A man brought back some of the most telling and forbidden souvenirs from his trip in North Korea.
London-based photographer and software developer Michal Huniewicz somehow managed to take prohibited photos during his visit to the militarized state and make it out with them intact. His pictures reveal the kind of day-to-day existence that North Koreans lead, but few know about.
Huniewicz, 32, was a part of a small group that was granted special permission to tour the seclusive country for four days in August last year. Visitors are only allowed entry into North Korea through pre-arranged tours that are booked through agencies.
The trip, which cost him around $800-1,000, or £600-700, involved a flight from Beijing, China to North Korea’s capital Pyongyang.
Upon arriving, foreign visitors are escorted by tour guides who surveil them throughout their time there.
Some may wonder why anyone would ever dare step foot into such a place.
His visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was motivated by his family’s personal experience with communism in Eastern Poland, or what is today Lithuania and Belarus.
Huniewicz told NextShark:
“I am the first generation in four not to get arrested by communists! Therefore, it wasn’t difficult to feel attracted to what quite possibly is the most weird state on the planet — with its insane cult of personality, quasi-religious beliefs. In other words, to have my share of communism and in a comfortable fashion — only for a few days, and then return home.”
His group was accompanied by two guides who intercepted them in Pyongyang. One of the guides was a woman who he described as kind. She did most of the talking and smiling and even sang them a song.
“The picture of North Korea she painted for us was that of a brave little country defying imperialists. Only the U.S. and Japan were mentioned by name, but they didn’t seem to think too highly of the Chinese either — albeit struggling due to their oppression, which happens to go against the official doctrine of juche, that is of complete independence from the outside world.”
Huniewicz said the male guide was more of the authoritative enforcer who appeared more distant to the travelers. He rarely spoke and when he did it was in short bursts.
Though the male minder was short and skinny, he exuded confidence, inspected seemingly important papers and was saluted by the other soldiers.
Huniewicz had a challenging time trying to empathize and relate to the people he encountered while in North Korea. The interactions with the guides “were beyond cultural reach.” Communication was limited and only the simplest of jokes could be communicated.
“I found it difficult to like them because they lied to us — there was no crime in North Korea, no famine, no homosexuality … To be fair, that was part of their profession, and I had known it would be that way. They were very different from us culturally. We were a fairly diverse bunch anyway, all Westerners, but from different continents.”
The itinerary was pre-arranged with a tight schedule that allowed for little deviation.
The guides would put the travelers to sleep and wake them up at 8 a.m. with a phone call to their hotel rooms. The hotel rooms were equipped with a shabby radio by their beds, which they suspected was for surveillance purposes.
In addition, the travelers had no planning to do because everything was pretty much set up for them.
“The [guides] were often on the phone, and we thought it was to warn people we were coming, so they could switch the lights on and prepare to make a good impression.”
As for meals, they were allowed to visit designated restaurants that offered many small plates of food. Huniewicz described it as a bit monotonous, but thought highly of the kimchi and beef that the guests self-cooked.
North Korea cuisine apparently lacks the concept of dessert and the travelers were advised beforehand to bring their own snacks. However, North Korea did have some surprises including alcohol and an interesting way of raising crops.
“They had beer and they had a grim, German-themed beer bar. At one point they served something else they called beer, but it was served in a shot-type of glass. It had a double-digit alcohol content without a doubt.
“The food grown in North Korea uses human waste as the fertilizer. Large places of employment as well as the ordinary population are supposedly obliged to provide certain amounts of it for that use. One wonders if what tourists produce is used as well!”
During his time there Huniewicz noticed very few pets or children around:
“The country is depressing. We only saw a handful of people smiling or expressing anything other than obedience. They just walk in silence from one place to another, and avoid foreigners like ourselves.”
One omnipresent sight were the pictures and statues of Kim II-sung that could be found in every corner. He described North Korean culture as a blend of communism, Christianity and Buddhism alongside myths and legends about the supreme leader and how he created the world.
“We love and respect our close family members, we are attached to our parents, children, partners, and it seems natural and normal to us. North Korea teaches its citizens that family ties are weak compared to the love of the communist party. Words like dear or beloved are reserved not for your wife or boyfriend, but for the glorious leaders alone.”
The most daring stunt Huniewicz pulled during his trip was entering a local grocery store that was off limits to foreigners. When his guide turned his back, Huniewicz slipped into the shop.
“The lights were off and everyone froze. I had maybe 15 seconds in there before my guide realized what had happened and kicked me out. I managed to take two sneaky photos that show the dark shop with mostly empty shelves.
“It was a shop where you ask the salesperson to give you each product and you’re not allowed to pick things up on your own. That’s exactly the type of shops I remember from my early childhood before actual supermarkets appeared. I think that kind of shop reflects poverty and lack of trust between people.”
According to Huniewicz, photography is allowed and encouraged in North Korea, but only in designated places that are well-maintained and “ready to be inspected by foreigners.” However, he says, “everything else is not allowed.”
Visitors had to adhere to strict rules regarding photography during their time there. Photos while on the train are not allowed. Photos of soldiers and military installations are also not allowed.
“You could take photos at the DMZ, but not on your way to the DMZ, we were told. No photos inside the Victorious War Museum (‘victorious’ despite the armistice that they also acknowledge).”
Camera rolls are also typically vetted before visitors are allowed to leave the country. Visitors who disobeyed the rules were reprimanded by their guides.
Certain cameras are also not permitted including ones with lenses above 200 mm. Huniewicz’s amateur DSLR camera was carefully scrutinized upon his arrival and throughout his stay there.
“The officer would leave our compartment many times — each time we’d hide my camera, then she’d return, search for it, and inspect it again, which was becoming a bit nerve wracking, until she finally let go.”
They spent three hours at the border surrounded by custom officers, soldiers and policing dogs that appear to be malnourished.
“I was very uneasy about the illegal photos I had taken, but I took some steps towards getting them out: change my camera menus to Polish, took loads of boring photos to slow them down and discourage them from checking. I had multiple memory cards hidden all over my luggage. I attached my least conspicuous lens.
“Inside the customs facility, however, they demanded my phone. You have to give them your phone, unlock it, and then they’d search it while you’d stand idly outside of the building. Well, I didn’t have a phone on me, as I had left it in China.
“They asked if I had a camera, and I replied that I didn’t. After that, they began to question other people, and, having looked about me, I walked out of the building, hoping they would not stop me. They didn’t. I was lucky. They never saw my photos.”
Somehow he managed to bring his rare souvenirs home intact. Huniewicz’s photos give outsiders a glimpse inside the little known lives of some 24.9 million people who live in one of the most secretive places in the world.
Huniewicz shared his lingering thoughts about the trip:
“North Korea was one of the most fascinating places to visit, but we must not forget that its uniqueness is created by the great suffering inflicted onto North Koreans. Before going, I was worried I would at some point laugh because of its absurdities and get into trouble, but the reality of it was not funny at all, it was disturbing and depressing.”
Many people would turn down the opportunity to visit North Korea.
After his first trip to the country, Huniewicz says he would like to return, but under different circumstances.
“I’d love to visit again, but not until it’s a free country. When it finally shakes off the shackles, it will open up, it will tell all of its stories, and offer us its stunning landscape. That will be a great time to go, and I hope it happens soon.”
