The Travel Diary: Documenting daily life in North Korea
- Text by Gianluca Pardelli
- Photography by Gianluca Pardelli
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, also known as North Korea, remains one of the most mysterious and nation states in the world. While understandably western headlines are dominated by stories of nuclear-weapon testing and gulags, photographer Gianluca Pardelli wanted to document the human side of this East Asian country.
A young singer walking past the red curtain of a theatre inside the Children’s Palace, Pyongyang.
These images, shot in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea during an 8-day trip, belong to a wider series called Hermit Moments, in which Pardelli attempts to show different facets of little known countries.
A Subway officer in Pyongyang.
The photographs represent both the stereotypical, but indeed very real, Orwellian aspects of North Korea alongside the much more human and authentic daily life.
A North Korean boy in Pyongyang’s central square.
A local visitor peeps out of the entrance of the Juche Tower.
Office worker, Pyongyang.
At the library, Pyongyang.
North Korean citizens attending the Arirang Mass Games in Pyongyang.
Card stunt depicting the former DPRK leaders Kim-il-Sung and Kim-Jong- il.
Empty Pyongyang roads.
North Korean woman in Pyongyang.
Propaganda billboard in Wonson.
Restaurant musicians in Wonson.
A DPRK officer illustrating a map of the DMZ in Kaesong.
Local fisherman, Wonson, North Korea.
Check out more of Gianluca Pardelli’s work.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
Inside Parkuir: the art project queering sport, space and our bodies
Lie and play — Founded by Maria Laudes and Guiu Gimeno, it provides a framework for engaging, subverting, and celebrating the small details that make people unique – and queer.
Written by: Molly Lipson
The real life mermaids of Florida’s Weeki Wachee Springs
Old Florida — A relic of pre-Disney tourism in the state, the show – which sees women perform athletic underwater tricks in a natural spring – has been running since 1947. Jack Burke attends, while reflecting on the fragility and fantasy of old America.
Written by: Jack Burke
Exploring Bucovina, the last wild place in Europe
Noroc! — 70% of Romania’s northern provinces are covered in ancient woodland, with its people cultivating a close relationship with the land that stretches back millennia. Jack Burke forages, eats and drinks his way around the region.
Written by: Jack Burke
War & Pieces: The race to become the world’s fastest jigsaw puzzler
The Obsessives — The UK Jigsaw Puzzle Championships see contestants turn a cosy pastime into a high stakes battleground, as they race to complete 500-piece puzzles in as little time as possible. It’s as much a feat of athleticism as cognitive quickness, reports Ginnia Cheng.
Written by: Ginnia Cheng
Inside Bombay Beach, California’s ‘Rotting Riviera’
Man-made decay — The Salton Sea was created by accident after a failed attempt to divert the Colorado River in the early 20th century. Jack Burke reports from its post-apocalyptic shores, where DIY art and ecological collapse meet.
Written by: Jack Burke
Why is the Amazon’s ‘great roar’ river wave shrinking?
Pororoca — Set in northern Brazil’s edge, a miles long tidal bore has become a destination for waveriders attempting its endless surf. But its future is uncertain, as landscape and weather changes have seen its power mellow in recent years.
Written by: Gaia Neiman
