Mark Edward Harris has visited North Korea a remarkable 10 times and has seen many changes to the country since his first trip, largely positive. "In spite of the economic weight of international embargos, the once barren streets are now full of cars, including taxis, in Pyongyang," he said. "Economic growth seems to be slowly trickling out to cities and towns beyond the capital."
Here he chooses 17 of his favourite images taken during his time in North Korea. Harris's latest book, "North Korea," was named Photography Book of the Year at the International Photography Awards. His other books include "South Korea," "Inside Iran," "Wanderlust," and "The Way of the Japanese Bath." See http://ift.tt/1gE3qAo
The Joint Security Area (JSA) in 2014, as seen from the North Korean side at Panmunjeom, looking across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) to the South Korean side. In 1997 I was one of those visitors gazing across the no man's land that divides North and South Korea. In 2005 I finally made it to the other side. The only way visitors can visit both is through China or Russia. One cannot simply cross the line.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
Kindergarten performances such as the one I photographed in the North Korean east coast industrial town of Chongjin are designed specifically for foreign visitors. While one can see this as blatant propaganda, it's hard not to be impressed by the diminutive actors and musicians.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
A visit to a farming commune which included a nursery school in Kangwon Provence gives a feeling for life in rural North Korea. While the famine of the 1990s is over, the lack of highly mechanized farming practices still means large numbers of people work in adjacent fields.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
I was on hand for a military parade on April 15, 2012, which celebrated the centennial of the birth of country founder Kim Il Sung. The procession of military hardware and soldiers stretched for miles.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
People bow to the statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il on Mansudae Hill in Pyongyang. Upon entering the country visitors are brought to Mansudae Hill to pay their respects to the former leaders along with the North Korean citizenry.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
The 105-storey Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang. After many years of sitting idle because of construction issues - concrete supposedly settled in such a way to make the installation of elevators impossible - the problems have been resolved and the hotel's opening is on the horizon.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
Lack of electricity once necessitated the need for traffic officers. While this has diminished, the popularity of the stylishly clad officers seems to help them retain their jobs. They are so popular that a movie 'A Traffic Controller on Crossroads' extolls their virtues, and dolls depicting them can be found in tourist stores.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
A mother carries her child in the town of Sonbong. The further one travels from Pyongyang the more the economic realities of the DPRK seem to show themselves.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
The scene of children playing in a schoolyard in Sonbong is reminiscent of many other locations around the globe. Only the military theme reveals the location.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
The Pyongyang subway system doubles as a bomb shelter. It's reminiscent of the one built deep underground in Moscow.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
Soldiers perform at the 2005 Arirang Mass Games, one of the most impressive of human spectacles. In 2000, Kim Jong Il took visiting US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to a similar performance. She later commented that while she was uncomfortable with the glorification of the regime, she was spellbound by the precision of the event.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
A child enjoys a ride at a fun fair in Pyongyang. In order to take this photo, I squeezed my Western derriere into the small chair next to the subject of my photo. It took me a lot longer to get out at the end of the ride than it did to get in.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
Visitors to Pyongyang are given the opportunity to tour the capital in an historic bus.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
Pyongyang's Golden Lane Bowling Alley is one of the best places for visitors to get up close and personal with the local populace.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
Part of my time in Pyongyang was spent in a barber's chair where in addition to a haircut I received a strong shoulder massage. I paid $10, probably five times the amount paid by locals, but it was more than worth it both for the trim and the experience.
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
Credit: Mark Edward Harris
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