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KIM’S BOGUS KINGDOM

The pics of FAKE North Korea Kim doesn’t want you to see – taken by a photographer who risked his life smuggling them out of the country

They tell a story of bogus shops, fake restaurant diners and smiles which hide the harsh reality of life in the rogue state

THESE are the photos Kim Jong-un doesn’t want you to see after one photojournalist smuggled them out of his rogue country before being banned for life.

The revealing images show North Koreans going about their everyday lives but all is not as it seems with fake shops, smiles and hope all for show.

A stoic Pyongyang traffic warden directs traffic in the capital. The predominantly female officers are seen on most intersections in the capital
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A stoic Pyongyang traffic warden directs traffic in the capital. The predominantly female officers are seen on most intersections in the capitalCredit: Media Drum World
A man speaks to a highly-decorated Korean War veteran at the Mansudae Hill Grand Monument. Uniforms are big in Kim's country
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A man speaks to a highly-decorated Korean War veteran at the Mansudae Hill Grand Monument. Uniforms are big in Kim's countryCredit: Media Drum World
A woman sits on the ledge of a 'store front' which turned out to be completely empty beyond the display
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A woman sits on the ledge of a 'store front' which turned out to be completely empty beyond the displayCredit: Media Drum World
Two people share a rare laugh at the Pyongyang Amusement park, which features bumper cars, a rollercoaster and other rides
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Two people share a rare laugh at the Pyongyang Amusement park, which features bumper cars, a rollercoaster and other ridesCredit: Media Drum World

One image shows a woman sitting outside a shop front - which was just that as it had absolutely nothing else inside.

Other shots show people waiting at bus stops, reading train timetables and taking a stroll through a public park.

The pictures were taken in Pyongyang in 2014 by freelance photojournalist Gavin John, 31, of Calgary, Canada.

“North Korea has always been an enigma to me and the rest of the world,” he said.

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“Its openly hostile government, combined with an unparalleled secrecy, and a legacy of misinformation, all screamed for me to experience it myself and see how true or not these claims were.

"I've always felt there's more to the eye than what's been presented.

“Visiting North Korea is truly like stepping back in time to the Soviet Union in the 1970s. Everything from clothing, cars, and architecture were from a bygone era where the omnipresent presence of the state was always looming.

“Propaganda posters of glorious battles were in the places where advertising would be, and large flowing flags of North Korea hung off every street corner and building.

A common sight around Pyongyang were the numerous 'patriotic posters' which carry socialist and militaristic images
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A common sight around Pyongyang were the numerous 'patriotic posters' which carry socialist and militaristic imagesCredit: Media Drum World
A North Korean woman sits on the side of the road in the suburbs of the rogue state's capital
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A North Korean woman sits on the side of the road in the suburbs of the rogue state's capitalCredit: Media Drum World
A local army officer poses for a quick photo at the Victorious War Museum in Pyongyang
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A local army officer poses for a quick photo at the Victorious War Museum in PyongyangCredit: Media Drum World
North Korean soldiers march on the grounds of Mangyongdae, the birthplace of Kim Il-sung
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North Korean soldiers march on the grounds of Mangyongdae, the birthplace of Kim Il-sungCredit: Media Drum World

“However, I found everyday North Koreans a kind and gentle people where curiosity was the prominent reaction to my presence there.

I tried to focus my images on these people, their interactions with each other and myself.”

Gavin, who shot the photographs with a Nikon D800 camera, didn’t declare he was a journalist before entering the country and took pictures of military relaxing, something which is forbidden.

“On the last day I was pulled aside and told I had been reported to the Ministry of Interior's police for suspicions of being a journalist,” he recalled.

“Needless to say, it was one of the tensest nights of my life talking my way out of a potential jail sentence for taking "unauthorised" photos.

"I dodged that bullet (no pun intended) by handing over all my memory cards and hard drive of my laptop over to the North Koreans.

These North Korean troops seem unsure whether to smile for the camera or not
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These North Korean troops seem unsure whether to smile for the camera or notCredit: Media Drum World
Two female soldiers have their picture taken by an army colleague at Mangyongdae
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Two female soldiers have their picture taken by an army colleague at MangyongdaeCredit: Media Drum World
Soldiers march in Pyongyang with the Monument to Party Founding in the background
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 Soldiers march in Pyongyang with the Monument to Party Founding in the backgroundCredit: Media Drum World
A North Korean officer and soldiers stand guard at the old negotiation room at the De-Militarized Zone on the border with South Korea
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A North Korean officer and soldiers stand guard at the old negotiation room at the De-Militarized Zone on the border with South KoreaCredit: Media Drum World

“That is except the one I hid and smuggled out of the country. I was told I was not welcome back ever again.

“North Korea is an unsettling place that's for sure. In the week I was there, there was a constant feeling that not all we were seeing was quite as it seemed.

"Under the watchful eyes of our government minders, we were not allowed to stray more than five metres from them before being politely corralled back into the predetermined tour route.

“Yet, every now and then there were indications that there was in fact something not right.

A Korean War veteran and his grandson pay their respects to the leaders of North Korea at the Mansudae Hill Grand Monument in Pyongyang
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A Korean War veteran and his grandson pay their respects to the leaders of North Korea at the Mansudae Hill Grand Monument in PyongyangCredit: Media Drum World
Schoolgirls and families wait for a bus under posters showing North Korean artillery
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Schoolgirls and families wait for a bus under posters showing North Korean artilleryCredit: Media Drum World
North Koreans play volleyball in a public square. Volleyball is reportedly one of the most popular sports in the kingdom
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North Koreans play volleyball in a public square. Volleyball is reportedly one of the most popular sports in the kingdomCredit: Media Drum World
Two young boys share a laugh at the Pyongyang skate park, where the overwhelming majority of youth were using rollerblades
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Two young boys share a laugh at the Pyongyang skate park, where the overwhelming majority of youth were using rollerbladesCredit: Media Drum World

"Glimpses of empty buildings behind a fake storefront or restaurants suddenly full of people mid-meal when minutes before were empty tables.”

Mr John hopes his pictures can show that ordinary North Koreans are no different to anyone else.

“We're all guilty of our own preconceptions of North Korea, and much of it is false,” he added.

“Both sides propaganda clouds our ability to look at that country in an accurate way and it's usually the first thing that people ask me about when they see the photos.

Families walk on the grounds of the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, which holds the preserved remains of former leaders Kim Il-sung, and Kim Jong -il
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Families walk on the grounds of the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, which holds the preserved remains of former leaders Kim Il-sung, and Kim Jong -ilCredit: Media Drum World
People read a communal newspaper in the Pyongyang subway system, which is claimed to be deep enough to double as a bomb shelter
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People read a communal newspaper in the Pyongyang subway system, which is claimed to be deep enough to double as a bomb shelterCredit: Media Drum World
Pyongyang citizens queue for a bus in the core of the city. Public transit is essential in a country where most can't afford cars
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Pyongyang citizens queue for a bus in the core of the city. Public transit is essential in a country where most can't afford carsCredit: Media Drum World

“It doesn't matter if you live in Calgary or Pyongyang, London or Mosul, we're all the same. North Koreans are one of the gentlest people I have ever met, and I bear a burden of sadness knowing that they live under such a harsh regime.

“We need to understand that the people who will suffer the most in the event of a Second Korean War, regardless of outcome, will be the people of North Korea.

“I hold nothing but disdain for the government of North Korea, and nothing but admiration for the everyday people of that country. If people back home can understand and separate the two, then I have done my job.”

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