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A glimpse at life inside North Korea

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Emil Lendof
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Aug 30, 2018

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Children gesture and shout at the instruction of a teacher at Gyongsang Kindergarten in Pyongyang, North Korea.
With all the talk of North Korea in the news, it can be easy to forget about the people that currently have to live in this largely mysterious part of the world. This set of photographs taken from various parts of the country shows a glimpse into what everyday life is like for people living under Kim’s regime. Getty Images

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Children gesture and shout at the instruction of a teacher at Gyongsang Kindergarten in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Children gesture and shout at the instruction of a teacher at Gyongsang Kindergarten in Pyongyang, North Korea. Getty Images

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Children sing as they march in formation through Songdowon International School Children's Camp in Wonsan, North Korea.
Children sing as they march in formation through Songdowon International School Children’s Camp in Wonsan, North Korea. Getty Images

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Children play on swings at a nursery for workers at Chonsam Cooperative Farm in Wonsan, North Korea.
Children play on swings at a nursery for workers at Chonsam Cooperative Farm in Wonsan, North Korea. Getty Images

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North Koreans pay their respects to the Mansudae Grand Monument, huge statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang, North Korea.
North Koreans pay their respects to the Mansudae Grand Monument, huge statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang, North Korea. Getty Images

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North Korean women in traditional dress run to catch up as they pay their respects to the Mansudae Grand Monument, huge statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang, North Korea.
North Korean women in traditional dress run to catch up as they pay their respects to the Mansudae Grand Monument. Getty Images

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A member of staff pauses next to a board displaying approved hairstyles at a women's salon in the Munsu Water Park complex in Pyongyang, North Korea.
A board displays approved hairstyles at a women’s salon in the Munsu Water Park complex in Pyongyang, North Korea. Getty Images

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A woman has her hair styled at a women's salon in the Munsu Water Park complex in Pyongyang, North Korea.
A woman has her hair styled at a women’s salon in the Munsu Water Park complex in Pyongyang, North Korea. Getty Images

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Visitors relax at the Munsu Water Park complex in Pyongyang, North Korea.
The Munsu Water Park complex in Pyongyang, North Korea. Getty Images

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Children swim in one of the pools at the Munsu Water Park complex in Pyongyang, North Korea.
PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA – AUGUST 19: Children swim in one of the pools at the Munsu Water Park complex on August 19, 2018 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Despite ongoing international… Getty Images

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Visitors enjoy a wave pool at the Munsu Water Park complex in Pyongyang, North Korea.
PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA – AUGUST 19: Visitors enjoy a wave pool at the Munsu Water Park complex on August 19, 2018 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Despite ongoing international negotiations aimed… Getty Images

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Visitors look at sea lions in a tank at Pyongyang Central Zoo in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Visitors look at sea lions in a tank at Pyongyang Central Zoo in Pyongyang, North Korea. Getty Images

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A little girl is given a horse ride in Pyongyang Central Zoo in Pyongyang, North Korea.
A little girl is given a horse ride at Pyongyang Central Zoo. Getty Images

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People look on as a woman feeds a hippopotamus at Pyongyang Central Zoo in Pyongyang, North Korea.
People look on as a woman feeds a hippopotamus at Pyongyang Central Zoo. Getty Images

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A man carrying a toy gun looks into the hippopotamus enclosure at Pyongyang Central Zoo in Pyongyang, North Korea.
A man carrying a toy gun looks into the hippopotamus enclosure. Getty Images

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North Koreans enjoy a ride at Kaeson Youth Park in Pyongyang, North Korea.
A ride at Kaeson Youth Park in Pyongyang, North Korea. Getty Images

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A North Korean man hits a punch bag in an amusement arcade at Kaeson Youth Park in Pyongyang, North Korea.
A North Korean man hits a punch bag in an amusement arcade at Kaeson Youth Park in Pyongyang, North Korea. Getty Images

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North Koreans look on as a man plays an arm wrestling game in an amusement arcade at Kaeson Youth Park in Pyongyang, North Korea.
North Koreans look on as a man plays an arm wrestling game. Getty Images

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Women operate a machine in the Kim Jong Suk Silk Factory in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Women operate a machine in the Kim Jong Suk Silk Factory in Pyongyang, North Korea. Getty Images

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Women work sewing machines in the Kim Jong Suk Silk Factory in Pyongyang, North Korea.
PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA – AUGUST 21: Women work sewing machines in the Kim Jong Suk Silk Factory on August 21, 2018 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Despite ongoing international negotiations aimed… Getty Images

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Employees babies sleep in the nursery at the Kim Jong Suk Silk Factory in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Employees’ babies sleep in the nursery at the Kim Jong Suk Silk Factory in Pyongyang, North Korea. Getty Images

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Employees children take part in a music and dance lesson at a kindergarten in the Kim Jong Suk Silk in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Employees’ children take part in a music and dance lesson. Getty Images

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Employees children take part in a music and dance lesson at a kindergarten in the Kim Jong Suk Silk in Pyongyang, North Korea.
PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA – AUGUST 21: Employees children take part in a music and dance lesson at a kindergarten in the Kim Jong Suk Silk Factory on August 21, 2018… Getty Images

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A train arrives at a station on the Pyongyang metro in Pyongyang, North Korea.
A train arrives at a station on the Pyongyang subway. Getty Images

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North Korean men read a newspaper displayed at a station on the Pyongyang metro in Pyongyang, North Korea.
PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA – AUGUST 21: North Korean men read a newspaper displayed at a station on the Pyongyang metro on August 21, 2018 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Despite ongoing… Getty Images

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A conductor indicates to a driver on the Pyongyang metro in Pyongyang, North Korea.
PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA – AUGUST 21: A conductor indicates to a driver on the Pyongyang metro on August 21, 2018 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Despite ongoing international negotiations aimed at… Getty Images

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North Koreans travel on the Pyongyang metro in Pyongyang, North Korea.
North Koreans travel on the Pyongyang metro in Pyongyang, North Korea. Getty Images

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North Koreans travel on the Pyongyang metro in Pyongyang, North Korea.
PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA – AUGUST 21: North Koreans travel on the Pyongyang metro on August 21, 2018 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Despite ongoing international negotiations aimed at easing tensions on… Getty Images

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A woman carries an inflatable ring as she walks on a beach in Wonsan, North Korea.
A woman carries an inflatable ring as she walks on a beach in Wonsan, North Korea. Getty Images

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A man dives into the sea from a platform in Wonsan, North Korea.
A man dives into the sea from a platform in Wonsan, North Korea. Getty Images

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A man gives his wife a massage on the beach in Wonsan, North Korea.
WONSAN, NORTH KOREA – AUGUST 22: A man gives his wife a massage on the beach on August 22, 2018 in Wonsan, North Korea. Despite ongoing international negotiations aimed at… Getty Images

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North Korean soldiers stand guard on the North Korean side of the Joint Security Area in the demilitarised Zone in Kaesong, North Korea.
North Korean soldiers stand guard on the North Korean side of the Joint Security Area in the demilitarised Zone in Kaesong, North Korea. Getty Images

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North Korean soldiers stand guard on the North Korean side of the Joint Security Area in the demilitarised Zone in Kaesong, North Korea.
KAESONG, NORTH KOREA – AUGUST 24: A North Korean soldier stands guard on the North Korean side of the Joint Security Area in the demilitarised Zone (DMZ) on August 24,… Getty Images

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Apartment blocks are pictured from the viewing platform of the Juche Tower in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Apartment blocks are shown from the viewing platform of the Juche Tower in Pyongyang, North Korea. Getty Images

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