Mysterious North Korea
German photojournalist Julia Leeb visited North Korea and took pictures of the isolated country. The results have now been published in a book.
'The flowers of Pyongyang'
German photojournalist Julia Leeb took pictures of everyday life in North Korea - or at least the parts of it the country's few visitors are allowed to see. She told DW about the stories behind the images. In a city without traffic lights, Pyongyang's traffic policewomen swing their batons all day long. Usually there is no traffic. "They are beautiful, but their function remains a mystery."
Through the camera lens
"How long can a country live in an isolated time capsule, a parallel universe? These photographs provide a window on a society that we cannot imagine. They are a kind of conversation between the North Koreans and us," Leeb says. Her impressions of North Korea have now been published in a book by "teNeues" publishing house.
Tiny parts of a massive whole
In North Korean society, a single person counts for very little. "Here the existence of the individual is possible only as part of the collective," Leeb says. These schoolchildren are trained to hold up a series of cards they paint themselves. Together, these make up a giant dynamic image that forms a backdrop to North Korea's famous mass games.
Korean Romeo and Juliet
The annual Arirang Festival is named for an ancient Korean folk song. It features mass games that present North Korea's history. "Around 100,000 people take part in this pompous self-promotion," Leeb says. "The tragic folk song Arirang is about separation and lost love and is a national symbol of the history of Korea."
Deserted city
A lot of her pictures are characterized by a feeling of loneliness, Leeb said. Deserted streets and huge public squares, such as central Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang. "It is one few remaining capitals worldwide that hasn't been affected by globalization. You hardly see cars, there is no advertising and no restaurant chains."
Monumental architecture
The 170-meter Tower of the Juche Idea is named for the state ideology. "Almost all cities of North Korea were destroyed in the Korean War. Pyongyang is a model city that consists of symmetry and colossal architecture. To me, this overriding emphasis on public space felt like being in an old science fiction movie."
Posing for the wedding photographer
Picture of a picture: "This photograph was taken in Kaesong. A few seconds later, the photographer turned around and started talking to me. It was a rare situation for a foreigner in North Korea", Leeb says. "I assume is was my camera that motivated him to dare approach me."
One table, two countries
The South Korean Freedom House looks down on the most closely guarded border in the world at Panmunjom. "The blue barracks are half in South Korea and half in North Korea. Inside each is a door to South Korea and one to North Korea. In the middle is a table at which the two hostile parties can sit without having to leave their own country."
An impenetrable border
"Most of the time, Major Hwang is all by himself, keeping guard on a post in the mountainous border area. "He was pleased to have guests and congratulated us on our courage to come to the 'world's most dangerous border.'" Because the Korean conflict ended in an armistice instead of a peace treaty, even more than 60 years later, the two Koreas are still technically at war.
Huge monument, tiny person
The Monument to the Foundation of the Korean Workers' Party is highly symbolic. "Hammer and sickle stand for peasantry, the brush refers to the intellectual class. The stone ring hints at the unity of leader, people and party. The apartment blocks in the back symbolize revolutionary flags." The vastness of the monument contrasts with the tiny human figure - underneath the huge lettering.