Pyongyang, my home

Tourism in North Korea, a Russian documentary film

2011-10-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

Tourism in North Korea, a Russian documentary film

A movie by Irina Sosnovaya.

Opening Ceremony of Mass Games, Pyongyang

2011-10-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

Shedding a tear for Pyongyang

2007-07-22T00:35:00.000-07:00

I really want to go back to DPRK. And this time around I want to spend more time there. If only they would let me go to smaller cities and travel independently! DPRK is so fresh and unadulterated, it is fascinating. I wish that even when they do a regime change they would keep their country pure and not allow multinational corporations run them over.
I also wish that even when they throw out Kimmy they keep Sung's and Kimmy's statues and pictures. That they don't do what stupid Germans did, in completely demolishing a wall that could be a priceless historical monument and a great tourist attraction.

2007-07-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

Seeing North Korea, without the bias of western propaganda

Lies about North Korea permeate the western media. Look at this picture downloaded from the web. They make you believe it is the satellite image of the Korean peninsula taken at night. South Korea is all bright and shiny; North Korea is dark.
Any child can see that this is a doctored picture. There are certainly no light bulbs all along the coast of the Korean peninsula and along the Chinese border.

DMZ, South Korean building

2007-06-13T23:59:00.000-07:00

At DMZ, looking towards South Korea

2007-06-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

Sunflower bounty

Small town DPRK people

2007-06-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

Do these people look starved? Not sure how much truth is behind the venomous Western propaganda of DPRK famines.

Juche Ideology

2007-06-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

"Some people complain about not being able to grasp the true meaning of Juche Ideology. This is very surprising because you won't find any other dogma in the world that can be put in a more succinct form. In a nutshell, Juche Ideology is about the grand realization that human beings are capable of reaching their utmost potential to shape destiny and thereby fashion lives according to Juche ideals."

2007-05-29T17:15:00.001-07:00

A nation at war-4

Picture of a poster at Koryo Tours office.

A lot of DPRK existence is about the threat from outside.

2007-05-29T17:12:00.001-07:00

A nation at war-3
Picture of a poster at Koryo Tours office.

2007-05-29T17:09:00.001-07:00

A nation at war-2
Picture of a poster at Koryo Tours office.

2007-05-29T17:04:00.001-07:00

A nation at war
Picture of a poster at Koryo Tours office.

2007-05-29T16:57:00.001-07:00

A closer look at the arrangement to stop the enemy advance
The rope would be cut as soon as the guard watching the enemy positions blows the whistle.

2007-05-29T16:52:00.001-07:00

Ready to stop the invasion
These large blocks are well-poised to be slipped onto the road to stop the advance of the invading army from the South.

2007-05-29T16:43:00.001-07:00

One (unified) it would be

Pyongyang-Seoul highway rest stop

2007-05-28T23:25:00.001-07:00

Gorgeous attendant at the Rest Area shop

Rest Area on Pyongyang-Seoul highway

2007-05-28T23:19:00.001-07:00

The things in the shop, with prices in Euros, were certainly for the foreigners to buy.

2007-05-28T22:50:00.000-07:00

A road less traveled
Literally.
Although being a peninsula country this highway is the main north-south artery for DPRK.
This picture was taken traveling from Pyongyang to DMZ (Demilitarized zone, or 38th parallel).

پیانگ یانگ سے میری محبت

2007-05-27T01:15:00.000-07:00

میں شمالی کوریا کا دوست ہوں اور شمالی کوریا کو مضبوط ، توانا ، اور اشتراکیت کی ایک تابندہ مثال بن کر دنیا میں ابھرتا دیکھنا چاہتا ہوں۔ فلسفہ اشتراکیت سے واجبی ہمدردی رکھنے کے باوجود میں شمالی کوریا کی بھلائی اس لیے چاہتا ہوں کیونکہ میں نہیں چاہتا کہ دنیا سیاسی طور پہ یک رنگی ہوجائے۔ سوویت یونین کے ٹوٹنے کے بعد دنیا بھر میں اشتراکیت رو بہ تنزل ہے اور اب صحیح معنوں میں صرف شمالی کوریا ہی اشتراکی نظام کی زندہ مثال بچا ہے۔ اس بات کا امکان ہے کہ یہ اشتراکی جوہڑ بھی سرمایہ داری کی تیز دھوپ میں سوکھ جائے۔ دنیا بھر میں پھیلے اشتراکیوں کو اپنے اس خواب کو ٹوٹنے سے بچانا ہے۔

اور اس تجربے کو ناکامی سے بچانے کا ایک ہی طریقہ ہے اور وہ یہ کہ شمالی کوریا دیانت داری سے اپنا جائزہ لےاور اپنے اندر کی خرابیوں کو رفع کرے۔

ایسا کیوں ہے کہ ہر جگہ اشتراکی تحریک جو پسے ہوئے عوام کو آواز دینے اور عام شخص کو طاقت دینے کے لیے شروع ہوئی تھی مطلق العنانی کی بھینٹ چڑھ گئی اور تمام طاقت ایک شخص کے ہاتھوں میں مرکوز ہو گئی؟ کہ کوریا کی اس نام نہاد جمہوری عوامی ریاست میں پہلے باپ گدی پہ بیٹھا رہا اور پھر باپ کے مرنے پہ بیٹے نے گدی سنبھال لی؟ اور پھر اس جمہوری ریاست میں عوامی اظہار رائے پہ اور حرکت پہ ایسی پابندیاں کیوں؟ یہی باتیں تو اس اشتراکی تجربے کو لے ڈوبیں گی۔

سرمایہ داری نظام نے اپنی بقا کے لیے اشتراکی نظام کی بہت سی اچھی باتیں اپنے اندر شامل کی ہیں۔ اشتراکی نظام کو بھی اپنی بقا کے لیے سرمایہ داری نظام کی اچھی چیزیں مستعار لینا ہوں گی۔ اسی میں اشتراکیت کی بقا اور طاقت ہے۔

Yanggakdo Island

2007-05-22T15:23:00.001-07:00

A view of Yanggakdo Island
From Yanggakdo International Hotel's revolving restaurant.

2007-05-22T15:09:00.001-07:00

Yanggakdo Hotel Lobby
Yanggakdo International Hotel is really huge. Here is a view of its big lobby. This exuberance is not what you expect to see your first day in Pyongyang.

2007-05-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

Yanggakdo International Hotel, Pyongyang

Most tourists to Pyongyang either stay at Yangakdo International Hotel or Hotel Koryo. Yanggakdo Hotel sits on an island, and is therefore also lovingly known as Hotel Alcatraz. The round thing on top is the revolving restaurant.

Pyongyang International Airport

2007-05-20T16:15:00.001-07:00

Here is a better picture of the airport--an old austere building with the picture of the "eternal president" up on top.

2007-05-20T15:51:00.001-07:00

Here is the Air Koryo (State-owned airline of DPRK) plane that took me from Beijing to Pyongyang.

Pyongyang, my home

2007-05-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

Amazing how quickly you can fall in love with a place!

This picture was taken on reaching Pyongyang. It was overcast that day too, but it was not gloomy.