Pyongyang Pop Gun – 2012
Back in the old days, North Korean citizens could vent their hate, frustrations, and propaganda whipped national fervor, by heading down to the local fun fair and testing their aim with a pop gun against posters and painting of the US boogieman soldiers and servicemen. These days the anti US propaganda posters and paintings have all been taken down (at least where foreign tourists venture), but North Korean locals still enjoy going out to practice their aim at their local fun fair.
2011 visit to the Pyongyang pop gun stand.
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Girl with Local North Korean Currency
Portrait of a girl with local currency Pyongyang, North Koera– photo by Joseph A Ferris III
Pyongyang Traffic Girl Of The Month
I recently discovered that two of my pictures have the honor of being selected as the Pyongyang Traffic Girl Of The Month for May and June 2012 over at PyongyangTrafficGirls.com – it’s a fun little site that honors some of my favorite girls, check it out while my picture for June is still profiled up on their main page!
June 2012 Traffic Girl of the Month.
May 2012 Traffic Girl of the Month – photos by Joseph A Ferris III
And while messing around at PyongyangTrafficGirls.com I came across this absolutely precious kindergarten musical traffic safety skit.
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Nampo Chollima Steelworks
The Chollima Steelworks, a North Korean showcase heavy industry site located outside the west coast city of Nampo, was recently opened for tourism and we were among the lucky few to make a first visit.
Painting of the Chollima Steelworks – all photos on the post by Joseph A Ferris III
A historically important site, Kim II Sung and Kim Jong-il made many visits, the Chollima Steelworks is an impressive complex with wide boulevards, rail infrastructure, grand propaganda murals, and imposing buildings. Being amongst the first western visitors, instead of the ubiquitous local guide, we were greeted by a large group of officials and representatives of the steelworks who shuttled around the complex in large black luxury sedans. Of course they showed us the local museum dedicated to the visits and on the spot guidance of Kim Il sung and Kim Jong-il, but the highlight of our tour was our access into the steelworks itself with a close up inspection of a functioning electric arc furnace on the production floor.
This visit to the Chollima Steelworks was part of the new Heavy Metal Tour add-on package offered by Koryo Tours. Also included in this tour was our visits to the Nampo glass factory and the Hamhung fertilizer plant. We had unrestricted photography access to each site, other groups had their visits restricted to a bus ride through the parking lot with no photos allowed. These groups had shadowed us at times and were continuously in trouble with their guides for breaking photography regulations – for the best access it pays to follow the rules set by your guide!
Entrance to Chollima Steelworks.
Our guide Ms Han and the local guide in front the Chollima Steelwork’s Kim II Sung mosaic.
Chollima Steelworks representative.
Chollima Steelworks representative and worker.
As we did not venture too far onto the factory floor hard hats and safety gear were not provided for us. On close inspection you can see only about 50% of the workers have hard hats on.
Chollima Steelworks production floor.
Chollima Steelworks production floor.
Close up of the electric arc furnace.
Electric arc furnace in wide angle.
Chollima Steelworks production floor in wide angle.
Propaganda on the production floor.
Entrance to Chollima Steelworks.
Entrance to Chollima Steelworks.
Entrance to Chollima Steelworks.
Achievement banners at the steelwork’s museum.
North Korean guide Ms Han and a Chollima Steelworks painting.
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USS Pueblo Guide
Our lovely guide shares a laugh and smile during our return visit to the US spy ship Pueblo.
This wasn’t our first time meeting this guide – Jordan, Josh, and I remembered her from last year (and she confessed to remembering us too), she was our guide during our 2011 visit to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum. It was with her that we shared one of our favorite interactions of last year’s trip:
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Article Analysis at The North Korea Blog
My good friends over at The North Korea Blog have been busy analyzing some recent articles about North Korea put out by the main stream media. Like myself, these guys have also visited the DPRK and have valuable insights to share.
Going Green in North Korea – Gabriel Mizrahi examines the Prague Post’s article: Czech consultant launches in North Korea.
Pedal power on the streets of Hamhung, North Korea – photo by Joseph A Ferris III
A Kink in the Armor – Joshua Spodek analyzes the Wall Street Journal’s report: Luxuries Flow Into North Korea.
State authorized cottage industry in the Hamhung region – photo by Joseph A Ferris III
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North Korean Space Program
The North Korean space program? No, just a mockup of a Soviet Russian Buran spacecraft at the Mangyongdae Children’s Palace, Pyongyang, North Korea – photo by Joseph A Ferris III
A Bird’s Eye View of Pyongyang – Post #2
Pictures of Pyongyang, North Korea taken from the top of Juche Tower.
Monument to the Founding of the North Korean Workers’ Party.
East bank of the Taedong River, old Pyongyang City.
East bank of the Taedong River, old Pyongyang City.
East bank of the Taedong River, old Pyongyang City.
East bank of the Taedong River, old Pyongyang City.
Pyongyang Mansudae housing project.
Kim Il-sung Square Pyongyang.
All photos by Joseph A Ferris III
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A Bird’s Eye View of Pyongyang – Post #1
Pictures taken from the top floors of the Yanggakdo International Hotel showing Pyongyang bathed in the light of sunset.
View of the famous Ryugyong Hotel.
Taedong River and the Juche Tower.
View of Pyongyang looking east.
View of Pyongyang looking east.
View of Pyongyang looking east.
River dredge on the Taedong.
All photos by Joseph A Ferris III
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Love North Korean Children – Humanitarian Charity Appeal
Dongbong Co-Operative Farm, Hamhung, North Korea– photo by Joseph A Ferris III
For those who have enjoyed this blog and are curious about how to make a donation that will directly benefit those in need in the DPRK please let me introduce the Love North Korean Children project.
Run by Manna Mission of Europe, a U.K. registered charity organization, the main purpose of the Love North Korean Children project is to help impoverished children, often orphans, in the Najin-Sonbong area and other places (in Pyongyang and far away from the capital). We are running bakeries for the supply of staple food. That means to provide self-help, because we do not deliver bread to North Korea! We deliver flour and employ staff in the country. Therefore a strict monitoring is guaranteed.
- Each bakery has a capacity of feeding 4,000-10,000 children and the staff.
- We currently have 26 possible locations for bakeries and orphanages; the construction and opening of such facilities depends on the funds we receive in the future.
- We reached an agreement with the North Korean government to get the estate for bakeries free of charge. So all the money goes directly towards providing humanitarian assistance. The flour is delivered from neighboring China to save transportation costs.
Photos from the 2010 bakery inspection tour.
This project is facilitated with the help of Koryo Tours, they give the following details about the project:
Donations can be made directly to the Love North Korean Children project at their PayPal page, or via Koryo Tours at PayPal links on their charity info page.
Remember – as little as EUR 1.50 will feed one child for one month – and under EUR 20 will feed one child for one whole year!
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Czech Consultant Sees Opportunity in DPRK – Launches Carbon-credit Business in North Korea
An interesting article about conducting an environmental business project in the DPRK:
Gigantic smokestack and coal piles in the countryside near Wonsan
and Hamhung – photo by Joseph A Ferris III
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Tour of Athletics and Student Leisure Activities at the Mangyongdae Children’s Palace
Last year we were late getting to the Pyongyang Children’s Palace – we got to see most of the show but missed the tour of the classrooms. For this year’s visit to the larger Mangyongdae Children’s Palace I made it a point to arrive extra early so we could get the full tour – on a day when a major performance was scheduled for western tourists and foreign dignitaries we were the first group to arrive.
Below is just a portion of what we were shown on our tour. Child protegees train hard to perfect their skills in gymnastics and dance, while others students relax with games of volleyball and the traditional board game go. How much of this was staged for us and how much was typical of what goes on, visiting tourists invading their classrooms or not, I cant really say.
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Last Chance to see the Arirang Mass Games?
2011 Arirang Mass Games – photo by Joseph A Ferris III
From my contacts at Koryo Tours: Word from our sources in Pyongyang is that the Arirang Mass Games of 2012 will be the last – so we suggest you sign up now to ensure that you can see this remarkable event while it is still running.
Don’t miss the Arirang Mass Games! Tell us a little about yourself, and I will hook you up with a great DPRK travel deal for visiting!
Classroom Tour at the Mangyongdae Children’s Palace
Last year we were late getting to the Pyongyang Children’s Palace – we got to see most of the show but missed the tour of the classrooms. For this year’s visit to the larger Mangyongdae Children’s Palace I made it a point to arrive extra early so we could get the full tour – on a day when a major performance was scheduled for western tourists and foreign dignitaries we were the first group to arrive.
Below is just a portion of what we were shown on our tour. Child protegees and students work hard to perfect their studies in folk music, propaganda oration, drawing, and piano. How much of this was staged for us and how much was typical of what goes on, visiting tourists invading their classrooms or not, I cant really say.
Our student guide for the classroom portion of the Mangyongdae Children’s Palace.
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American in North Korea 