Carl De Keyzer Father and son sit down for a rest in front of the April 25th House of Culture; Pyongyang. April 25th is the founding date of the Korean People’s Army, and the enormous structure is used for import (...)
ant military and political meetings, as well as performances. Pyongyang, DPR Korea. © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer “Let’s drive out American Imperialism and Unite the Fatherland” reads a poster at the Sinchon US War Atrocities Museum; Sinchon, South Hwanghae Province. Political slogans are written in red, and b (...)
lack is reserved for particularly detested words, here: “American Imperialism”. Sinchon, DPR Korea. © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Air force planes fly by, locals wait by the side of the street in Pyongyang to see the forces involved in a military parade. The sleek building in the background is a luxury restaurant and recreat (...)
ion complex with branches overseas. Pyongyang, DPR Korea. © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Warm-up room inside of the May Day Stadium, Pyongyang. The stadium was once home to the Arirang Mass Games, an enormous choreographed show, with over 100,000 participants depicting the revolutionar (...)
y history of Korea. The stadium was recently converted to accommodate a variety of football, track and field events.
DPRK vs Philippines soccer match for women. Pyongyang, DPR Korea. © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Taking the Hyangdobong funicular train to the top of Mt. Paekdu, Ryanggang Province. In the DPRK, many companies and brands are named after Korean geographic place names — in this particular case t (...)
he funicular train has been named after Mt. Paekdu’s Hyangdo Peak. Mt. Paekdu, DPR Korea. © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer View of East Pyongyang — home of many of the city’s universities and hospitals — from the Tower of the Juche Idea. The red words in the foreground say ‘one heart’, and form half of a slogan reading (...)
‘single-hearted unity’. The hammer, sickle, and writing bush of the Party Foundation Monument can be seen in the left background. Pyongyang, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer An oil painter touches up a scene of a bumper catch at sea; Mansudae Art Studio, Pyongyang. Mansudae Art Studio employees over 5,000 artists and is responsible for much of the DPRK’s public art. Th (...)
e studio also exports fine arts, including specially commissioned bronze sculptures for world leaders and political monuments. Pyongyang, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Pyongyang citizens practice for a mass rally beneath the Tower of the Juche Idea, Pyongyang. Such rallies can involve tens of thousands of people, and take significant time and energy to plan, prac (...)
tice, and coordinate. Pyongyang, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Statues of Korean revolutionary fighters in the “Anti-Japanese Armed Struggle”; Samjiyon Grand Monument, Ryanggang Province. Between 1910-1945, Korea was a colony of the Japanese Empire. Those who (...)
took up arms against Japanese rule are considered heroes in the DPRK. DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer The revolutionary road to Mt. Paekdu, Ryanggang Province. In their lives, many Koreans will make a revolutionary pilgrimage to the mountain with their classmates or colleagues. These pilgrimages re (...)
trace the steps of Korean revolutionary heroes and fighters. Mt. Paekdu, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Young ballerinas show off their skill while a picture of Mickey Mouse looks on at the Chongam Kindergarten; Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province. Disney characters are popular among young people and t (...)
heir images often adorn schools, orphanages, and other facilities for children. DPR Korea. © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer A waitress prepares the dining hall for a meal at Kyongsang Guest House, North Hamgyong Province. Once a major administrative centre, Kyongsang is now a small resort town overshadowed by its indust (...)
rial neighbor Chongjin. DPR Korea. © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Members of the Korean Women’s League perform flag waving to encourage morning commuters on their way to work; Pyongyang. The Korean Women’s League is a mass organization for housewives and retired (...)
women. Every Korean is part of some mass organization of some kind: Children’s Union, Women’s League, Trade Union, and/or political party. Pyongyang, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Electronic goods on sale at the Taesong Department Store, Pyongyang. Originally based on the Soviet style, Pyongyang’s department stores have diversified in recent years to operating their own rest (...)
aurants, spas, bakeries, and bars. Pyongyang, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer A mermaid performer at the Rungra Dophinarium, Pyongyang. The Danish fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen is available at bookstores in translation, while the Disney cartoon a (...)
daptation dubbed into Korean can be purchased on DVD. Pyongyang, DPR Korea. © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Locals carry flowers to congratulate soldiers who have just participated in a military parade; Pyongyang. Viewing parades from Kim Il Sung Square is by invitation only, but citizens and tourists ca (...)
n catch units exciting the city. Pyongyang, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer A floral display put together by a unit of the Korean People’s Army at the Kim Ilsungia-Kim Jongillia Flower Exhibition, Pyongyang. The yellow text literally reads “One Hundred Battles, One Hundred (...)
Victories”, or ever victorious. Pyongyang, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Korean People’s Army soldiers exit Pyongyang after a successful military parade; Pyongyang. While soldiers are completely serious during the parade itself, they take on a relaxed and festive attitu (...)
de once they are done marching in formation. Pyongyang, DPR Korea. © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Korean People’s Army soldiers exit Pyongyang after a successful military parade; Pyongyang. While soldiers are completely serious during the parade itself, they take on a relaxed and festive attitu (...)
de once they are done marching in formation. Pyongyang, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Student-organized mass dance at the Indoor Stadium, Pyongyang. Usually held on holidays, mass dances take place at locations around Pyongyang and other cities, and can have anywhere from a few hund (...)
red to a few thousand participants. Foreigner visitors are often encouraged to join in. Pyongyang, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Girls’ dormitory at the Songdowon International Schoolchildren’s Union Camp, Wonsan, Kangwon Province. The largest summer camp in the DPRK houses domestic and international students, who can visit (...)
the camp for two-week sessions during the summer. International students largely come from countries with traditionally close relations to Korea — Russia, China, Vietnam, Mongolia — as well as some from countries farther afield. Wonsan, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Passageway at the Songdowon International Schoolchildren’s Union Camp; Wonsan, Kangwon Province. The best students from schools around the country are selected to spend time at the camp, free of ch (...)
arge. Students are selected for their talent in academics, the arts, and/or sports. Wonsan, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer A local guide leads the way at Songdowon International Schoolchildren’s Union Camp; Wonsan, Kangwon Province. The grounds have on-site dormitories, cafeteria, classrooms, a water park, botanical ga (...)
rden, aquarium, aviary, and sport facilities. Wonsan, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Water ballet practice; Changgwangwon Health Complex, Pyongyang. Synchronized swimming performances are sometimes part of prominent national celebrations on major holidays; the national team compete (...)
s in international events. Pyongyang, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer An artist’s depiction of alleged war crimes during the Korean War. The diorama depicts the American soldiers driving a nail into a Korean woman’s head; Sinchon US War Atrocities Museum, Sinchon, So (...)
uth Hwanghae Province. Sinchon, DPR Korea. © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos
Carl De Keyzer Rungna Islet. International Children’s Day (June 1). Vendors sell refreshments; Pyongyang. Recent years have seen an expansion of foodstuff products, including ‘eskimos’ (ice cream), candied and br (...)
ead snacks, cakes, and regional beers. Pyongyang, DPR Korea © Carl De Keyzer - Magnum © Carl De Keyzer | Magnum Photos