve more admiration rather than being seen as if they were all awful and alienated human beings
What this idiot is not telling you is that he was only allowed to freely take photos in the areas set aside as "showcases" for tourists by the draconian Communist party. Hence, he was taking photos of people carefully selected to work in these tourist showcase areas.
Was anyone under the impression that North Korea would not have any beautiful girls? Ironically all he does is photograph women beautiful on the outside, showing how shallow his own idea of beauty is.
The Sinuiju singer in the 5th picture looks like South Korean child actress named 김유정 (Kim You Jung). She looks beautiful.
Sorry, your help is not needed for most people to realize that there are beautiful women everywhere. Finding beauty in those that society eschews., (i.e.: people living with disabilities, elders, even those who are not considered beautiful by western standards) that would be interesting, that would be art.
These pictures are so powerful and beautiful. For a photographer it is a blessing to be able to catch so strong faces and moments, without this victory fingers in the face, posing and too much thinking on how I will look like on this pictures. I would call it depressed or fear before authorities. Look at pictures from the 20th or 30th of the 1900. What we consider nowadays as happy in front of a camera is a staging and showing how aware we are about ourselves. These women are not to a decent point and I found it incredible beautiful how they show themselves. And the women you picked are very very beautiful. How did you got the permission? You can see on the pictures that you had permission to take the pictures, otherwise it is not possible that they stand like this? Just wondering, as I have been there and I kind of been concerned taking these kind of shots, without even asking if it is possible.
'And if there comes a time; guns and gates no longer hold you in. And if you're free to make a choice, just look towards the west and find a friend.'
They're exactly same as South Koreans, hard to believe some people think only S.Koreans does PS when American, European and South Americans does more than any asian.
Let them be. They are happy in their world. With the fall of "Iron Curtain" only the evil came to our countries in Eastern and Central Europe. Poeple in the West cant even imagine how quiet and safe was the life then. Utopia, almost.
I am touched.They are so good looking,and also I can see the deep sadness in their eyes.I wish that is my over-understanding.
i from japan and i blows my mind when i read comments like " north Koreans live fine" "reports about famine in north korea are only USA propaganda" . first of all here in USA is not really know the struggle north Koreans suffer when trying to escape out of north korea. women for example many of them ended as prostitutes or sex slaves in countries like Cambodia and Thailand because north Koreans cant not go to china, china capture north Korean citizens and deport them back to north Korea, so many of manage to escape to other Asian countries like Thailand and Cambodia, the problem is in those countries north Korean women are kidnapped by the mafia and many ended in sex slavery. those that manage to travel to shout Korea have problems like discrimination and most of north Korean citizens have a basic or zero education so they ended doing s****y jobs , so north Korean women in the end have to choose stay in a country oppress or risk to escape to freedom or sex slavery
I am in S. Korea and what you say is partially true. But you missed the other part. That many N.Korean women and men get their chances to go on TV and talk publicly about their experiences as refugees. I dunno the name of that particular talk show, but I often catch it while browsing through channels. Some of them even allow themselves to make light parodies of their own country. The fact they can do that, even without hiding their faces, shows that they do get the protection they need here, of course, those lucky ones who manage to arrive.
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Is someone in North Korea forcing you to say this BS? What an asinine comment.
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Most of them look somewhat sad/intimidated. Considering that tourists in N. Korea have to be accompanied by two caretakers (North Korean security) to prevent them from looking the wrong way or saying something inappropriate this is not surprising. Just imagine someone photographing you while that guy is flanked by agents of your highly repressive (you wouldn´t describe it as repressive but you would be very concerned not to offend them in any way) government.
Actually, they look either careful (and of course they do!) and some of them even kinda proud (take this whichever way you want it, but I see it as a positive thing - they live where they live and under the conditions they have, but a self-dignity is kept intact and I wish we respected N. Korean citizens a little more). Others are genuinely happy because they're given a chance to shine, and because they're friendly by nature. But you're totally right about the restrictions and guidances. Tourists can only make photos of places where they are told "here you can take a picture". Before you leave, you camera/phone gets checked once again, just it case. If you're caught having a forbidden picture, if you're lucky, you can get away with an astronomous punishment fee, but prison is said to be a common sentence for such a thing too. I'm not exaggerating here, btw, just reporting about the experience of someone who decided to share their story.
Load More Replies... A real natural beauty. Without heavy make up and the famous duck face.
they are beautiful. But the title is odd, I would never expect N. Korea women to be ugly so I do not find it surprising to see that there are beautiful women in Korea
I'm sure you don't mean the title to sound like you think North Korea is known for it's ugliness, but that's not a good title.
i think it is a silly title for your page. you don't have to say they are beautiful and that beauty is everywhere. it is just show it. if that is the purpose of your article it is sexist and silly and ignorant. women are beautiful everywhere. dumbass. yes korea to. if you are 12 i apologize.
I've never imagined the military woman would let you take a photo of her. Taking photos of the North Korean military is strictly forbidden
I've never imagined they would let you take a pic of a military woman. Taking photos of the military is strictly forbidden in North Korea
Lovely. Each of them has a unique and beautiful story, you can see it on their faces
You wish, but in reality you can't do anything in NK
Load More Replies... would you mind if I painted some of these pictures? these people are very beautiful, their beauty is like, clean, I dont know how to explain, and I believe north korean people deserve more admiration rather than being seen as if they were all awful and alienated human beings
What this idiot is not telling you is that he was only allowed to freely take photos in the areas set aside as "showcases" for tourists by the draconian Communist party. Hence, he was taking photos of people carefully selected to work in these tourist showcase areas.
Was anyone under the impression that North Korea would not have any beautiful girls? Ironically all he does is photograph women beautiful on the outside, showing how shallow his own idea of beauty is.
The Sinuiju singer in the 5th picture looks like South Korean child actress named 김유정 (Kim You Jung). She looks beautiful.
Sorry, your help is not needed for most people to realize that there are beautiful women everywhere. Finding beauty in those that society eschews., (i.e.: people living with disabilities, elders, even those who are not considered beautiful by western standards) that would be interesting, that would be art.
These pictures are so powerful and beautiful. For a photographer it is a blessing to be able to catch so strong faces and moments, without this victory fingers in the face, posing and too much thinking on how I will look like on this pictures. I would call it depressed or fear before authorities. Look at pictures from the 20th or 30th of the 1900. What we consider nowadays as happy in front of a camera is a staging and showing how aware we are about ourselves. These women are not to a decent point and I found it incredible beautiful how they show themselves. And the women you picked are very very beautiful. How did you got the permission? You can see on the pictures that you had permission to take the pictures, otherwise it is not possible that they stand like this? Just wondering, as I have been there and I kind of been concerned taking these kind of shots, without even asking if it is possible.
'And if there comes a time; guns and gates no longer hold you in. And if you're free to make a choice, just look towards the west and find a friend.'
They're exactly same as South Koreans, hard to believe some people think only S.Koreans does PS when American, European and South Americans does more than any asian.
Let them be. They are happy in their world. With the fall of "Iron Curtain" only the evil came to our countries in Eastern and Central Europe. Poeple in the West cant even imagine how quiet and safe was the life then. Utopia, almost.
I am touched.They are so good looking,and also I can see the deep sadness in their eyes.I wish that is my over-understanding.
i from japan and i blows my mind when i read comments like " north Koreans live fine" "reports about famine in north korea are only USA propaganda" . first of all here in USA is not really know the struggle north Koreans suffer when trying to escape out of north korea. women for example many of them ended as prostitutes or sex slaves in countries like Cambodia and Thailand because north Koreans cant not go to china, china capture north Korean citizens and deport them back to north Korea, so many of manage to escape to other Asian countries like Thailand and Cambodia, the problem is in those countries north Korean women are kidnapped by the mafia and many ended in sex slavery. those that manage to travel to shout Korea have problems like discrimination and most of north Korean citizens have a basic or zero education so they ended doing s****y jobs , so north Korean women in the end have to choose stay in a country oppress or risk to escape to freedom or sex slavery
I am in S. Korea and what you say is partially true. But you missed the other part. That many N.Korean women and men get their chances to go on TV and talk publicly about their experiences as refugees. I dunno the name of that particular talk show, but I often catch it while browsing through channels. Some of them even allow themselves to make light parodies of their own country. The fact they can do that, even without hiding their faces, shows that they do get the protection they need here, of course, those lucky ones who manage to arrive.
Load More Replies... Is someone in North Korea forcing you to say this BS? What an asinine comment.
Load More Replies... 
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