2016 Photo Contest, Long-Term Projects, 3rd prize

North Korea: Life in the Cult of Kim

Photographer

David Guttenfelder

National Geographic

15 March, 2013

Illuminated portraits of North Korea's late leaders, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, glow amid the darkened buildings of central Pyongyang before dawn.

North Korea emerged in the upheaval following the end of World War II and the Korean War, and for six decades has been one of the most isolated and secretive nations on earth. Its history is dominated by the founding president, Kim Il-sung, known as the Great Leader. He shaped political affairs for almost half a century, establishing a totalitarian state which shut itself off from the outside world. A leadership cult has grown around the Kim dynasty, passing from Kim Il-sung to his son Kim Jong-il (the Dear Leader) and grandson, the current supreme leader Kim Jong-un.

The country is run along rigidly state-controlled lines. Local media are strictly regulated, and the foreign press largely excluded. The photographer was granted rare access, visiting North Korea on some 40 occasions between 2008 and 2015. He photographed not only large state-orchestrated events, but also everyday rural life.

About the photographer

David Guttenfelder

David Guttenfelder is a photojournalist and National Geographic Explorer focusing on geopolitical conflict, conservation, and culture. Guttenfelder has spent more than 25 year...

Technical information

Shutter Speed
1/125
Focal length
110.0 mm
F-Stop
4.5
ISO
3200
Camera
Canon EOS 5D Mark III

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