A Postcard from Pyongyang - Traveling through Northkorea (2019) - full transcript
Twelve kilometers to go.
Oh, I'm dead!
I've already covered 30 kilometers.
At the moment the damn heat
and my worsening condition
are the only things on my mind.
And there's just no water anymore!
I can't feel my legs anymore,
I'm at kilometer 41 â
almost at the stadium.
But wait.
Why am I doing this to myself?
And why in Pyongyang of all places?
Well, to explain that,
I have to go back a bit.
In 2012 the press was full of reports
about North Korea.
The North Korean dictator
Kim Jong-Il died in December 2011.
The world was looking forward
to 28-year-old Kim Jong-Un
and what his next steps may be.
An old Asian proverb says:
âIt's better to see something once,
than to hear about it a thousand times.â
So why not give ourselves
a firsthand impression?
At the start of 2013 we made our decision.
My buddy Phillipp and I
are going to North Korea.
Our first challenge
starts with booking the trip.
Actually, we always travel
to countries on our own.
There is no individual tourism
in North Korea.
Everything including the entry
and exit booking
is taken over by an agency.
Before we enter,
we must declare that we have
no journalistic intentions.
Photos only with permission
but above all
no sound or film recordings.
All the following video recordings
were therefore made with my photo camera,
which can also film.
I camouflaged
the blinking red ârecordâ light
with a piece of black duct tape.
We are not aware
of the possible consequences.
But one thing is clear:
we want to smuggle as much material
as possible back to Germany.
At that time we do not know yet,
what we intend to do with it later.
There are several ways
to travel to North Korea.
We decide to take
a 25 hour train ride
from Beijing to Pyongyang.
That sounds long â and so it is.
But it's worth the trip!
Our first stop is
the Chinese border town Dandong.
We are in the train,
it's close to 11 am
we are about to reach North Korea,
as soon as we have passed the bridge.
They have exchanged carriages.
They have taken our passports
and we are about 200 meters far
from the North Korean boarder.
There is a one-hour time difference.
We'll sit on the train all day.
Don't forget â after the bridge,
the train stops
and then our luggage is searched.
Let's see what the countryside
from North Korea looks like.
Arrived in Pyongyang we are picked up
at the station by two guides.
They are our watchdogs
for the next seven days.
Pyongyang has 3 million inhabitants
but only two hotels for foreign visitors.
We will stay at the Koryo Hotel.
We are looking forward to
a privately guided tour
along the achievements of the country.
We are driven from door to door
and are not allowed to move
alone without our guides.
Do you have your flight tickets?
-Flight tickets back to Germany?
-Yes, your E-tickets.
Sure.
Here, from Pyongyang to Beijing.
-Correct.
-And here I have from Beijing to Munich.
Within North Korea
you will not need your passports.
With your guide
you won't need your passport.
With us you can go everywhere.
But without your guide
you are not allowed
to leave the hotel.
All this, I can show you
-and we will go and visit those places.
-Okay.
We want to visit
the Friendship Exhibition.
That's a problem!
-We cannot go to the Myohyang mountains.
-Okay.
Because three to four days ago,
there was heavy rain.
-Two of the main bridges collapsed.
-Okay.
And taking photos...
As you know North Korea
is in state of war!
Since April we have
lifted the armed truce.
Therefore, now we have a cease fire.
And that's why...
Many things belong to the military.
You cannot know which places
belong to the military. Because of this,
-you are not allowed to take photos.
-Sure.
The peculiarity of the hotel
is a 360° rotating restaurant
on the top floor.
Upon our arrival,
it is already 11 pm.
And yet some tables are still
set for up to 8 people,
with food and everything.
However, I don't think that anyone else
is coming to dinner today.
-So, what do you think?
-I don't know but i'm exhausted.
This arrival
has left me a bit out of sorts.
Nothing is like I expected it
which is not bad.
That we're only allowed to stay here
for now is a bit annoying.
I think we should get some sleep,
tomorrow will be a long day.
Here is the hallway...
and here is a somewhat odd little room.
Where you can sit face-to-face.
Then when we turn around
we find our bathroom.
This room is pretty much
like a normal hotel room.
The coolest thing is
that we are on the 33rd floor.
There is excitement in the hotel foyer.
It's the year 2013
and today is 27 July â
âVictory Dayâ for North Koreans.
Many international guests have come
especially for the occasion
to celebrate the end of the Korean War,
which lasted from 1950 to 1953,
and ended with the signing
of the ceasefire agreement.
In fact, both halves of Korea
are still on war footing.
-Morning!
-Morning!
-Did you sleep well?
-Yes very well,
-first real sleep in a long time.
-Okay...
I'm afraid, we are not allowed
to go outside.
I can imagine.
-Have you seen what's going on outside?
-Everything is blocked.
Do you see?
Everything is shut down.
We have to wait here till
all representatives are through.
I understand.
Can we quickly grab some breakfast?
No.
According to reports
from South Korean media,
this is the first time since 1993
that Victory Day is being celebrated
with a military parade.
Thousands of soldiers march
or drive past us in tanks.
It stinks of gasoline.
And also quite annoying:
the loudspeaker cars that have been
driving through the city for days.
For us only incomprehensible slogans
and North Korean marching music
resound through the streets.
Even days later, it still takes some time
to get used to the permanent sound.
In general,
the military is insanely present.
How many soldiers
are in the Korean army?
It's a huge army, right?
Three hundred thousand.
-Really?
-Yes.
Why do you grin when you say that?
Our government says so.
I think it's a lot.
But...
all the foreigners like the German,
Austrian and Swiss tourists
don't believe it.
The European media says
we have over one million soldiers.
Why do you let American tourists
in the country?
Aren't they the enemy?
-But it's about the government.
-Sorry?
The American government.
Not the American people.
But the American citizens
want to visit North Korea.
-That's why.
-Okay.
So the American people
are okay, but...
Yes, the people are okay,
just not the government and the soldiers.
But...
You're saying the average North Korean
has no problem with Americans?
-No.
-No?
If a Korean knows
his facial expression might be...
-Reserved.
-Yes.
But...
Usually most Koreans couldn't tell
if someone is American,
unless I explain it to them.
But most Koreans know it's allowed
for the Americans to come here
by our government.
Nevertheless, we met two American soldiers
in the elevator of our hotel,
who traveled to North Korea
on the occasion of the war anniversary.
We met two Americans in the elevator,
and they said they were searching...
For what again?
For a crashed airplane,
they are searching for the corpses
of a crashed plane.
It happened like 60 years ago.
Yes, they were looking for the remains.
-For their bones!
-Yes, for their bones.
Yes.
North Koreas Military
and Americas Military
they made an agreement
that allows these Americans to come
and search for bodies from the war.
But who goes with them
to search for the bodies?
Korean soldiers go with them.
Are there still any problem regions
where the government has conflicts
with different ethnic groups?
We don't have different
ethnic groups in North Korea.
-There are only North Koreans?
-One nation only.
-Absolutely homogenous?
-Yes.
We are always alone on the bus.
Because we have booked an individual trip.
Which means, that you always have
an entire bus for yourself.
Always accompanied by three guides.
North Korea gets support
from the World Hunger Relief Organization
You know about that?
Yes, is it true?
-Yes, sure.
-Okay.
-Nearly all developing countries get help.
-Okay.
But they don't play a big role.
I don't know where the âWorld Hunger Aidâ
support takes place
and what results they achieve.
I don't know where the poor people live.
You mean,
you don't see poor people around?
We quickly realized
that conversations of this kind
are hardly possible.
If there is something that is revealing
or interesting to us,
it is often interrupted
by the other guide.
Is that just a feeling
or are they not only looking out for us,
but also controlling each other?
One of those many questions,
which of course we can't ask.
At least not
if we want to leave the country
safely with our footage.
In search of experts
we find Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Frank.
If anyone knows North Korea, it's him!
People who work together with foreigners
seldomly do this alone.
There's always at least two of them.
So they can keep an eye on each other.
They also have to write reports
about their encounters.
The reports are then compared
for accuracy.
So that one is never sure
if their interaction with foreigners
has gone unobserved.
Which makes the system very effective
especially regarding self-censorship.
Afterwards we drive to a photo exhibition
about Kim Jong Un.
Here we learn more about
the military strength of North Korea.
She speaks English.
-Hey, how are you?
-Fine, thanks and you?
I'm good.
So tell us a bit about the photos.
-Let's start from there.
-Okay.
When the war broke out...
we didn't have much power, but the US...
they brought fifteen other countries,
fifteen other following countries
to the Korean war.
It was a very difficult war but anyway â
we smashed it!
-The US?
-The US.
-We are really proud of it!
-Obviously.
It was five years after the liberation
from the Japanese
when the war broke out.
But anyway, we smashed the US
under the wise leadership
of president Kim Il Sung.
Without him, we can't think of victory.
Our army is never weak.
We have...
Our army has grown up
into a invincible revolution force.
Who can defeat any enemy in one stroke.
Comrade Kim Jong Un
is most loyal to his people.
He left as the general secretary
of the party forever
and we elected him as
the first secretary of the party.
So what is his duty?
What does he have to do?
-You know he leads our party.
-Yes.
In our country the party
leads the Korean revolution.
He leads all the Korean people
and the struggle
to build his driving nation.
Okay.
The party is very different
from other parties,
in its role of position.
-You understand that?
-Yes.
-You see these people with flowers?
-Yes, you were a flower girl?
Yes, I was one of them.
Nice.
Why you were selected?
Oh, cause...
cause I'm good.
Cause I was loyal to my job.
I did everything really good,
in this position.
Good, nice.
You like to be, that the countries
come together?
Yeah.
It is our current and greatest wish.
When do you think it can happen?
Do you have any idea?
I am not sure.
We believe one day!
One day? I hope it soon.
Yes, thank you.
Okay. We didn't know that either.
So the North Koreans are desperate
for a reunification with South Korea?
But how should that be possible?
We ask our guides and they take us
to the South Korean border.
The area between North and South Korea
is the so-called DMZ.
The demilitarized zone.
It marks the border
between the two countries.
On the way to the border
we hardly meet any cars.
Why would we?
No one can get out anyway.
Or in.
The demilitarized zone
is a two kilometer strip
of an imaginary demarcation line.
That means a four kilometer strip
that runs a 250 kilometers strip
left and right of the border
from one coast to the other.
Basically, it has been set up
to secure a ceasefire.
Today it actually remains the border
between the two Koreas
as the result of the Korean War.
You can drive through the DMZ at one point
and drive right up
to the demarcation line.
There are these sky-blue buildings
in which the cease fire negotiations
took place from 1951 to 1953
and where today, official communications
between the two countries takes place.
The border runs exactly
through the middle of these buildings.
To create a neutral zone, enabling
the two sides to speak to one another,
without either side
having to leave their own land.
But we still don't really understand
the reunification process.
How exactly is that supposed to work?
How do people of a socialist state
with a strong leadership cult
imagine a reunification
with a state built on the foundations
of capitalism?
When South and North reunite into
one country this is how we want it to be.
-Sovereignty...
-Sovereignty, okay.
Peaceful reunification,
bringing together the entire nation.
One nation, one government, two systems.
Two systems:
socialism and capitalism.
Two governments.
You believe it can work?
It can work.
It must work.
I think it can work
because none will be oppressed.
Everyone can preserve their property.
South Korea can stay capitalist
and we can still be socialist.
-But both...
-...will be united.
-You think it can work?
-Yes.
Could you imagine...
if you say you want a reunification,
but to give up socialism?
Can you imagine that?
-We would not give it up.
-Just hypothetical.
-Just by imagination.
-Just by imagination...
That you say...
you would reunite...
but you would have to give up socialism,
to be reunited.
-You wouldn't do that?
-No.
Do you believe South Korea would
give up capitalism,
only to become
socialist just for the reunion?
Our question remains unanswered.
No one else heard our conversation
and our guide only made
statements loyal to the regime.
Nevertheless, there is a new guide
for us in the evening.
We can only assume that the former guide
has decided to avoid us.
Kind of weird, over time, we developed
closer relationships with our guides.
So we also get personal about some things.
For example, I am interested in
whether it's not exhausting
to be constantly on the road with
tourists for periods of up to two weeks â
without coming home in between.
One of them talks about
his broken marriage
and that the job suits him.
Another one tells me
about his four-year-old daughter,
whom he misses
and who likes Disney just like my niece.
Actually the same topics
as we know from home.
And through which we get a personal
insight into people's everyday lives.
It is estimated that the US Air Force
dropped around 450.000 tons of bombs
and more than 30.000 tons of napalm
over North Korea.
During the war, almost 90%
of Pyongyang was destroyed.
This is naturally reflected
in today's cityscape.
As Berliners, we are familiar
with socialist architecture.
Nevertheless, Pyongyang somehow looks
as if the architecture of the 70's
had been combined
with visions from science fiction.
At first glance, we do not see
a clear social infrastructure.
Almost completely indiscernible
without our guides.
Something we wouldn't normally have.
Back in Berlin we look for someone
who can help us
and find the graduate engineer
Dr. Philipp Meuser.
Architect and publisher
of the âArchitectural Guide of Pyongyangâ.
Pyongyang was an old, homogeneous city
before the Korean War.
What happened is that after the war,
Tabula rasa was made.
The old structure
was completely demolished.
The state has access to land
and ownership does not matter at all.
Urban planners think to themselves:
âThat's great, finally I can do
what I always wanted to do.â
Realize utopias.
And of course, that's what happened there.
Narrow, winding alleys were replaced
by wide main roads,
by modern multi-story buildings.
The architecture is inseparably interwoven
with ideological goals.
When Pyongyang was re-planning,
it oriented itself
on the axis of the Taedong River.
Everywhere visual axes were created
to connect the most important monuments.
The most important axis connects
the bronze monument on Mansu hill
with the memorial in honor
of the founding of the party.
In addition to the recognizable road axes,
the Sungri road forms the most
representative main artery of the city.
It unites a large portion
of the important state buildings.
Along the triumphal arch,
it leads to Mansu Hill
directly to Kim Il Sung Square.
The Kim-Il Sung Square is the urban
and symbolic center of Pyongyang.
From here, the optical connection
to the municipalities
on the eastern riverbank is established.
The monument to the Juche ideology
forms the urban development center
of East Pyongyang.
Another important component
to the cityscape
is the cult of personality
around the Kim family.
Again and again we see portraits, statues
or life-size wax figures of the leaders.
Ever bow to a statue in a parka?
The visit to the great monument
on Mansu Hill is an absolute highlight.
More precisely, these two bronze statues
are over 20 meters high.
Of course, all visits are based
on a strict principle.
Obligatory is the deep bow.
We save ourselves the trouble
of questioning it
and go along with everything
that is asked from us.
We don't want to be
watched more closely.
It is highly illegal to film
against the knowledge of the guides.
-Don't point with your finger!
-Okay.
Gregor, please put the flowers there
and then come back to us
-to show our respect to the leader.
-Okay.
You also put down a bunch of flowers
each time, in addition to the bow.
Often pink or red orchids.
Later we can see how the plastic-flowers
are brought back to the market for resale.
Next they show us the Kim Il Sung Place.
It serves as a parade square.
With 75.000 square meters
it's an incredibly large, open space,
right in the middle of the city.
On the ground we find
many small white dots and numbers.
They serve as orientation
for participants of mass events.
If you look over the Taedong River,
you will see a tower:
The Monument of the Juche Ideology.
The 170 meter high tower was built
to commemorate the merits of Kim Il Sung.
Who founded the Juche ideology
in the fifties.
By now, Juche is a kind of religion
in North Korea,
and the deceased rulers
are worshiped like saints.
It is firmly anchored
in the North Korean system
and thus also eponymous
for the Juche calendar.
Whose numbered years begin
with the year of the birth of Kim Il Sung.
Which god do you believe in?
-In myself.
-Religion I mean.
-In myself.
-Yes.
In myself.
-So you do not believe in any god?
-No.
And about you?
I am actually a Christian.
But probably not the best Christian
out there.
Most foreigners believe in Christianity,
Buddhism, Islam, various kinds...
In our country
we believe in the Juche idea.
Okay.
In our country the Juche idea
is a sort of religion.
But really, it's not our religion,
it is our man!
We believe in man.
-Have you read some of them?
-Many of them.
During the university we study that
as a subject.
-As a subject.
-Okay.
Okay, so what does it say here?
âOur socialist is the one, that...
that initiate the Juche idea.â
Our socialist means our own socialism.
It is man-centered socialism.
It is the Juche idea:
man is the owner of everything.
The man decides everything,
This is the Juche idea.
You can't ask that!
All Korean people love him.
Maybe if you ask that
to another person they will get angry!
-Don't ask that!
-Okay!
So is he the most
intelligent man in the world?
-Yes. We think that.
-Okay.
-So these are all books he wrote?
-Yes, everything he wrote.
It's a lot of books.
How many books did he write?
Maybe here that number is shown?
No there is no number...
Too many, many, many.
I can't remember.
We have a similar history.
Your country and our country.
Our country, it's very difficult
Because of several issues between
North Korea and South Korea...
What issues? What do you mean?
I don't know, it's sort of politics.
I'm not interested in politics.
The economy with the ideal.
-The ideal is very different.
-Yes.
-South Korean is capitalist.
-Yes.
They are only think of money.
But in our country it's no capitalism,
it's socialism.
We only think of our man.
Our leader, our party.
They don't care who is president.
They don't care at all.
They only think about money.
So the ideal is very different
and the economy is also different.
They maybe have developed
the economy in South Korea
and their living standard
is much higher than ours.
-You think so, it's higher?
-Yes, I think so.
-How do you know?
-I think...
We've learned, we've learned. But...
in the past times, we've learned
that South Korea is rather
poor and not developed.
But after maybe ten years later,
they developed much
and what TV news and some foreigners said
that South Korea is rather developed,
regarding Economy.
But they depend on
other countries economies,
especially the US economy.
But our country
has a self reliance economy.
Developed by ourselves.
Our goods are not good.
Sometimes it's rather rough,
but we love ours,
because it was made by ourself.
But they don't have that.
So for example the US,
they cut the line of the national economy,
but they can't develop themselves.
Okay.
So we're proud of us!
-Thank you for your cooperation.
-Thank you very much.
Thanks for all the informations.
Thank you.
Sorry for my poor english.
-Your english is great.
-Thank you.
-No, seriously.
-Bye.
After a few days we notice
how the constant propaganda
does not pass over us
without leaving a mark.
The strict program of discussions,
information and impressions
being presented
leaves us hardly time to think.
Our next destination is
the cemetery of the Revolutionary Heroes.
In the cemetery,
famous personalities are paid honor to.
For example, here is the tomb
of Kim Il Song's first wife
and Kim Jong Il's mother:
Kim Jong Suk.
-What are we supposed to do?
-Buying flowers.
Okay. And then?
Placing them up on the tomb
of the unknown soldier.
Okay.
Thank you! Gamsahamnida!
Gamsihammdamm.
Gamsaham... Gamsa-hamdi-am.
I have it now too:
Gamsahamnidam.
Gamsahamnida.
Gamsahamnida.
I thought there was an ânâ at the end?
Right?
Gamsahamnida.
So you place two larger bouquets there
and one at the top.
Then after you've set the flowers down,
then we have a mourning minute.
But not a minute
just a few seconds.
-So please, this and this...
-On the upper staircase, right?
-Yes.
-Okay.
-And then come back here.
-Yes.
Many of the people buried here
are war heroes who were martyred.
Back then Korea
was a Japanese colony and...
this man was betrayed by a Korean traitor
and was arrested.
He died in prison,
because he bit off his own tongue
instead of talking.
But the Japanese
did not try to save his life.
So he bled to death.
Courageous.
Also this time there is no time
to delve into with the many stories.
Our next stop though,
is one of the most exciting stops
of the entire journey.
The rush is great.
The excitement can be felt everywhere.
A North Korean is â
visibly against his will
led away by two soldiers.
But no time to go into it further.
It's on.
ARIRANG!
A more impressive artistic display
I have never seen before or since.
More than 100.000 persons take part
in this dance and gymnastics show.
The background is like a mosaic â
thousands of children hold up
colorful cardboard cards
and turn them over
with lightning precision
to form various pictures.
The Arirang Festival takes place
in the First of May Stadium.
With 114.000 seats,
it is the largest stadium in the world.
Arirang is one of the most
incredible events I have ever seen!
How is it possible that everyone
participates in such an act?
We ask our guides
where to begin in North Korea
to make such events a success?
To answer our question,
they take us to the Pyongyang
Students Palace the the next day.
It is a kind of educational institution.
These can be found
everywhere in North Korea.
The student palace
has space for around 4.000 students
and thus plays not an insignificant role
with children
and young people in North Korea.
We stop by various classrooms
where groups of children
are already expecting us.
Music, sports, dance, handcraft â
The children â
some of whom are still quite young â
amaze with their
impressively advanced skills.
I wonder if I could have achieved
so much perfection at that age?
And what effort would it take to be able
to show this perfection at that age?
At least now I understand a little better
what motivates an individual
to be part of a huge mosaic
for several hours.
Another station is the flower show.
It is located
in the Kim-il-sungi-je-Kim-jong-ilie
exhibition hall.
Yes, exactly.
The Kimilsungia
and Kimjongilia Exhibition Hall.
Prevalent in all the state propaganda
there is an element we find everywhere,
and that is the embodiment of the ruler
in the form of flowers.
These are breeds of botanicals
from outside North Korea,
donated to the people of North Korea.
This becomes an attempt
to embody the ruler
into something that will survive
over many generations,
so that the ruler is omnipresent.
There are flower exhibitions,
with loral competitions:
âWho has the most beautiful Kimilsungia?â
The hall is named after the orchid
âKim Ill Sungiaâ
and the begonia âKim Jong Iliaâ.
The entire hall is filled with flowers
arranged to form picturesque scenes.
These are combined
with photographs of the rulers
or models of missiles and nuclear bombs.
What else?
This exhibition hall
consist of three halls
and this is the central hall.
-Now we go upstairs.
-Okay.
Our master Kim Jong-un
was selected to be
the most famous President in the world.
Okay, I didn't know that.
Who selected him?
-By the people in the United States.
-Okay.
Interesting.
They could not win the war.
Do you know why?
It's because of him.
It's because of his outstanding
strategies and tactics,
and his belief in all our soldiers.
As well as our soldiers,
who paid back to his love,
-with their lives.
-Okay.
-And this one?
-It says celebration.
-And 60th anniversary of the victory.
-Ah okay, nice!
He is the hero and the son of our nation.
-That's it?
-Yes.
And Kim Ill Sungia and Kim Jong-Ilia
won two gold medals.
At the horticulture Exhibition in China
in 2006 and 2011.
And Kim Jong-ill won a lot of gold medals.
-Let me tell you?
-Yes.
Kim Jong-ill won
a special prize and golden medal
in Czechoslovakia,
they hold a international flower show
in 1991.
He won a special prize and golden medal.
In 1999, Kunming in China
they hold the horticulture exhibition
and he won the special price,
-grand medal.
-Okay.
So that religiously worshipped figure
in the form of a flower
can be raised anywhere, on a balcony,
in a factory, in schools.
The people can identify with it.
On the other side,
this flower
is not only as physical flower,
it also works on posters
or other forms of propaganda elements,
which are also present
everywhere in the society.
One of the last destinations
on our journey
is the Great Study Hall of the People.
It is referred as
âThe Learning Centerâ.
We are told that everyone can come here
in their free time.
The system is probably comparable
to those of the german adult
education centers.
According to North Korean media,
it houses over thirty million books.
Including a variety of writings
and music from abroad.
We are invited to take part
in a German class.
In this class there are many lectures.
-For example, we have a german class too.
-Okay.
The german class students
study german, now.
-I will show you.
-That would be great.
Maybe we can even talk to them.
-German lecture.
-Okay.
Good Morning.
Can we join you?
Sure, we are just taking a break.
Please.
-Please have a seat.
-Okay.
I am Philipp and this is Gregor.
Sarang hae yo.
I love you.
He said, he would like to learn more
about the âHofbräuhausâ.
Then he's not the right person to ask.
He comes from Munich!
That's the Royal Court Brewery in Munich,
in the centre of city.
It's a gigantic hall,
a really big hall,
with long tables, like the one here.
There people sit and drink beer
and listen to music.
They have big glasses â
have you seen pictures?
-Oh yeah!
-Yeah, big glasses. One liter.
It hurts your hand to lift it.
Men are only allowed
to hold it with one hand.
I understand most of it.
-But one question...
-Yes?
What is âKu'dammâ?
That is the short form, a slang
for the word âKurfürstendammâ.
-I'll write it down for you, alright?
-Yes.
Just right here? Okay...
It's written...
That is the biggest street in Berlin,
where you can go shopping.
-Yes, shopping mile.
-Exactly.
The short form is âKu'dammâ.
When can I come to Berlin?
I hope soon.
I hope very, very soon, sure.
-I hope to see you soon.
-Exactly.
I hope to see you soon again. Exactly.
-Do you have a family?
-Yes.
-How many people are in your family?
-I have an older sister,
a mother, a father
and also still one grandmother.
So to live with your grandmother,
parents and children,
how does that work?
Actually pretty good!
You guys speak very well
for taken German only for six months.
When I think about learning Korean
for only six months...
I could speak six words!
Good bye. Thank you very much.
-Bye.
-Bye.
Thanks. Take care.
-Bye.
-Bye.
-I hope we see each other again!
-I hope so too.
Here, in Berlin or anywhere in Germany.
Bye.
Bye.
In moments like these,
I'm not sure what to think.
I mean, does he really think
we'll see each other again?
If so, how does he imagine
it happening?
Somehow the situation makes me sad.
Well...
The large study hall of the people
is the last stop on our journey.
Afterwards we are off to the airport.
We quickly realized that it's difficult
to get an objective picture
of the country.
Instead, we see a country
of staged superlatives.
We asked a lot of questions
but listened much more often.
We were seldom able to choose the topics.
Probably the reason that we arrived
with many questions,
but we flew home with many of them
unanswered though.
Of course, our experience
is only scratching the surface
of what the North Korean people
are experiencing.
Nevertheless,
I came one step closer to an answer.
I developed a sense of what it means
to live in a totalitarian state.
The feeling, when you cannot freely
express your opinion
and instead play along for fear
of the enormous consequences.
For my part, I'm relieved
when I'm on the plane and I know
that my constant filming
can no longer bring consequences.
What remains
is a journey full of contrasts.
The impressions are deep and won't let me
go throughout the following week.
It was an exciting journey.
Nevertheless, I assumed that,
I will not travel to North Korea
again anytime soon.
...until I found out,
you can run a Marathon in Pyongyang!
After all, I just run to Las Vegas
through the desert all the way from LA.
Running is my thing.
So why not run a Marathon in Pyongyang?
It's the only way to walk through town
without the accompaniment of a guide!
Also this year our entry is endangered.
This time,
through the escalating conflict
between North Korea and the United States.
The last news we caught before we left
was marked by aggressive posturing
by both powers
So we let ourselves register
with the crisis provision list
of the Federal Foreign Office.
Together with four friends,
we left from Vladivostok to Pyongyang
on the 7th of April, 2017.
We're finally about to board the flight
to Pyongyang, North Korea.
The tension mounts.
We are told that the airline
has only four planes.
Probably the reason
for our nine-hour delay.
It's now 8pm,
we are waiting on our plane
which is right over there.
We'll hopefully land in Pyongyang
in one and a half hours.
It's two nights before the
start of the Marathon,
which is the most important night for me.
Now we're trying to shake off the jet lag
from the flight to Vladivostok,
a time difference of eight hours.
But all good.
The state airline of North Korea
is called Air Koryo.
With the exception of two airplanes,
operation in the European Union
is prohibited for safety reasons.
From the look of the plane
we fly to Pyongyang â
I can see why.
I've only known such aircraft
from museums.
The interior seems to be
the original from 1960s.
Upon our arrival, we get to know
our two guardians for the coming week.
This is the second time
for you in our country?
We have been here for the 60 years
celebration of the Korean wars.
We really liked it.
Since our visit in 2013,
a lot has changed.
New residential areas have emerged
and Pyongyang is no longer
completely in the dark.
At least not on the days
for the marathon.
That's a new skyscraper there, right?
Wow! It's huge.
The one with the lights in the back?
Very beautiful.
Back to the Koryo Hotel...
Like on our first trip,
the modalities will be discussed first.
Why don't we sit down
and talk about the program?
Yes, you are right.
Full marathon runners will start
and after five minutes half marathon
and ten kilometers runners will start.
And what time are we going to leave
the hotel on sunday morning?
Sunday morning we leave at 6:40 am.
And then we go
to the statues of the leaders
to show your respect to our leaders.
-The bronze statues we saw?
-Yes, the bronze statues.
And the we'll go to the Kim Il Sung Square
where the military parades
and mass dancing takes place.
Do you have a wheelchair for me
for sunday to do this after the marathon?
-That's right in the afternoon.
-That's why I'm asking.
-Which floor do we stay? Seventh?
-Third, no?
-What is our floor?
-Thirty-three!
-33rd floor.
-33rd floor?
Building number 2.
33rd floor and I think room number was 27.
I think we stayed here last time.
Really? Good memory!
I think so.
-It could be.
-Yeah, it could be.
-Good night!
-Good night!
Good night.
Afterwards, as it was four years ago,
it's back to the thirty-third floor â
and back to the exact same room.
I cannot get rid of the feeling
that there are no such coincidences
in North Korea.
During our first night in the hotel,
I realize that I am rapidly getting sick.
Something I ate in the last 24 hours
appears not to be agreeing with me.
Nevertheless,
I visit together with the others
the Pyongyang subway system.
The deepest mass transit network
in the world.
In Pyongyang a subway ride
is a highlight for every Berliner.
At the end of the 1990s,
several trains from the Berlin underground
were sold to North Korea
and are still in use today.
Already on the escalator
one notices a pleasant difference
a pleasant difference
to our train stations at home:
The total lack of advertising.
Nothing screaming for you to buy.
Wherever advertising posters
would normally hang,
instead there are elaborately designed
mosaics on the walls.
But the colorful motifs
are rich in propaganda.
In addition to the portraits
of Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il,
everything inside
is just as it used to be.
Even the scratch marks
of Berlin graffiti artists
can still be found on the windowpanes.
The route network,
created at the end of the 1960's,
is supposed to have around 30 stations.
These in turn should in part be provided
with integrated escape tunnels.
We do not notice any evidence of this.
During our visit to the subway,
my health is rapidly declining.
On the escalator
I hit rock bottom for the first time.
I need to go immediately
back to the hotel.
Unfortunately I woke up this morning
and after breakfast
I began having massive stomach problems.
It started when we visited the subway,
when I couldn't hold it back anymore.
It's some kind of stomach flu,
virus or whatever.
The problem is, I'm supposed
to run a Marathon tomorrow.
I'll wait until tomorrow morning,
it can't really go on like this.
Hopefully I will get better overnight.
It is the 12th April 2017
and the 4th Marathon in Pyongyang
where foreigners
are allowed to participate.
This year it is a special marathon.
Instead of the previous
four times ten-kilometer rounds
around the Kim-Il Sung Stadium.
It is now for the first time
across the city
and at kilometer 21 back again.
Due to my state of health,
my stomach is empty
and my fluids are anything but topped up.
I've felt better before...
But I'll try my luck,
maybe I'll make it,
or at least run a half Marathon.
Similar to what is permitted
at special locations,
filming is now also allowed
at certain events.
In general however,
the rule has not eased.
This year the prohibition of taking photos
out of the moving bus
is even more controlled.
I enter the Kim Il Sung Stadium
for the first time.
40.000 people are there to watch
and cheer on the athletes.
It's time. Yesterday at this time
I was laid out in the bathroom.
Today after three bananas
and a little toast,
I'm ready to give it a try.
Let's see how far I get.
From the stadium,
the route goes past the victory arch.
The people on the roadside
cheer for the runners.
I can only guess who was ordered
as a spectator to the roadside
and who is here voluntarily.
All that matters to me right now
is that I feel supported.
In North Korea
very many things are staged,
you notice this from time to time
as a visitor.
Interesting is the question of whether
or not this should be considered wrong,
for the people and also the leaders.
They see their participation
as part of the âtotal packageâ
and want to make sure that the runners
are not running through an empty city,
they want the runners to be seeing
people cheering for them.
We take it as a deception, of course.
I believe in the reality though,
from the point of view
of the North Korean, it's a bit of both.
Kilometer seven.
It's going okay.
Our guardian tells us
that all runners who need more
than four hours
will be picked up by a yellow bus.
Kilometer 16 is behind me...
I'm pretty...
surprised, that I can run at all.
Twelve kilometers to go.
Oh, I'm dead!
From kilometer 30
all water stocks are empty.
As the runners of the ten-kilometer run
and the half-marathon run
the same distance,
is this my last water bottle
that I get for the rest of the track.
Kilometer 41.
I made it.
That was a hard fight.
But anyway...
I don't feel my legs anymore,
it's kilometer 41
I'm almost at the stadium...
and nothing can stop me anymore.
At the finish, it feels like
I'm drying out from the inside.
Even at the finish, there's no water.
I'll pay for that later!
I spend the rest of the trip
in bed with a fever.
You are crazy.
They just don't have any water anymore.
Not here, not on the track.
-They're sadistic.
-We're getting you water right now.
Normally after a Marathon I would relax
and do something good for my body â
especially this time.
But as in 2013, our 2017 trip
is also an overload of information
and sightseeing stops.
-Exhausted?
-Yes, my legs, as you can imagine.
Especially after yesterday,
because usually I would eat a lot
the day before.
But yesterday this was not possible.
So I had to go the the start
without energy.
-So this was really a war.
-Yes.
So instead of driving back to our hotel,
we had already packed our bags
the evening before
to set out on a planned four-hour drive
across the country.
The roads are full of potholes.
During our journey,
we often bump our heads in the bus
or slam against the window while sleeping.
It quickly becomes a running gag
with our guides.
In general, we have great luck
with our guides in 2017 as we did in 2013.
We can talk about lots of things
halfway openly
and have plenty of situations
where we have a lot of fun together.
Our destination is the
Masik-yong Ski Resort,
just off the east coast of North Korea.
Its modern hotel is part
of North Korea's only ski resort.
Now we're going to see the breakfast room
of our bobsled cabin hotel.
The interior design
is inspired by alpine ski huts.
Arriving at the hotel, we notice
that my Marathon medal is dated 2016.
And also with our
two ten-kilometer-runners
they made a mistake:
Although they had reached
the finish together,
they were presented with two completely
different times on their certificates.
In the evening
we go to a restaurant across the street
where we eat Korean barbecue.
After a few bottles of soju
and a really nice dinner,
we ask our guides and hotel staff
if they would sing karaoke for us.
Arirang is the name of a Korean Folk Song.
It's about a young woman
who sings to her lover
and wishes that he will soon come home,
which is actually a very common theme.
But of course the emphasis
is on the sadness of separation
between these two sides.
The concept is used today ,
especially in North Korea,
to underline the situation
on the Korean peninsula.
The Arirang then is used
to build a togetherness
between the two countries
on the basis of nationalism.
Arirang is for North- and South Korea
of great importance.
At the Winter Olympics 2018 in Pyeongchang
both sport-teams
from North-and South Korea
used it at the same anthem.
Not for nothing is one of the largest
South Korean TV stations called
Arirang TV.
Also the Arirang North Korean
Gymnastics Festival,
which we visited in 2013,
named after this song.
Besides the sports offerings
such as the Marathon or the Ski Resort
we are interested in how
North Koreans spend their free time.
According to our guides
the shooting range is prized as
a popular leisure destination.
In contrast to most of the places
we visited,
there is not march music here.
Thankfully, because it's a little bit
exhausting all the time.
Instead parade videos
and speeches with Kim Jong Un.
Even though we don't understand anything
it's at least a bit of a change
to the entertainment program.
The Kwangbok supermarket gives us
an insight into a small percentage
of the North Korean population.
This is one of three supermarkets
selling international products.
Mostly products from Thailand and China.
You can only pay with Won,
the North Korean currency.
Kind of surprising,
because otherwise we pay everywhere
with Euro or Dollar,
not in the North Korean currency won.
In addition to the supermarket,
some other things in the country
seem to have changed too.
Of course,
we can only speak for the exteriors.
For example, in the cityscape:
In 2013, many houses
were gray and covered in mold,
we find these now freshly painted
in peach and turquoise.
The people in Pyongyang are wearing
more and more colorful clothing
and we also see more
international sports brands.
Our larger and varied portions of food
also lead to the impression
that since 2013
a change has taking place.
Even American products
have found their way
onto the North Korean market.
North Korea is a country
that is in no way static,
there seems to be some change,
under Kim Jong Un, much new construction
has taken place.
The number of restaurants in Pyongyang
and elsewhere has risen dramatically,
and we see other businesses
such as car washes,
which did not exist before.
The number of petrol stations has grown,
traffic lights have appeared where before
the traffic police have stood.
Now there are more cars
and also traffic lights.
North Korea has experienced a modest boom
that has mostly concentrated itself
around Pyongyang,
but surely the country that Kim Jong Un
wants to show is continually
doing better under his leadership.
Not everything
we saw in North Korea was bad.
Much was concerning but also beautiful.
Some things were too good to be true.
You feel the tension
and hear the unsaid.
Sometimes it felt very personal
and intimate.
Is it because we travelled together
all the time
or because I just liked my guides
as people
regardless of a regime or world view?
I am glad to have captured
my own picture of the country
Oh, I'm dead!
I've already covered 30 kilometers.
At the moment the damn heat
and my worsening condition
are the only things on my mind.
And there's just no water anymore!
I can't feel my legs anymore,
I'm at kilometer 41 â
almost at the stadium.
But wait.
Why am I doing this to myself?
And why in Pyongyang of all places?
Well, to explain that,
I have to go back a bit.
In 2012 the press was full of reports
about North Korea.
The North Korean dictator
Kim Jong-Il died in December 2011.
The world was looking forward
to 28-year-old Kim Jong-Un
and what his next steps may be.
An old Asian proverb says:
âIt's better to see something once,
than to hear about it a thousand times.â
So why not give ourselves
a firsthand impression?
At the start of 2013 we made our decision.
My buddy Phillipp and I
are going to North Korea.
Our first challenge
starts with booking the trip.
Actually, we always travel
to countries on our own.
There is no individual tourism
in North Korea.
Everything including the entry
and exit booking
is taken over by an agency.
Before we enter,
we must declare that we have
no journalistic intentions.
Photos only with permission
but above all
no sound or film recordings.
All the following video recordings
were therefore made with my photo camera,
which can also film.
I camouflaged
the blinking red ârecordâ light
with a piece of black duct tape.
We are not aware
of the possible consequences.
But one thing is clear:
we want to smuggle as much material
as possible back to Germany.
At that time we do not know yet,
what we intend to do with it later.
There are several ways
to travel to North Korea.
We decide to take
a 25 hour train ride
from Beijing to Pyongyang.
That sounds long â and so it is.
But it's worth the trip!
Our first stop is
the Chinese border town Dandong.
We are in the train,
it's close to 11 am
we are about to reach North Korea,
as soon as we have passed the bridge.
They have exchanged carriages.
They have taken our passports
and we are about 200 meters far
from the North Korean boarder.
There is a one-hour time difference.
We'll sit on the train all day.
Don't forget â after the bridge,
the train stops
and then our luggage is searched.
Let's see what the countryside
from North Korea looks like.
Arrived in Pyongyang we are picked up
at the station by two guides.
They are our watchdogs
for the next seven days.
Pyongyang has 3 million inhabitants
but only two hotels for foreign visitors.
We will stay at the Koryo Hotel.
We are looking forward to
a privately guided tour
along the achievements of the country.
We are driven from door to door
and are not allowed to move
alone without our guides.
Do you have your flight tickets?
-Flight tickets back to Germany?
-Yes, your E-tickets.
Sure.
Here, from Pyongyang to Beijing.
-Correct.
-And here I have from Beijing to Munich.
Within North Korea
you will not need your passports.
With your guide
you won't need your passport.
With us you can go everywhere.
But without your guide
you are not allowed
to leave the hotel.
All this, I can show you
-and we will go and visit those places.
-Okay.
We want to visit
the Friendship Exhibition.
That's a problem!
-We cannot go to the Myohyang mountains.
-Okay.
Because three to four days ago,
there was heavy rain.
-Two of the main bridges collapsed.
-Okay.
And taking photos...
As you know North Korea
is in state of war!
Since April we have
lifted the armed truce.
Therefore, now we have a cease fire.
And that's why...
Many things belong to the military.
You cannot know which places
belong to the military. Because of this,
-you are not allowed to take photos.
-Sure.
The peculiarity of the hotel
is a 360° rotating restaurant
on the top floor.
Upon our arrival,
it is already 11 pm.
And yet some tables are still
set for up to 8 people,
with food and everything.
However, I don't think that anyone else
is coming to dinner today.
-So, what do you think?
-I don't know but i'm exhausted.
This arrival
has left me a bit out of sorts.
Nothing is like I expected it
which is not bad.
That we're only allowed to stay here
for now is a bit annoying.
I think we should get some sleep,
tomorrow will be a long day.
Here is the hallway...
and here is a somewhat odd little room.
Where you can sit face-to-face.
Then when we turn around
we find our bathroom.
This room is pretty much
like a normal hotel room.
The coolest thing is
that we are on the 33rd floor.
There is excitement in the hotel foyer.
It's the year 2013
and today is 27 July â
âVictory Dayâ for North Koreans.
Many international guests have come
especially for the occasion
to celebrate the end of the Korean War,
which lasted from 1950 to 1953,
and ended with the signing
of the ceasefire agreement.
In fact, both halves of Korea
are still on war footing.
-Morning!
-Morning!
-Did you sleep well?
-Yes very well,
-first real sleep in a long time.
-Okay...
I'm afraid, we are not allowed
to go outside.
I can imagine.
-Have you seen what's going on outside?
-Everything is blocked.
Do you see?
Everything is shut down.
We have to wait here till
all representatives are through.
I understand.
Can we quickly grab some breakfast?
No.
According to reports
from South Korean media,
this is the first time since 1993
that Victory Day is being celebrated
with a military parade.
Thousands of soldiers march
or drive past us in tanks.
It stinks of gasoline.
And also quite annoying:
the loudspeaker cars that have been
driving through the city for days.
For us only incomprehensible slogans
and North Korean marching music
resound through the streets.
Even days later, it still takes some time
to get used to the permanent sound.
In general,
the military is insanely present.
How many soldiers
are in the Korean army?
It's a huge army, right?
Three hundred thousand.
-Really?
-Yes.
Why do you grin when you say that?
Our government says so.
I think it's a lot.
But...
all the foreigners like the German,
Austrian and Swiss tourists
don't believe it.
The European media says
we have over one million soldiers.
Why do you let American tourists
in the country?
Aren't they the enemy?
-But it's about the government.
-Sorry?
The American government.
Not the American people.
But the American citizens
want to visit North Korea.
-That's why.
-Okay.
So the American people
are okay, but...
Yes, the people are okay,
just not the government and the soldiers.
But...
You're saying the average North Korean
has no problem with Americans?
-No.
-No?
If a Korean knows
his facial expression might be...
-Reserved.
-Yes.
But...
Usually most Koreans couldn't tell
if someone is American,
unless I explain it to them.
But most Koreans know it's allowed
for the Americans to come here
by our government.
Nevertheless, we met two American soldiers
in the elevator of our hotel,
who traveled to North Korea
on the occasion of the war anniversary.
We met two Americans in the elevator,
and they said they were searching...
For what again?
For a crashed airplane,
they are searching for the corpses
of a crashed plane.
It happened like 60 years ago.
Yes, they were looking for the remains.
-For their bones!
-Yes, for their bones.
Yes.
North Koreas Military
and Americas Military
they made an agreement
that allows these Americans to come
and search for bodies from the war.
But who goes with them
to search for the bodies?
Korean soldiers go with them.
Are there still any problem regions
where the government has conflicts
with different ethnic groups?
We don't have different
ethnic groups in North Korea.
-There are only North Koreans?
-One nation only.
-Absolutely homogenous?
-Yes.
We are always alone on the bus.
Because we have booked an individual trip.
Which means, that you always have
an entire bus for yourself.
Always accompanied by three guides.
North Korea gets support
from the World Hunger Relief Organization
You know about that?
Yes, is it true?
-Yes, sure.
-Okay.
-Nearly all developing countries get help.
-Okay.
But they don't play a big role.
I don't know where the âWorld Hunger Aidâ
support takes place
and what results they achieve.
I don't know where the poor people live.
You mean,
you don't see poor people around?
We quickly realized
that conversations of this kind
are hardly possible.
If there is something that is revealing
or interesting to us,
it is often interrupted
by the other guide.
Is that just a feeling
or are they not only looking out for us,
but also controlling each other?
One of those many questions,
which of course we can't ask.
At least not
if we want to leave the country
safely with our footage.
In search of experts
we find Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Frank.
If anyone knows North Korea, it's him!
People who work together with foreigners
seldomly do this alone.
There's always at least two of them.
So they can keep an eye on each other.
They also have to write reports
about their encounters.
The reports are then compared
for accuracy.
So that one is never sure
if their interaction with foreigners
has gone unobserved.
Which makes the system very effective
especially regarding self-censorship.
Afterwards we drive to a photo exhibition
about Kim Jong Un.
Here we learn more about
the military strength of North Korea.
She speaks English.
-Hey, how are you?
-Fine, thanks and you?
I'm good.
So tell us a bit about the photos.
-Let's start from there.
-Okay.
When the war broke out...
we didn't have much power, but the US...
they brought fifteen other countries,
fifteen other following countries
to the Korean war.
It was a very difficult war but anyway â
we smashed it!
-The US?
-The US.
-We are really proud of it!
-Obviously.
It was five years after the liberation
from the Japanese
when the war broke out.
But anyway, we smashed the US
under the wise leadership
of president Kim Il Sung.
Without him, we can't think of victory.
Our army is never weak.
We have...
Our army has grown up
into a invincible revolution force.
Who can defeat any enemy in one stroke.
Comrade Kim Jong Un
is most loyal to his people.
He left as the general secretary
of the party forever
and we elected him as
the first secretary of the party.
So what is his duty?
What does he have to do?
-You know he leads our party.
-Yes.
In our country the party
leads the Korean revolution.
He leads all the Korean people
and the struggle
to build his driving nation.
Okay.
The party is very different
from other parties,
in its role of position.
-You understand that?
-Yes.
-You see these people with flowers?
-Yes, you were a flower girl?
Yes, I was one of them.
Nice.
Why you were selected?
Oh, cause...
cause I'm good.
Cause I was loyal to my job.
I did everything really good,
in this position.
Good, nice.
You like to be, that the countries
come together?
Yeah.
It is our current and greatest wish.
When do you think it can happen?
Do you have any idea?
I am not sure.
We believe one day!
One day? I hope it soon.
Yes, thank you.
Okay. We didn't know that either.
So the North Koreans are desperate
for a reunification with South Korea?
But how should that be possible?
We ask our guides and they take us
to the South Korean border.
The area between North and South Korea
is the so-called DMZ.
The demilitarized zone.
It marks the border
between the two countries.
On the way to the border
we hardly meet any cars.
Why would we?
No one can get out anyway.
Or in.
The demilitarized zone
is a two kilometer strip
of an imaginary demarcation line.
That means a four kilometer strip
that runs a 250 kilometers strip
left and right of the border
from one coast to the other.
Basically, it has been set up
to secure a ceasefire.
Today it actually remains the border
between the two Koreas
as the result of the Korean War.
You can drive through the DMZ at one point
and drive right up
to the demarcation line.
There are these sky-blue buildings
in which the cease fire negotiations
took place from 1951 to 1953
and where today, official communications
between the two countries takes place.
The border runs exactly
through the middle of these buildings.
To create a neutral zone, enabling
the two sides to speak to one another,
without either side
having to leave their own land.
But we still don't really understand
the reunification process.
How exactly is that supposed to work?
How do people of a socialist state
with a strong leadership cult
imagine a reunification
with a state built on the foundations
of capitalism?
When South and North reunite into
one country this is how we want it to be.
-Sovereignty...
-Sovereignty, okay.
Peaceful reunification,
bringing together the entire nation.
One nation, one government, two systems.
Two systems:
socialism and capitalism.
Two governments.
You believe it can work?
It can work.
It must work.
I think it can work
because none will be oppressed.
Everyone can preserve their property.
South Korea can stay capitalist
and we can still be socialist.
-But both...
-...will be united.
-You think it can work?
-Yes.
Could you imagine...
if you say you want a reunification,
but to give up socialism?
Can you imagine that?
-We would not give it up.
-Just hypothetical.
-Just by imagination.
-Just by imagination...
That you say...
you would reunite...
but you would have to give up socialism,
to be reunited.
-You wouldn't do that?
-No.
Do you believe South Korea would
give up capitalism,
only to become
socialist just for the reunion?
Our question remains unanswered.
No one else heard our conversation
and our guide only made
statements loyal to the regime.
Nevertheless, there is a new guide
for us in the evening.
We can only assume that the former guide
has decided to avoid us.
Kind of weird, over time, we developed
closer relationships with our guides.
So we also get personal about some things.
For example, I am interested in
whether it's not exhausting
to be constantly on the road with
tourists for periods of up to two weeks â
without coming home in between.
One of them talks about
his broken marriage
and that the job suits him.
Another one tells me
about his four-year-old daughter,
whom he misses
and who likes Disney just like my niece.
Actually the same topics
as we know from home.
And through which we get a personal
insight into people's everyday lives.
It is estimated that the US Air Force
dropped around 450.000 tons of bombs
and more than 30.000 tons of napalm
over North Korea.
During the war, almost 90%
of Pyongyang was destroyed.
This is naturally reflected
in today's cityscape.
As Berliners, we are familiar
with socialist architecture.
Nevertheless, Pyongyang somehow looks
as if the architecture of the 70's
had been combined
with visions from science fiction.
At first glance, we do not see
a clear social infrastructure.
Almost completely indiscernible
without our guides.
Something we wouldn't normally have.
Back in Berlin we look for someone
who can help us
and find the graduate engineer
Dr. Philipp Meuser.
Architect and publisher
of the âArchitectural Guide of Pyongyangâ.
Pyongyang was an old, homogeneous city
before the Korean War.
What happened is that after the war,
Tabula rasa was made.
The old structure
was completely demolished.
The state has access to land
and ownership does not matter at all.
Urban planners think to themselves:
âThat's great, finally I can do
what I always wanted to do.â
Realize utopias.
And of course, that's what happened there.
Narrow, winding alleys were replaced
by wide main roads,
by modern multi-story buildings.
The architecture is inseparably interwoven
with ideological goals.
When Pyongyang was re-planning,
it oriented itself
on the axis of the Taedong River.
Everywhere visual axes were created
to connect the most important monuments.
The most important axis connects
the bronze monument on Mansu hill
with the memorial in honor
of the founding of the party.
In addition to the recognizable road axes,
the Sungri road forms the most
representative main artery of the city.
It unites a large portion
of the important state buildings.
Along the triumphal arch,
it leads to Mansu Hill
directly to Kim Il Sung Square.
The Kim-Il Sung Square is the urban
and symbolic center of Pyongyang.
From here, the optical connection
to the municipalities
on the eastern riverbank is established.
The monument to the Juche ideology
forms the urban development center
of East Pyongyang.
Another important component
to the cityscape
is the cult of personality
around the Kim family.
Again and again we see portraits, statues
or life-size wax figures of the leaders.
Ever bow to a statue in a parka?
The visit to the great monument
on Mansu Hill is an absolute highlight.
More precisely, these two bronze statues
are over 20 meters high.
Of course, all visits are based
on a strict principle.
Obligatory is the deep bow.
We save ourselves the trouble
of questioning it
and go along with everything
that is asked from us.
We don't want to be
watched more closely.
It is highly illegal to film
against the knowledge of the guides.
-Don't point with your finger!
-Okay.
Gregor, please put the flowers there
and then come back to us
-to show our respect to the leader.
-Okay.
You also put down a bunch of flowers
each time, in addition to the bow.
Often pink or red orchids.
Later we can see how the plastic-flowers
are brought back to the market for resale.
Next they show us the Kim Il Sung Place.
It serves as a parade square.
With 75.000 square meters
it's an incredibly large, open space,
right in the middle of the city.
On the ground we find
many small white dots and numbers.
They serve as orientation
for participants of mass events.
If you look over the Taedong River,
you will see a tower:
The Monument of the Juche Ideology.
The 170 meter high tower was built
to commemorate the merits of Kim Il Sung.
Who founded the Juche ideology
in the fifties.
By now, Juche is a kind of religion
in North Korea,
and the deceased rulers
are worshiped like saints.
It is firmly anchored
in the North Korean system
and thus also eponymous
for the Juche calendar.
Whose numbered years begin
with the year of the birth of Kim Il Sung.
Which god do you believe in?
-In myself.
-Religion I mean.
-In myself.
-Yes.
In myself.
-So you do not believe in any god?
-No.
And about you?
I am actually a Christian.
But probably not the best Christian
out there.
Most foreigners believe in Christianity,
Buddhism, Islam, various kinds...
In our country
we believe in the Juche idea.
Okay.
In our country the Juche idea
is a sort of religion.
But really, it's not our religion,
it is our man!
We believe in man.
-Have you read some of them?
-Many of them.
During the university we study that
as a subject.
-As a subject.
-Okay.
Okay, so what does it say here?
âOur socialist is the one, that...
that initiate the Juche idea.â
Our socialist means our own socialism.
It is man-centered socialism.
It is the Juche idea:
man is the owner of everything.
The man decides everything,
This is the Juche idea.
You can't ask that!
All Korean people love him.
Maybe if you ask that
to another person they will get angry!
-Don't ask that!
-Okay!
So is he the most
intelligent man in the world?
-Yes. We think that.
-Okay.
-So these are all books he wrote?
-Yes, everything he wrote.
It's a lot of books.
How many books did he write?
Maybe here that number is shown?
No there is no number...
Too many, many, many.
I can't remember.
We have a similar history.
Your country and our country.
Our country, it's very difficult
Because of several issues between
North Korea and South Korea...
What issues? What do you mean?
I don't know, it's sort of politics.
I'm not interested in politics.
The economy with the ideal.
-The ideal is very different.
-Yes.
-South Korean is capitalist.
-Yes.
They are only think of money.
But in our country it's no capitalism,
it's socialism.
We only think of our man.
Our leader, our party.
They don't care who is president.
They don't care at all.
They only think about money.
So the ideal is very different
and the economy is also different.
They maybe have developed
the economy in South Korea
and their living standard
is much higher than ours.
-You think so, it's higher?
-Yes, I think so.
-How do you know?
-I think...
We've learned, we've learned. But...
in the past times, we've learned
that South Korea is rather
poor and not developed.
But after maybe ten years later,
they developed much
and what TV news and some foreigners said
that South Korea is rather developed,
regarding Economy.
But they depend on
other countries economies,
especially the US economy.
But our country
has a self reliance economy.
Developed by ourselves.
Our goods are not good.
Sometimes it's rather rough,
but we love ours,
because it was made by ourself.
But they don't have that.
So for example the US,
they cut the line of the national economy,
but they can't develop themselves.
Okay.
So we're proud of us!
-Thank you for your cooperation.
-Thank you very much.
Thanks for all the informations.
Thank you.
Sorry for my poor english.
-Your english is great.
-Thank you.
-No, seriously.
-Bye.
After a few days we notice
how the constant propaganda
does not pass over us
without leaving a mark.
The strict program of discussions,
information and impressions
being presented
leaves us hardly time to think.
Our next destination is
the cemetery of the Revolutionary Heroes.
In the cemetery,
famous personalities are paid honor to.
For example, here is the tomb
of Kim Il Song's first wife
and Kim Jong Il's mother:
Kim Jong Suk.
-What are we supposed to do?
-Buying flowers.
Okay. And then?
Placing them up on the tomb
of the unknown soldier.
Okay.
Thank you! Gamsahamnida!
Gamsihammdamm.
Gamsaham... Gamsa-hamdi-am.
I have it now too:
Gamsahamnidam.
Gamsahamnida.
Gamsahamnida.
I thought there was an ânâ at the end?
Right?
Gamsahamnida.
So you place two larger bouquets there
and one at the top.
Then after you've set the flowers down,
then we have a mourning minute.
But not a minute
just a few seconds.
-So please, this and this...
-On the upper staircase, right?
-Yes.
-Okay.
-And then come back here.
-Yes.
Many of the people buried here
are war heroes who were martyred.
Back then Korea
was a Japanese colony and...
this man was betrayed by a Korean traitor
and was arrested.
He died in prison,
because he bit off his own tongue
instead of talking.
But the Japanese
did not try to save his life.
So he bled to death.
Courageous.
Also this time there is no time
to delve into with the many stories.
Our next stop though,
is one of the most exciting stops
of the entire journey.
The rush is great.
The excitement can be felt everywhere.
A North Korean is â
visibly against his will
led away by two soldiers.
But no time to go into it further.
It's on.
ARIRANG!
A more impressive artistic display
I have never seen before or since.
More than 100.000 persons take part
in this dance and gymnastics show.
The background is like a mosaic â
thousands of children hold up
colorful cardboard cards
and turn them over
with lightning precision
to form various pictures.
The Arirang Festival takes place
in the First of May Stadium.
With 114.000 seats,
it is the largest stadium in the world.
Arirang is one of the most
incredible events I have ever seen!
How is it possible that everyone
participates in such an act?
We ask our guides
where to begin in North Korea
to make such events a success?
To answer our question,
they take us to the Pyongyang
Students Palace the the next day.
It is a kind of educational institution.
These can be found
everywhere in North Korea.
The student palace
has space for around 4.000 students
and thus plays not an insignificant role
with children
and young people in North Korea.
We stop by various classrooms
where groups of children
are already expecting us.
Music, sports, dance, handcraft â
The children â
some of whom are still quite young â
amaze with their
impressively advanced skills.
I wonder if I could have achieved
so much perfection at that age?
And what effort would it take to be able
to show this perfection at that age?
At least now I understand a little better
what motivates an individual
to be part of a huge mosaic
for several hours.
Another station is the flower show.
It is located
in the Kim-il-sungi-je-Kim-jong-ilie
exhibition hall.
Yes, exactly.
The Kimilsungia
and Kimjongilia Exhibition Hall.
Prevalent in all the state propaganda
there is an element we find everywhere,
and that is the embodiment of the ruler
in the form of flowers.
These are breeds of botanicals
from outside North Korea,
donated to the people of North Korea.
This becomes an attempt
to embody the ruler
into something that will survive
over many generations,
so that the ruler is omnipresent.
There are flower exhibitions,
with loral competitions:
âWho has the most beautiful Kimilsungia?â
The hall is named after the orchid
âKim Ill Sungiaâ
and the begonia âKim Jong Iliaâ.
The entire hall is filled with flowers
arranged to form picturesque scenes.
These are combined
with photographs of the rulers
or models of missiles and nuclear bombs.
What else?
This exhibition hall
consist of three halls
and this is the central hall.
-Now we go upstairs.
-Okay.
Our master Kim Jong-un
was selected to be
the most famous President in the world.
Okay, I didn't know that.
Who selected him?
-By the people in the United States.
-Okay.
Interesting.
They could not win the war.
Do you know why?
It's because of him.
It's because of his outstanding
strategies and tactics,
and his belief in all our soldiers.
As well as our soldiers,
who paid back to his love,
-with their lives.
-Okay.
-And this one?
-It says celebration.
-And 60th anniversary of the victory.
-Ah okay, nice!
He is the hero and the son of our nation.
-That's it?
-Yes.
And Kim Ill Sungia and Kim Jong-Ilia
won two gold medals.
At the horticulture Exhibition in China
in 2006 and 2011.
And Kim Jong-ill won a lot of gold medals.
-Let me tell you?
-Yes.
Kim Jong-ill won
a special prize and golden medal
in Czechoslovakia,
they hold a international flower show
in 1991.
He won a special prize and golden medal.
In 1999, Kunming in China
they hold the horticulture exhibition
and he won the special price,
-grand medal.
-Okay.
So that religiously worshipped figure
in the form of a flower
can be raised anywhere, on a balcony,
in a factory, in schools.
The people can identify with it.
On the other side,
this flower
is not only as physical flower,
it also works on posters
or other forms of propaganda elements,
which are also present
everywhere in the society.
One of the last destinations
on our journey
is the Great Study Hall of the People.
It is referred as
âThe Learning Centerâ.
We are told that everyone can come here
in their free time.
The system is probably comparable
to those of the german adult
education centers.
According to North Korean media,
it houses over thirty million books.
Including a variety of writings
and music from abroad.
We are invited to take part
in a German class.
In this class there are many lectures.
-For example, we have a german class too.
-Okay.
The german class students
study german, now.
-I will show you.
-That would be great.
Maybe we can even talk to them.
-German lecture.
-Okay.
Good Morning.
Can we join you?
Sure, we are just taking a break.
Please.
-Please have a seat.
-Okay.
I am Philipp and this is Gregor.
Sarang hae yo.
I love you.
He said, he would like to learn more
about the âHofbräuhausâ.
Then he's not the right person to ask.
He comes from Munich!
That's the Royal Court Brewery in Munich,
in the centre of city.
It's a gigantic hall,
a really big hall,
with long tables, like the one here.
There people sit and drink beer
and listen to music.
They have big glasses â
have you seen pictures?
-Oh yeah!
-Yeah, big glasses. One liter.
It hurts your hand to lift it.
Men are only allowed
to hold it with one hand.
I understand most of it.
-But one question...
-Yes?
What is âKu'dammâ?
That is the short form, a slang
for the word âKurfürstendammâ.
-I'll write it down for you, alright?
-Yes.
Just right here? Okay...
It's written...
That is the biggest street in Berlin,
where you can go shopping.
-Yes, shopping mile.
-Exactly.
The short form is âKu'dammâ.
When can I come to Berlin?
I hope soon.
I hope very, very soon, sure.
-I hope to see you soon.
-Exactly.
I hope to see you soon again. Exactly.
-Do you have a family?
-Yes.
-How many people are in your family?
-I have an older sister,
a mother, a father
and also still one grandmother.
So to live with your grandmother,
parents and children,
how does that work?
Actually pretty good!
You guys speak very well
for taken German only for six months.
When I think about learning Korean
for only six months...
I could speak six words!
Good bye. Thank you very much.
-Bye.
-Bye.
Thanks. Take care.
-Bye.
-Bye.
-I hope we see each other again!
-I hope so too.
Here, in Berlin or anywhere in Germany.
Bye.
Bye.
In moments like these,
I'm not sure what to think.
I mean, does he really think
we'll see each other again?
If so, how does he imagine
it happening?
Somehow the situation makes me sad.
Well...
The large study hall of the people
is the last stop on our journey.
Afterwards we are off to the airport.
We quickly realized that it's difficult
to get an objective picture
of the country.
Instead, we see a country
of staged superlatives.
We asked a lot of questions
but listened much more often.
We were seldom able to choose the topics.
Probably the reason that we arrived
with many questions,
but we flew home with many of them
unanswered though.
Of course, our experience
is only scratching the surface
of what the North Korean people
are experiencing.
Nevertheless,
I came one step closer to an answer.
I developed a sense of what it means
to live in a totalitarian state.
The feeling, when you cannot freely
express your opinion
and instead play along for fear
of the enormous consequences.
For my part, I'm relieved
when I'm on the plane and I know
that my constant filming
can no longer bring consequences.
What remains
is a journey full of contrasts.
The impressions are deep and won't let me
go throughout the following week.
It was an exciting journey.
Nevertheless, I assumed that,
I will not travel to North Korea
again anytime soon.
...until I found out,
you can run a Marathon in Pyongyang!
After all, I just run to Las Vegas
through the desert all the way from LA.
Running is my thing.
So why not run a Marathon in Pyongyang?
It's the only way to walk through town
without the accompaniment of a guide!
Also this year our entry is endangered.
This time,
through the escalating conflict
between North Korea and the United States.
The last news we caught before we left
was marked by aggressive posturing
by both powers
So we let ourselves register
with the crisis provision list
of the Federal Foreign Office.
Together with four friends,
we left from Vladivostok to Pyongyang
on the 7th of April, 2017.
We're finally about to board the flight
to Pyongyang, North Korea.
The tension mounts.
We are told that the airline
has only four planes.
Probably the reason
for our nine-hour delay.
It's now 8pm,
we are waiting on our plane
which is right over there.
We'll hopefully land in Pyongyang
in one and a half hours.
It's two nights before the
start of the Marathon,
which is the most important night for me.
Now we're trying to shake off the jet lag
from the flight to Vladivostok,
a time difference of eight hours.
But all good.
The state airline of North Korea
is called Air Koryo.
With the exception of two airplanes,
operation in the European Union
is prohibited for safety reasons.
From the look of the plane
we fly to Pyongyang â
I can see why.
I've only known such aircraft
from museums.
The interior seems to be
the original from 1960s.
Upon our arrival, we get to know
our two guardians for the coming week.
This is the second time
for you in our country?
We have been here for the 60 years
celebration of the Korean wars.
We really liked it.
Since our visit in 2013,
a lot has changed.
New residential areas have emerged
and Pyongyang is no longer
completely in the dark.
At least not on the days
for the marathon.
That's a new skyscraper there, right?
Wow! It's huge.
The one with the lights in the back?
Very beautiful.
Back to the Koryo Hotel...
Like on our first trip,
the modalities will be discussed first.
Why don't we sit down
and talk about the program?
Yes, you are right.
Full marathon runners will start
and after five minutes half marathon
and ten kilometers runners will start.
And what time are we going to leave
the hotel on sunday morning?
Sunday morning we leave at 6:40 am.
And then we go
to the statues of the leaders
to show your respect to our leaders.
-The bronze statues we saw?
-Yes, the bronze statues.
And the we'll go to the Kim Il Sung Square
where the military parades
and mass dancing takes place.
Do you have a wheelchair for me
for sunday to do this after the marathon?
-That's right in the afternoon.
-That's why I'm asking.
-Which floor do we stay? Seventh?
-Third, no?
-What is our floor?
-Thirty-three!
-33rd floor.
-33rd floor?
Building number 2.
33rd floor and I think room number was 27.
I think we stayed here last time.
Really? Good memory!
I think so.
-It could be.
-Yeah, it could be.
-Good night!
-Good night!
Good night.
Afterwards, as it was four years ago,
it's back to the thirty-third floor â
and back to the exact same room.
I cannot get rid of the feeling
that there are no such coincidences
in North Korea.
During our first night in the hotel,
I realize that I am rapidly getting sick.
Something I ate in the last 24 hours
appears not to be agreeing with me.
Nevertheless,
I visit together with the others
the Pyongyang subway system.
The deepest mass transit network
in the world.
In Pyongyang a subway ride
is a highlight for every Berliner.
At the end of the 1990s,
several trains from the Berlin underground
were sold to North Korea
and are still in use today.
Already on the escalator
one notices a pleasant difference
a pleasant difference
to our train stations at home:
The total lack of advertising.
Nothing screaming for you to buy.
Wherever advertising posters
would normally hang,
instead there are elaborately designed
mosaics on the walls.
But the colorful motifs
are rich in propaganda.
In addition to the portraits
of Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il,
everything inside
is just as it used to be.
Even the scratch marks
of Berlin graffiti artists
can still be found on the windowpanes.
The route network,
created at the end of the 1960's,
is supposed to have around 30 stations.
These in turn should in part be provided
with integrated escape tunnels.
We do not notice any evidence of this.
During our visit to the subway,
my health is rapidly declining.
On the escalator
I hit rock bottom for the first time.
I need to go immediately
back to the hotel.
Unfortunately I woke up this morning
and after breakfast
I began having massive stomach problems.
It started when we visited the subway,
when I couldn't hold it back anymore.
It's some kind of stomach flu,
virus or whatever.
The problem is, I'm supposed
to run a Marathon tomorrow.
I'll wait until tomorrow morning,
it can't really go on like this.
Hopefully I will get better overnight.
It is the 12th April 2017
and the 4th Marathon in Pyongyang
where foreigners
are allowed to participate.
This year it is a special marathon.
Instead of the previous
four times ten-kilometer rounds
around the Kim-Il Sung Stadium.
It is now for the first time
across the city
and at kilometer 21 back again.
Due to my state of health,
my stomach is empty
and my fluids are anything but topped up.
I've felt better before...
But I'll try my luck,
maybe I'll make it,
or at least run a half Marathon.
Similar to what is permitted
at special locations,
filming is now also allowed
at certain events.
In general however,
the rule has not eased.
This year the prohibition of taking photos
out of the moving bus
is even more controlled.
I enter the Kim Il Sung Stadium
for the first time.
40.000 people are there to watch
and cheer on the athletes.
It's time. Yesterday at this time
I was laid out in the bathroom.
Today after three bananas
and a little toast,
I'm ready to give it a try.
Let's see how far I get.
From the stadium,
the route goes past the victory arch.
The people on the roadside
cheer for the runners.
I can only guess who was ordered
as a spectator to the roadside
and who is here voluntarily.
All that matters to me right now
is that I feel supported.
In North Korea
very many things are staged,
you notice this from time to time
as a visitor.
Interesting is the question of whether
or not this should be considered wrong,
for the people and also the leaders.
They see their participation
as part of the âtotal packageâ
and want to make sure that the runners
are not running through an empty city,
they want the runners to be seeing
people cheering for them.
We take it as a deception, of course.
I believe in the reality though,
from the point of view
of the North Korean, it's a bit of both.
Kilometer seven.
It's going okay.
Our guardian tells us
that all runners who need more
than four hours
will be picked up by a yellow bus.
Kilometer 16 is behind me...
I'm pretty...
surprised, that I can run at all.
Twelve kilometers to go.
Oh, I'm dead!
From kilometer 30
all water stocks are empty.
As the runners of the ten-kilometer run
and the half-marathon run
the same distance,
is this my last water bottle
that I get for the rest of the track.
Kilometer 41.
I made it.
That was a hard fight.
But anyway...
I don't feel my legs anymore,
it's kilometer 41
I'm almost at the stadium...
and nothing can stop me anymore.
At the finish, it feels like
I'm drying out from the inside.
Even at the finish, there's no water.
I'll pay for that later!
I spend the rest of the trip
in bed with a fever.
You are crazy.
They just don't have any water anymore.
Not here, not on the track.
-They're sadistic.
-We're getting you water right now.
Normally after a Marathon I would relax
and do something good for my body â
especially this time.
But as in 2013, our 2017 trip
is also an overload of information
and sightseeing stops.
-Exhausted?
-Yes, my legs, as you can imagine.
Especially after yesterday,
because usually I would eat a lot
the day before.
But yesterday this was not possible.
So I had to go the the start
without energy.
-So this was really a war.
-Yes.
So instead of driving back to our hotel,
we had already packed our bags
the evening before
to set out on a planned four-hour drive
across the country.
The roads are full of potholes.
During our journey,
we often bump our heads in the bus
or slam against the window while sleeping.
It quickly becomes a running gag
with our guides.
In general, we have great luck
with our guides in 2017 as we did in 2013.
We can talk about lots of things
halfway openly
and have plenty of situations
where we have a lot of fun together.
Our destination is the
Masik-yong Ski Resort,
just off the east coast of North Korea.
Its modern hotel is part
of North Korea's only ski resort.
Now we're going to see the breakfast room
of our bobsled cabin hotel.
The interior design
is inspired by alpine ski huts.
Arriving at the hotel, we notice
that my Marathon medal is dated 2016.
And also with our
two ten-kilometer-runners
they made a mistake:
Although they had reached
the finish together,
they were presented with two completely
different times on their certificates.
In the evening
we go to a restaurant across the street
where we eat Korean barbecue.
After a few bottles of soju
and a really nice dinner,
we ask our guides and hotel staff
if they would sing karaoke for us.
Arirang is the name of a Korean Folk Song.
It's about a young woman
who sings to her lover
and wishes that he will soon come home,
which is actually a very common theme.
But of course the emphasis
is on the sadness of separation
between these two sides.
The concept is used today ,
especially in North Korea,
to underline the situation
on the Korean peninsula.
The Arirang then is used
to build a togetherness
between the two countries
on the basis of nationalism.
Arirang is for North- and South Korea
of great importance.
At the Winter Olympics 2018 in Pyeongchang
both sport-teams
from North-and South Korea
used it at the same anthem.
Not for nothing is one of the largest
South Korean TV stations called
Arirang TV.
Also the Arirang North Korean
Gymnastics Festival,
which we visited in 2013,
named after this song.
Besides the sports offerings
such as the Marathon or the Ski Resort
we are interested in how
North Koreans spend their free time.
According to our guides
the shooting range is prized as
a popular leisure destination.
In contrast to most of the places
we visited,
there is not march music here.
Thankfully, because it's a little bit
exhausting all the time.
Instead parade videos
and speeches with Kim Jong Un.
Even though we don't understand anything
it's at least a bit of a change
to the entertainment program.
The Kwangbok supermarket gives us
an insight into a small percentage
of the North Korean population.
This is one of three supermarkets
selling international products.
Mostly products from Thailand and China.
You can only pay with Won,
the North Korean currency.
Kind of surprising,
because otherwise we pay everywhere
with Euro or Dollar,
not in the North Korean currency won.
In addition to the supermarket,
some other things in the country
seem to have changed too.
Of course,
we can only speak for the exteriors.
For example, in the cityscape:
In 2013, many houses
were gray and covered in mold,
we find these now freshly painted
in peach and turquoise.
The people in Pyongyang are wearing
more and more colorful clothing
and we also see more
international sports brands.
Our larger and varied portions of food
also lead to the impression
that since 2013
a change has taking place.
Even American products
have found their way
onto the North Korean market.
North Korea is a country
that is in no way static,
there seems to be some change,
under Kim Jong Un, much new construction
has taken place.
The number of restaurants in Pyongyang
and elsewhere has risen dramatically,
and we see other businesses
such as car washes,
which did not exist before.
The number of petrol stations has grown,
traffic lights have appeared where before
the traffic police have stood.
Now there are more cars
and also traffic lights.
North Korea has experienced a modest boom
that has mostly concentrated itself
around Pyongyang,
but surely the country that Kim Jong Un
wants to show is continually
doing better under his leadership.
Not everything
we saw in North Korea was bad.
Much was concerning but also beautiful.
Some things were too good to be true.
You feel the tension
and hear the unsaid.
Sometimes it felt very personal
and intimate.
Is it because we travelled together
all the time
or because I just liked my guides
as people
regardless of a regime or world view?
I am glad to have captured
my own picture of the country