Photos show what daily life looks like in restrictive North Korea

Katie BalevicFeb 4, 2023, 18:48 IST

Schoolchildren wearing face mask, go to the Kumsong Secondary School No. 2 in the morning in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021.Cha Song Ho/AP

People living in North Korea, or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, live rigid and controlled lives.
With a lack of connection to the outside world, North Koreans maintain their family ties and traditions.

Family is incredibly important to North Koreans.

A boy and his grandmother wearing face masks walk on a street along the Pyongyang Railway Station in Central District of of Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022.Jon Chol Jin/AP

Family reunions between the north and south have been on hold for years.

North Korean refugee Jo Kyeong-hyeon, left, and his family members pay respect to their ancestors in North Korea to celebrate the Chuseok, the Korean version of Thanksgiving Day, at Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, near the border with North Korea, South Korea, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020.Ahn Young-joon/AP

Still, they enjoy traditions with their neighbors, like making kimchi.

A family in Somun-dong, Central District, prepares Kimchi for the coming winter with their neighbors at their home in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Nov., 19, 2020.Jon Chol Jin/AP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expanded the education system with a focus on science.

Schoolchildren wearing face mask, go to the Kumsong Secondary School No. 2 in the morning in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021.Cha Song Ho/AP

Citizens visit the zoo to see different breeds of animals from other countries.

A woman and her son see the tortoise at the aquarium of the Central Zoo in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Dec. 3, 2021.Cha Song Ho/AP

The pandemic led to an increase in demands for divorces, reports said.

A bride and groom walk after having their wedding photos taken with the background of the Tower of the Juche Idea in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019.Dita Alangkara/AP

The 'songbun' caste system divides people into social classes.

Two women sit on a chair with national flags in front of the Grand People's Study House in Pyongyang, on Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020.Cha Song Ho/AP

The country encourages nationalism and veneration of state leaders.

People view paintings at the National New Fine Art Talents Exhibition at the Okryu Exhibition Hall in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.Cha Song Ho/AP

There are celebrations of military might.

Students dance during the celebrations of the 74th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army in the plaza of the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022.Cha Song Ho/AP

Propaganda is a prominent force in the country.

A North Korean national flag in North Korea's propaganda village of GijungdongChung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

Leader Kim uses propaganda campaigns to secure support amid struggles.

People exit an underpass along a main street of the Central District in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021.Cha Song Ho/AP

Traveling without permission is a capital offense.

Commuters walk inside Puhung subway station in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019.Dita Alangkara/AP

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