Travel and Adventure photographer Scott A. Woodward shares his experience and photos of the deeply isolationist country of North Korea where we discover a unique world suspended in time and a glimpse of a real life Captain Ri.
Imagine a line that divides two worlds... that when breached, is in fact a portal into a completely parallel universe. Where people of essentially the same origins live and, yet, are nurtured so differently by history and ideology. This is not the realm of science fiction but a reality that is centred around the 38th Parallel North and has been ongoing for almost 75 years.
This is the stage for the indulgent and captivating drama that is akin to a hybrid between Alice in Wonderland and Romeo and Juliet—the Korean telenovela, Crash Landing On You. A wealthy young woman from South Korea, while paragliding, accidentally lands in the Demilitarized Zone falling into the arms of a handsome North Korean military officer. The series has consistently topped Netflix ratings for its classic star-crossed lover romance plot and excellent production value. And while the dreamy and dashing Captain Ri, played by South Korean actor Hyun Bin, has become the object of fantasy for throngs of women in lockdown, there is another aspect of the series that has piqued the audience’s imagination: North Korea.
North and South Korea could not be more different. The latter is modern, fast paced and diplomatically connected with efforts to expand their culture and technology across the globe. The former, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is shrouded in mystery with a deeply isolationist and totalitarian regime. The DPRK is a socialist, one-party state that promulgates juche – a pervasive doctrine of self-reliance that has Marxist and Confucianist roots mixed with extreme nationalism. This was created by their founding leader, the late Kim Il-sung, and endures until today.
With a tightly controlled media and extremely stringent travel restrictions – less than 5,000 western tourists visit annually—access to the mysterious nation is very limited. We thought we would reach out to travel and adventure photographer, Scott A. Woodward, to share with us a glimpse of what life is like above the 38th Parallel.
“For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by North Korea, longing to travel to the infamous Hermit Kingdom and experience it firsthand,” he shares. “Finally, in October 2015—after many years of unsuccessful attempts—I was able to secure a visa to travel to the DPRK for seven days during the national celebrations commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Worker’s Party of Korea, the lone ruling regime of the country’s 24 million citizens.”
As expected, the celebration was a lavish affair, yet thoroughly scripted and Woodward, always on the lookout for “the moment between the moment” persisted in finding snippets of real life. “I expected this demonstration of might, showing the world and reassuring the collective that North Korea is strong, its leadership firmly in control. But the DPRK’s theatrics are not limited to such occasions. I quickly learned that catching a glimpse of real life in the DPRK is nearly impossible,” he further explains. “On the rare occasions when we were permitted to marvel upon a garish monument, wander an empty square or gape at an elaborate show, I was more interested in what was happening backstage than in what was taking place at center stage, much to my minders’ chagrin.”
This collection of documentary photography represents his experience “as an audience member marveling at the rehearsed mass spectacle that is North Korea, but also as a willing cast member peaking behind the curtain, glimpsing brief and unscripted moments of the Hermit Kingdom’s individual people.”
