North Korea photos

[Tiny]

Anyone else find the photos from North Korea creepy?  I'm not sure how they can be called 'rare' they are exactly like all the other staged photos that journalists and tourists are allowed to keep and publish.   

www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/rare-photos-of-life-in-north-korea/ss-AAiEX6X?li=BBnb7Kz

The urban street photos are the creepiest - there's no typical urban street stuff - no streetlights, no parked cars, no trashcans or mailboxes, no litter, no advertising, people shown 'marching' everyone in the same direction thru the frame.  

I have to admit being in a bit of awe on how the people in the photos have mastered the 'blank stare' - even if they are smiling.    They all had "look good for the camera" posing training before it became popular here due to selfies and Facebook. 

Just creepy. 

And their government has tested another nuclear device.   Just creepy.

Anyways,  let's make it a game.... pick a "picture perfect" photo from the slide show and list off all the 'not quite right things' or things that are missing  from the photo. 

[lexxy703]

I don't find them as creepy as you do. The propaganda is what stands out to me. Especially the poster depicting children in uniforms killing American & Japanese soldiers. In a Kindergarten class!

And life there looks very desolate.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

The wedding, the picnic, and women out on a walk photos are obviously staged.  Although, the more I think about it, they were all staged for the camera.  I am certain no Western photographer has been allowed anywhere within the country other than where the North Korean regime allows him/her to go.

Unless they don't know any different, I don't know how North Koreans can live under such oppression and austerity and isolation without some of them, at least, overthrowing the government.  Attempts are probably made and the government's hold on the North Korean people tightened further in response.  But, damn, several million of you against one wacko and his army seems like a winnable fight.  

ETA:  The U.S. certainly has its faults, but it is still a pretty damn good place to live comparatively speaking, IMHO.  YMMV.

[happyhoix]

Photo number five. I can't see any people, any vehicles or even vegetation. Empty boats floating near empty buildings on what seems to be a beautiful lake.

Where is everyone?

North Korea is a terrible place. Read some of the stories of the few people who have managed to escape across the border into south korea. If you commit a crime against the state, they round up not just you but your parents and uncles and aunts and cousins and brothers and sisters and everyone has to go live in a work camp. Generations of families have been confined to those horrible places. What a terrible country.

[Opti]

I didn't finish the slideshow, but slide 35 made me stop. School children out with their teacher to fill potholes?!

[Tennesseer]

Cold, sterile, and lack joy.

[mroped]

Meah! Don't see anything wrong with any of them. I can't understand what makes them "rare".

[teen persuasion]

The one that stood out the most to me was the last one, with the remains of a restaurant lunch.  It was the only one that was messy!

The propaganda cartoons in the kindergarten were scary.  Wonder what the "lesson" is supposed to be for the kids.

The one with the statues of animals playing musical instruments stood out, because it was whimsical.  Everything else was practical and rigid.

[Deleted]

They creep me out and make me sad.

I try to imagine having to put on a show like that and if that's not humiliating enough having to put on a show like that for people who already know that it's a show.

 I don't know how they function from day to day and I wonder if or where they are able to experience moments of joy.

 I hope somehow they do .

[8 Bit WWBG]

The classroom (first image) has Kim Il-Sung, and Kim Jong-Il, but not KJU?

[Tiny]

Sept 10, 2016 8:59:15 GMT -5 8 Bit WWBG said:

The classroom (first image) has Kim Il-Sung, and Kim Jong-Il, but not KJU?

The photos aren't dated and I'm not sure how current the slide show is.   

[Tiny]

Sept 9, 2016 18:11:49 GMT -5 teen persuasion said:

The one that stood out the most to me was the last one, with the remains of a restaurant lunch.  It was the only one that was messy!

The propaganda cartoons in the kindergarten were scary.  Wonder what the "lesson" is supposed to be for the kids.

The one with the statues of animals playing musical instruments stood out, because it was whimsical.  Everything else was practical and rigid.

Technically, North Korea is still at war with South Korea and the US and Japan are allies of South Korea - so lesson is the same one American kids were exposed to in the 40's (examples of who the Enemy was) when we joined the War.  

It's a good example of how its easier to hate/kill your enemy if you de-humanize them.  Which we all do -  look at our current news (and the Presidential campaign). You'd think we'd be more aware of it and realize how it effects the way we think about other people.

[Deleted]

I find North Korea the saddest and scariest country imaginable.  Someday something really bad is going to happen done by them or done to them.  i think they're at a tipping point.

[milee]

Sept 9, 2016 13:30:53 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Unless they don't know any different, I don't know how North Koreans can live under such oppression and austerity and isolation without some of them, at least, overthrowing the government.  Attempts are probably made and the government's hold on the North Korean people tightened further in response.  But, damn, several million of you against one wacko and his army seems like a winnable fight.  

ETA:  The U.S. certainly has its faults, but it is still a pretty damn good place to live comparatively speaking, IMHO.  YMMV.

As awful as it must be to live there, how exactly are people supposed to mount a resistance?  There are no privately owned guns and a comparatively well funded military, so a revolt might pit millions of peasants armed with farm tools and kitchen implements against tanks, guns and bombs (which was part of the reasoning behind the Second Amendment here in the US - to prevent just that situation in the future.)  Plus, there are no means of private communication - internet, mail, telephone are all extremely limited and monitored tightly - so how are the millions supposed to know the revolt is happening so they can join in?

[Tiny]

Sept 11, 2016 20:04:45 GMT -5 milee said:

Sept 9, 2016 13:30:53 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Unless they don't know any different, I don't know how North Koreans can live under such oppression and austerity and isolation without some of them, at least, overthrowing the government.  Attempts are probably made and the government's hold on the North Korean people tightened further in response.  But, damn, several million of you against one wacko and his army seems like a winnable fight.  

ETA:  The U.S. certainly has its faults, but it is still a pretty damn good place to live comparatively speaking, IMHO.  YMMV.

As awful as it must be to live there, how exactly are people supposed to mount a resistance?  There are no privately owned guns and a comparatively well funded military, so a revolt might pit millions of peasants armed with farm tools and kitchen implements against tanks, guns and bombs (which was part of the reasoning behind the Second Amendment here in the US - to prevent just that situation in the future.)  Plus, there are no means of private communication - internet, mail, telephone are all extremely limited and monitored tightly - so how are the millions supposed to know the revolt is happening so they can join in?

There's also the part about being in the military (which millions are) means a slightly better life than being a farm worker or a factory worker.    

To be honest -- I'm kind of surprised there's never been a military take over. I'm not sure how someone without a military background and who spent much of their life outside the country could come in and "take over".  I'd be thinking that the military powers that be would be VERY interested in protecting their power from the new comer.     That alone leads me to believe that Kim Un Jong is more or less a figure head/mouth piece than an actual leader - and that there some powerful military people (or organization) behind him actually running things.   So basically, Kim could die of natural causes tomorrow and very little would change - some new "descendant" of Kim Il Jong would miraculously appear and things would continue as is.    

Actually, North Korea is becoming a problem for their allies biggest allies: China and Russia.   I think that's the thing that people who say "we should just bomb North Korea" don't quite get - if we take the initiative  we're basically declaring war all of North Korea's allies - and wham bang we've got a new World War on our hands.  

I don't think North Korea firing a nuclear missile is a serious threat - I think the problem is who is North Korea selling nuclear stuff to....

[happyhoix]

Sept 12, 2016 12:05:53 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Sept 11, 2016 20:04:45 GMT -5 milee said:

As awful as it must be to live there, how exactly are people supposed to mount a resistance?  There are no privately owned guns and a comparatively well funded military, so a revolt might pit millions of peasants armed with farm tools and kitchen implements against tanks, guns and bombs (which was part of the reasoning behind the Second Amendment here in the US - to prevent just that situation in the future.)  Plus, there are no means of private communication - internet, mail, telephone are all extremely limited and monitored tightly - so how are the millions supposed to know the revolt is happening so they can join in?

There's also the part about being in the military (which millions are) means a slightly better life than being a farm worker or a factory worker.    

To be honest -- I'm kind of surprised there's never been a military take over. I'm not sure how someone without a military background and who spent much of their life outside the country could come in and "take over".  I'd be thinking that the military powers that be would be VERY interested in protecting their power from the new comer.     That alone leads me to believe that Kim Un Jong is more or less a figure head/mouth piece than an actual leader - and that there some powerful military people (or organization) behind him actually running things.   So basically, Kim could die of natural causes tomorrow and very little would change - some new "descendant" of Kim Il Jong would miraculously appear and things would continue as is.    

Actually, North Korea is becoming a problem for their allies biggest allies: China and Russia.   I think that's the thing that people who say "we should just bomb North Korea" don't quite get - if we take the initiative  we're basically declaring war all of North Korea's allies - and wham bang we've got a new World War on our hands.  

I don't think North Korea firing a nuclear missile is a serious threat - I think the problem is who is North Korea selling nuclear stuff to....

This last nuclear test they did apparently made even China (their best ally) mad. It's one thing having a crappy neighbor, it's another thing to have an unstable neighbor who might launch  nuclear warheads as a neighbor.

I was listening to some talking heads a week or so ago who think that China and South Korea could come to a secret agreement to 'liberate' North Korea, take out the leadership and military heads, and allow it to merge back with South Korea. I suppose with North Korea's habit of having big military parades reviewed by the leaders, it would just take a few well placed missiles to remove the top layer of the government leadership.

Not sure, though, if two such opposed countries could work together like that. Plus I work with someone from South Korea who says that they are very biased against North Koreans, since the education level of the general population is so low, and their health is so poor due to chronic famines - South Korea may not want to merge with them.  

[happyhoix]

Sept 9, 2016 16:56:06 GMT -5 mroped said:

Meah! Don't see anything wrong with any of them. I can't understand what makes them "rare".

I think they labeled them 'rare' because very little information about North Korea leaks out. On the rare occasions that foreigner journalists visit, they have to stay in specific 'foreigner' hotels and each has a 'minder' who in theory is supposed to be their translator but is actually charged with making sure they don't photograph the 'wrong' things.

The journalists are taken on a staged tour of busy factories and certain parts of the capital that showcase those few special citizens who are part of the party elite - they never get to see the countryside or the poor people that live there in poverty.

This journalist must have had a hidden camera or a 'minder' that wasn't paying very good attention. He was lucky he didn't get arrested.