Borderline: North Korea by Tomas van Houtryve

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Children bow to the image of Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea.
A shooting range attendant in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Inside the Pyongyang metro in North Korea.
An attendant in a shop for foreigners in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Model classroom at a high school in Pyongyang, North Korea.
The road up Mount Paektu, a volcano that straddles the China-North Korean border and which official biographers claim is the birthplace of Kim Jong Il.
Mount Paektu, a volcano that straddles the China-North Korean border and which official biographers claim is the birthplace of Kim Jong Il.
A smuggler’s boat on the North Korean side of the Yalu river, seen through a fence on the Chinese side of the border.
A truck crosses a bridge over the Yalu river from North Korea into China.
A North Korean soldier patrols along the border with China.
A Chinese boy stands among weapons used during the Korean war at a memorial in Dandong, China.
Chinese tourists amuse themselves on the left bank of the Tumen river, just across the border from North Korea.
The railway platform in Dandong station, where trains depart for North Korea.
Bright LED lights illuminate the Chinese side of the Yalu river in Dandong, while the North Korean side is seen in darkness across the border.
A Chinese speedboat leaving the North Korean side of the Yalu river.
An illegal North Korean migrant worker sits in a safe house in northern China. "Our people have very difficult lives, and only the business people can flourish," she said.
A North Korean woman who illegally crossed into China sits in a safe house in northern China. "I lived in continuous fear in the DPRK, I was always worried that we will not have enough to eat."
A North Korean trader staying illegally in China sits in a safe house. "The children are suffering the most, because when they miss a meal, it’s like they can never recover it.”
An illegal North Korean migrant sits in a safe house in northern China. Before leaving Korea she saw the body of an old man in a train station. He died for lack of something to eat.
A North Korean defector living illegally in China in her home. After being imprisoned in a work camp, she managed to escape Korea by becoming the wife of a Chinese man and bribing officials for papers

Borderline: North Korea

The reasons for documenting contemporary North Korea are fully obvious. The difficulties of doing so are equally clear. The Kim dynasty holds the population in thrall with a mix of lies and violence that make Orwell's writings on totalitarianism seem tame by comparison. The state's machinery of coercion is not limited to its own people. In the 21st century, only North Korea has ventured to conduct nuclear explosions. Last year it torpedoed a South Korean corvette and shelled the island of Yeonpyeong.

With the same ruthless skill that it keeps its population in check and its enemies at bay, North Korea also keeps journalists in the dark. Any report about the country is merely a rough sketch of a giant puzzle, often contaminated with triumphalist propaganda or laced with speculation. My own photography is no exception.

During two prior trips inside North Korea, I strove to see beyond the state's meticulously orchestrated fictions. Pushing the limits of access proved to be complex and risky. And though the view from the center of Pyongyang was utterly fascinating, it was also undeniably restricted and distorted. Still, I feel an urgency to continue addressing this topic, to find more ways to add context and gain perspective.

Taking a step back, another sketch can be made of North Korea from the outside, by tracing the contours of the land, visiting the key flash points, scanning the fortifications, and interviewing escapees.

Thanks to a grant from the Magnum Foundation Emergency Fund I was able to document the 1400 km China-North Korean border this year. With the support of Emphasis backers, I will continue the next phase of the project by photographing the North-South Korean border and the DMZ.

The project budget covers only barebones reporting costs including travel, film, and accommodation. If the project is overfunded, it will contribute towards future exhibitions, self-publishing and new media presentations.

To see a preview of the photo book offered in the rewards visit http://www.behindthecurtains.net

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Tomas van Houtryve

VII

Tomas van Houtryve is a member of VII Photo. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including POYi Photographer of the Year, the Bayeux Prize for War Correspondents and the Perpignan Young Photographer Award.

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