Heading into the DPRK on August 7, 2010

My third visit is scheduled - 10 glorius days vacationing in the Hermit Kingdom. This year I have a variety of cameras including the 18 Mp EOS Rebel 2Ti. I have telephoto lenses at the ready and I am scheduled to be at several intersections. If I can do as well as last year then I will be really happy.

I plan to take a Lomo Diana film camera to do some art shots of the girls. I will not be at the Koryo Hotel (stuck on Alcatraz island for a few nights) so there will be limits. I will be out of Pyongyang for 5 days photographing in Hamhung and Wonsan.

This will be a long tour but with more capability I hope that I can bring more back. I will ask to stop at more intersections.

I am also scheduled to go in again in November - the cheap five day tour but I want to see them in their winter best.

I will report when I return August 20.

Woo hoo! Good luck on your trip, can't wait to see what goodies you come back with.
I'm kind of surprised they allow so much picture taking lately, especially from Americans. All those cameras you're bringing.
Do you still have hope that they will let you see the trafficgirl acadamy, or have they totally nixed that idea?

Here's a thought - try to play to their pride. Tell them you want to get a photo of the Kim Il-Sung pin on a TG, to capture their devotion to the Dear Leader. They might be flattered enough to let you get a TG close-up.
Or tell them the world is envious of their traffic ladies, etc., could I please see where your magnificent traffic women are trained so I can show the world pictures from your superior training facility.
I don't know if any of that would work, but it's an idea anyway.
Hey, tell one of your minders that there is a website in the US that's devoted to their Pyongyang Traffic Girls and see how they react, lol.

Will they be having the mass games during your trip? If so I suppose you will be going. On the off chance they happen to have a choreographed routine featuring hundreds of performing trafficgirls, be sure to take some pictures!
We'll be waiting to see your latest finds from the DPRK! And try not to get caught up in any international incidents while you're there! Thanks Ray

I went in last month and you can now take in Laptops! Someone in our group had one with a nifty bit of software to find deleted pictures on memory cards and re-instate them. Pretty useful

Thanks oocares - even in 2008 I watched a guard take a laptop out of a persons bag in our group only to day, "You may keep it, just don't use it while you are here." It is actually less rigid than we think. I will not smuggle a phone or bring a laptop. I wish I could duplicate my images in the field just to back them up. I never put them in checked luggage and even put them in a pocket for the flight out.
On the deletion problem, I swap out a card after the photo is deleted and hold it for recovery later but the photos deleted were never ones I thought I needed. So far I have been able to capture what I need. I bring plenty of SD cards. A 10 day trip should test the limits. I am more interested in photographing towns that outsiders have not been to.
One thing I am doing is upon arrival I am heading to Dandong on the overnight train. I want to photograph the gateway city to the DPRK and hit the flea market. I will take a boat cruise and photograph. This will be a quick trip before flying to Pyongyang but I have to see that vantage point as I think it will become essential to know Dandong if things begin to change.

Dear Leader, send me your email address and I send you an email from Pyongyang. I do that from the hotel. You can post that. Otherwise I will be out of touch from 3 Aug to 19 Aug.

Thanks
Ray

I question why they would allow foreigners to bring laptops and such in to the country, could it be so that if they need an excuse to detain someone they can claim it was proof of "illegal activity"?

I have noticed that they are loosening up about photography and electronics. I am cautious when there but I find inside they are not looking for some reason to do something. I could have caused problems when I went on a night time walk. I was held but really they are interested in bringing more people there - controlled yes but they are loosening up. If someone is found with a suspicious device I have seen them say "Leave it at the hotel."
They can find an excuse if they need one.

"They can find an excuse if they need one" yes, I suppose that is always the case.

Zaruka wrote:

Dear Leader, send me your email address and I send you an email from Pyongyang. I do that from the hotel. You can post that. Otherwise I will be out of touch from 3 Aug to 19 Aug.
Thanks
Ray

PM sent. See your message box.
I'll be posting your coming updates, direct from the DPRK!
Thanks Zaruka

oocares wrote:

I went in last month and you can now take in Laptops! Someone in our group had one with a nifty bit of software to find deleted pictures on memory cards and re-instate them. Pretty useful

oocares, thanks for adding your trafficgirl pictures to the PTG flickr group.

반갑습니다. 저는 남측에 사는 이입니다. 영어나 평양어는 모릅니다.
이전에 극 파들에게 많이 시달린 걸로 들었습니다. 죄송합니다.
저도 그런 파들이 있다는 건 크서야 알았습니다. 교육받기로는
남측은 그런 이들 없고 북측은 그런이들 밖에 없다고 교육받았으나
크서보니 알았습니다. 같은 동포로서 다를게 없다는 것을요.
이에 저 역시도 크게 사죄드립니다. 같은 인류인데 어찌 남만 나쁘다는 교육을
이상하게 여기지 못했을까요?! 죄송합니다. 그리고 이제는 잘 알겠습니다.
동묵아에서 증작 무슨 교육이 되어야 했는지를요. 그러나 저도 아무 힘이 없습니다.
그저 이 것도 국정원의 해킹이나 극파들이 모르길 바랄 뿐입니다.
아니면 눈에는 안보이는 고문을 당하겠죠.

serbina wrote:

반갑습니다. 저는 남측에 사는 이입니다. 영어나 평양어는 모릅니다.
이전에 극 파들에게 많이 시달린 걸로 들었습니다. 죄송합니다.
저도 그런 파들이 있다는 건 크서야 알았습니다. 교육받기로는
남측은 그런 이들 없고 북측은 그런이들 밖에 없다고 교육받았으나
크서보니 알았습니다. 같은 동포로서 다를게 없다는 것을요.
이에 저 역시도 크게 사죄드립니다. 같은 인류인데 어찌 남만 나쁘다는 교육을
이상하게 여기지 못했을까요?! 죄송합니다. 그리고 이제는 잘 알겠습니다.
동묵아에서 증작 무슨 교육이 되어야 했는지를요. 그러나 저도 아무 힘이 없습니다.
그저 이 것도 국정원의 해킹이나 극파들이 모르길 바랄 뿐입니다.
아니면 눈에는 안보이는 고문을 당하겠죠.

나는 한국어를 말하지 않는다. 나는 메시지를 읽을 번역기를 사용합니다. 그러나.
당신은 여기에서 쓰기에 오신 것을 환영합니다.
고맙습니다

Any clues for those of us trying to play along at home?