Photojournalism in North Korea

North Korean soldiers marching

Photojournalism in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (better known as North Korea) is heavily regulated by the government. Due to the extremely limited flow of information out of the country, there is no consensus over what rules are actually in place to govern photojournalism by members of foreign press services.

Photography laws in North Korea

Woman walking in the suburbs of North Korea

• It is illegal to photograph the army
• Photos that display poverty are not to be shown or published
• No photos that display homelessness
• No photos that display flaws in the country's infrastructure
• No photos showing citizens as being malnourished (overweight/underweight)
• When visiting attractions, one can take pictures but must not show that the crowd is 99% soldiers.
• Photographing run down buildings is forbidden
• One must ask to take photographs; one does not have the right to freely photograph the country and its people
• North Korean government authorities may view taking unauthorized pictures as espionage, confiscate cameras and film and/or detain the photographer

Individual foreign photographers have been banned from North Korea for displaying photos that portray the country in an unfavorable light.

North Korean point of view

North Korean leaders believe that their rules and censorship system is necessary in order to keep people under control, “to prevent the rise of criticism about the government."

See also

• Censorship in North Korea
• Human rights in North Korea
• Media coverage of North Korea
• Social documentary photography