Guided Tours: North Korea

[sebastiansong]

Many thnx to Rawbean for the pre-trip meetup.
Was bitten by the travel bug in April and decided to venture to the most closed society.
Watched the greatest spectacle, the Arirang.

Happy viewing...
more highlights available here

[Shuttergraphy]

Fwah!!! I didn't know that you were allowed to bring a camera though, it would be really nice destination but these Arirang pictures rocks!!! Saw a documentary by Lisa Ling on National Geographic on a humanitarian project in North Korea with a hidden cam, its a pathetic state the country is in but they only show you the other side. The photographer lied down on his chest to get a wide angle shot of Kim Jung Il's statue and his minder threaten to ship him out of country as it's disrespectful (noted some people lying on ground to take pictures in your series).

I'd assumed you had a North Korean minder all the time, if you have the time please do share more about your experiences there. Would love to go!!!

Although in this particular one you displayed seem to pick up the focus of curtain instead of the girl.

[waileong]

I'm sure your trip was interesting, but the photo gallery fails to excite. Although I understand that it's not easy to take pictures in DPRK.

[sebastiansong]

Originally Posted by waileong I'm sure your trip was interesting, but the photo gallery fails to excite. Although I understand that it's not easy to take pictures in DPRK.

Indeed the trip was most interesting, watching Arirang rates as one of the greatest moments in my life. worth every single cent of the trip.

No worries about the lack of excitement on your part, the gallery was never intended to stimulate your senses.

Actually there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding North Korea, you can take all the photos you want with clear exception to military personnel and installations. This rule would apply to anywhere in the world especially after 9/11. As for commoners, it is always polite to gesture your intentions before the photo taking. There is the universal NO one should be able to recognise. But if you smile and approach with respect, all should be ok.

[sebastiansong]

Originally Posted by Shuttergraphy Fwah!!! I didn't know that you were allowed to bring a camera though, it would be really nice destination but these Arirang pictures rocks!!! Saw a documentary by Lisa Ling on National Geographic on a humanitarian project in North Korea with a hidden cam, its a pathetic state the country is in but they only show you the other side. The photographer lied down on his chest to get a wide angle shot of Kim Jung Il's statue and his minder threaten to ship him out of country as it's disrespectful (noted some people lying on ground to take pictures in your series). I'd assumed you had a North Korean minder all the time, if you have the time please do share more about your experiences there. Would love to go!!! Although in this particular one you displayed seem to pick up the focus of curtain instead of the girl.

Hi Shuttergraphy

One has to be very careful when trying to understand things purely from a Western viewpoint. With news editing and the partriot act, US media is quite different from its pre-9/11 days. I regret I might have erred and not captioned all the photos. The photo of the folks who lie on the group were our tour guides. At no junction were we questioned about out photo taking except when passing military checkpoints and/or installations where it was explicitly restricted. THe DMZ didnt pose a ban on photography as well. Journalists are supposed to obtain special access before conducting their affairs.

As North Korea is a close society, you cannot travel alone. My group of 22 has two guides, one driver and one camera man. Rather than seeing it as a hindrance, I took the opportunity to talk to the guides about their life and know more about the country. Since the locals are only versed in Korean, the guides are crucial for interpretation. I found it is best to gain their trust and appreciate their point of view rather than be critical of North Korea.

[zoossh]

Originally Posted by sebastiansong Hi Shuttergraphy One has to be very careful when trying to understand things purely from a Western viewpoint. With news editing and the partriot act, US media is quite different from its pre-9/11 days. I regret I might have erred and not captioned all the photos. The photo of the folks who lie on the group were our tour guides. At no junction were we questioned about out photo taking except when passing military checkpoints and/or installations where it was explicitly restricted. THe DMZ didnt pose a ban on photography as well. Journalists are supposed to obtain special access before conducting their affairs. As North Korea is a close society, you cannot travel alone. My group of 22 has two guides, one driver and one camera man. Rather than seeing it as a hindrance, I took the opportunity to talk to the guides about their life and know more about the country. Since the locals are only versed in Korean, the guides are crucial for interpretation. I found it is best to gain their trust and appreciate their point of view rather than be critical of North Korea.

i think it might not be becos of a western view, but perhaps a different experience by different people, or perhaps change of situation with time. there are other first hand description by others too, but i'm glad to hear a good one from you.