North Korea laid bare as amazing photographs explained by defectors lift the lid on the brutal dictatorship

STUNNING photos have revealed what life is really like inside North Korea.

Explained by defectors who fled the hermit dictatorship, they lay bare the monotony and uniformity of everyday life under the iron rule of Kim Jong Un.

Half-empty boulevards, entire districts in blackout to power tourist-friendly areas and imposing architecture symbolising authoritarian rule are all on display in the amazing collection passed exclusively to The Sun.

But it's only by looking through the eyes of those who have lived there that the images really come to life, as all attempts at gloss and glamour are washed away to reveal a harsh reality.

Taken by Chris Petersen-Clausen, who went on a strictly guided tour of the capital Pyongyang, the pictures have been shown to former residents to see what they can reveal about their hometown.

They include Han Song Chol and Kim Jun Hyok, who both left the city in 2014 for South Korea.