North Korea: Life in the Cult of Kim

Long-Term Projects, third prize stories

April 12, 2011

Dusk falls over central Pyongyang.

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.

Commissioned by: The Associated Press

Location: Pyongyang, North Korea

Photo Credit: David Guttenfelder

David Guttenfelder is a photojournalist and National Geographic Fellow, concentrating on geopolitical conflict and conservation.

Guttenfelder previously spent 20 years as a photojournalist for the Associated Press based in Nairobi, Abidjan, New Delhi, and Tokyo covering news in more than 75 countries around the world.

Guttenfelder helped the AP open a bureau in North Korea, the first western news agency to have an office in the otherwise-isolated country. Over the past 15 years, he has made more than 40 trips to North Korea.

Guttenfelder is a 8-time World Press Photo winner and was a member of the 2014 WPP jury.