North Korea is one of the most private countries in the world, but thanks to social media, one photographer is showing the world this unknown nation.
David Guttenfelder regularly visits North Korea as a news photographer, and using only his iPhone, is spreading the word about what is really going on via Instagram.
In March 2013, North Korea’s smartphone ban was lifted, allowing people like Guttenfelder to bring phones into the country. However, there are still strict rules on what people can take photos of.
“I have to ask permission in writing wherever I go. And there are some very difficult discussions after the pictures are published — we often lock horns because they have a very different idea of how [North] Korea should be covered,” Guttenfelder told The Guardian.
“I thought Instagram would be a simple place to share, but it has become one of the most important ways for me to open a window to the place, to remind people that there is something worth exploring and discovering there.”
Guttenfelder’s Instagram account has grown to more than 300,000 followers.
Here is some of his best work:
North Korean vodka
Guttenfelder explains this picture with the caption: “A bottle of vodka with Dennis Rodman’s name in Korean and the images of Rodman and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un. Rodman’s bodyguard placed it on the roof of their car outside their Pyongyang hotel.”
Pedestrians
North Korea countryside
Basketball with Rodman
Guttenfelder says: “Former NBA star Dennis Rodman smokes a cigar court side as he talks to North Korean basketball players during a practice session in #Pyongyang. Rodman selected the line-up for the North Korean team which will play against US NBA stars next Jan. 8 in Pyongyang, the birthday of leader Kim Jong Un.”
Working conditions
This article originally appeared in news.com.au.