27 Pictures That North Korea Did Not Want You to See

1.

Without electricity, daily life would look bad. So pictures were only allowed to be taken from the other side of this monitor.

2.

Children working and collecting materials outside--an image North Korea forbids because child labor implies poverty.

3.

Bathing in the river is common among the sizable population of impoverished North Koreans. But any such depiction of it is strictly forbidden.

4.

North Korea's extra deep subways double as a bomb shelters, but photos within them is against the law.

5.

Photographing fieldwork is against the rules--probably because the agricultural methods and technologies are clearly behind the times.

6.

Cars are new to the region and pretty rare, which is why children still play in the streets.

7.

Depictions of wealth (and therefore the wealth disparity) are forbidden.

8.

This is a street vendor. The government requested Lafforgue not to use flash, saying it would scare the people.

9.

A rural bathroom's cistern shows austere life in the country.

10.

Public transportation is rare and underdeveloped, so you'll even see soldiers hitchhiking.

11.

Pictures of malnutrition are banned.

12.

Worker safety--What's that?

13.

The government allows photos of the animals performing, but not the crowd watching. Maybe it's because soldiers make up nearly the whole audience.

14.

Shopping at supermarkets is reserved for the wealthy elite. Even then, the selection is barren. But the stores still stock Evian.

15.

Depictions of homelessness is forbidden.

16.

Pictures of statues from behind are forbidden.

17.

The government does not allow pictures of its army.

18.

19.

North Korea's military is not very organized, and soldiers are often found doing menial labor.

20.

North Koreans are required to attend various monuments during the Kimjongilia festival, a festival of flowers named after former dictator Kim Jong-il.

21.

Grey markets stand along the road and sell things like candy and cigarettes.

22.

Officials attempt to maintain building exteriors, but even then, life looks bleak.

23.

Brooms are never to be placed at the base of official statues.

24.

People pick grass from the park for food. The North Korean government has banned any such image of it.

25.

Photos of anything that doesn't work are forbidden. Here, riders push a broken bus.

26.

Power outages are common. When they happen, such as in this art gallery, officials blame the American embargo.

27.