'Enter Pyongyang': Time-lapse film gives rare look inside North Korean capital. (acutally amazing)

Nice time lapsed video of the lifestyle of the select privileged few North Koreans.

I see quite a few hours of hardly any cars on the road, which isn't really environmentally bad, just saying.

a reply to: anon72

Like the city of Pyongyang itself this video (and others by the same filmakers) are really just smoke and mirrors. What it shows is not reality, but just a rose-colored slice of reality -- the slice that sells.

This is brilliant propaganda that must have made a tidy bundle for the filmakers (see www.robwhitworth.co.uk... and jtsingh.com...). The main reason brilliant propaganda is made is because someone stands to gain from it -- not because somebody wants very badly to tell the truth. The sheeple in the video are squirted through underground tubes into glass-and-metal boxes, the same as in any other city, while the less priveleged ignorantly suffer in silence (and, in North Korea's case, literally in the dark), far away from the machinery of government and finance.

Still this video makes one want to go there and see for oneself. That is its purpose -- to create a mythical city full of beauty and energy that one cannot easily visit. Call it Oz or Pyongyang, the [un-]reality is the same.

Secondarily it's money-making propaganda for the governments that funded it. North Korea has an image problem (or should I say, probrem?), that is well-deserved. A brilliant, well-scrubbed, fast-paced vignette such as this certainly humanizes North Korea's people and their capital city. It also makes it look like a great place to do business -- nary a hair out of place, correct?

That's to be expected in a country where the government tells you how to cut your hair.

originally posted by: Xeven
Don't be fooled. That city is smoke and mirrors. The rest of North Korea is just like the horrid pictures you have seen. They spend money building that fantasy city while their people starve to death outside its gates.

Sort of like the Elite in America and the 50 Million people living on or just above the poverty line? This crap happens everywhere, it's just more colorful in your country.

Well according to some here if you make a fancy video with hip, slick and cool music it will erase the darker reality of a city..

Let's try New York on for size...

I wonder how the numbers compare with the prison numbers in the US ? They may be more or less I suppose and I am sure they have SWAT teams and military style hardware like the US .Probably less pink and blue's for cloths .They do have a dictator like Iraq and Libya once had .Oh the old days eh .Now with the newly freed regimes in the middle east they can get down to enriching their culture once again .I hear China has a dictator as well and even Russia .The west needs to get busier to help free all these nations from their present Govt.s and put in the more west friendly types . I know they are a little slow with Syria and NK may be in the plans for the future but the west should step it up now that they have finished with Iraq and Afghanistan . SARC a reply to: Blackmarketeer

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
I hear China has a dictator

You've been misinformed.

originally posted by: James1982
Pyongyang is the only place in NK that's half-way decent, you know how you get to live on Pyongyang? You have to be a company man, you have to suck up and toe the line, support whatever the gov and ruling elites do, then you get blessed with a coveted spot in Pyongyang.

Yeah, that's what they said about China too ... and you know, your just full of crap.

Sure, I believe that there are a lot of people with little means in NK. But that's majorily because you and your ilk, deny it to them. Your "propaganda" says, that your "punishing" the dictator ... dictator? I mean, people like Americans are the dummest retards, this Universe has ever seen. Do you think a single person, is controlling NK? wow ... I mean, that brain capacity must be HUGE ... really.

I remember, when I was young and tought about Russians. Bad, bad people ... when it came down to it, it was all propaganda. Sure, there are pictures of soldiers bashing people at Tian An Men ... but, what about the US ... let me see, Kent State shootings, for example. Write "police brutality" in your google search engine, and you'll get a lot of hits. If we go down to the nitty gritty, there are more murders and deaths in US, than in either NK or China ...

The truth is, that the US is like the devil himself ... no matter what it touches, turns to dust. Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, indo-china ... wherever the US goes ... nothing good follows. Some American is going to come here, and tell you ... yes, we saved your ass in WWII. No, you didn't ... you committed war crimes, murder and targettet civilians in the millions, in WWII.

a reply to: the2ofusr1

Yeah they tried that in Iran also up until 1979. When the people were sick of starving and dying under a Western installed Shah (Who was pretty colorful also) they had the Iranian revolution.

originally posted by: James1982

originally posted by: Char-Lee

originally posted by: Bilk22
Well that may be our future too if things go as planned. At least it will be clean and neat though bland, grey with everyone wearing the same clothes

At least that way people are not spending their life feeding the style machine and making some creeps rich, nor losing their self respect because they can't afford the "better" styles!

So, in your mind, buying new clothes is loosing your self respect and making creeps rich.

But, being a slave in a factory to make some creep rich isn't loosing your self respect and making creeps rich.

Those people in the vids have their own idea of style, and they are lucky enough to have it because they live in Pyongyang.

No, people in the rest of the country probably aren't worried about clothing style, they are worried about whether they are going to die tonight, or whether their family is going to get killed, or whether their actions might get their family thrown into jail. You know, real problems. I'm sure those having to worry about such things feel very grateful that they don't have to worry about fashion! Wow...

A lot added to and twisted of course from my statement there, and again a lot of taking for granted that you know things you can't possibly know!

a reply to: anon72
No video of NK gets done without the say so of the dictators propaganda machine. This video reminds me of the movie, The Hunger Games. The elites live in luxury, separated from the underclass, and oblivious to the suffering of their fellow NK's.

"Let them eat cake."

While this is a nice video, it is definitely a propaganda piece that shows the one place in North Korea that is reasonably modern and nice. Because Dear Leader lives there, of course.

This is a far better look at North Korea:I do a lot of reading on North Korea for the radio show, and it's probably the worst place on Earth. For everyone but Dear Leader, that is.

originally posted by: James1982

originally posted by: CALGARIAN
I just came here to post it.

Beautiful video.

You have to be a company man, you have to suck up and toe the line, support whatever the gov and ruling elites do, then you get blessed with a coveted spot

You sure your not talking about the top elite in our country where the top .5% hold the majority of the wealth thanks to Government Wall Street and the Big Multinational Corporations?

Its the same propaganda no matter where you go. Look over there, not over here. Not saying that North Korea is not the same either.

The rich elite that own our government are bringing us there as well. Every place will look like Detroit except for where the Multinational Corporations and Politicians reside.

originally posted by: bjarneorn

originally posted by: James1982
Pyongyang is the only place in NK that's half-way decent, you know how you get to live on Pyongyang? You have to be a company man, you have to suck up and toe the line, support whatever the gov and ruling elites do, then you get blessed with a coveted spot in Pyongyang.

Yeah, that's what they said about China too ... and you know, your just full of crap.

Sure, I believe that there are a lot of people with little means in NK. But that's majorily because you and your ilk, deny it to them. Your "propaganda" says, that your "punishing" the dictator ... dictator? I mean, people like you Americans are the dummest retards, this Universe has ever seen. Do you think a single person, is controlling NK? wow ... I mean, that brain capacity of yours must be HUGE ... really.

I remember, when I was young and tought about Russians. Bad, bad people ... when it came down to it, it was all propaganda. Sure, there are pictures of soldiers bashing people at Tian An Men ... but, what about the US ... let me see, Kent State shootings, for example. Write "police brutality" in your google search engine, and you'll get a lot of hits. If we go down to the nitty gritty, there are more murders and deaths in US, than in either NK or China ...

The truth is, that the US is like the devil himself ... no matter what it touches, turns to dust. Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, indo-china ... wherever the US goes ... nothing good follows. Some American is going to come here, and tell you ... yes, we saved your ass in WWII. No, you didn't ... you committed war crimes, murder and targettet civilians in the millions, in WWII.

How embarrassing for you, to attribute things to me that I obviously didn't say, because you quoted my post which shows I said nothing about a dictator. I said government, ruling elites. Who do you think makes the choices in NK? "the people" because that's what their name says? Come on, man...

That's what they said about China too? When? Where? Only thing I've heard about China is that it's been going through extremely rapid expansion for decades now, with a huge economy, but still a large population that aren't benefiting from that expansion. Most talk about china in the US sees them as threat because they are getting too GOOD (in a power/economic sense) not because they are some backwater impotent nation. Complimentary hate if you will, people dislike you because you're doing so well.

That's not AT ALL the issue with NK. You are a victim of the same propaganda you talk about. For so long you are used to the US as the world's evil and causing all the problems that you ignore the problems of everybody else, wander around like your chit don't stink, and ignore the suffering of innocent people because YOU want to feel special by offending and being antagonistic towards anything that is similar to what America says. Enemy of my enemy is my friend is a VERY tired tactic, sir, you only shoot yourself in the foot doing it.

Tell me, wise one, have you visited NK? Where does your information come from that is immune from any influence that seems to effect mine?

You're telling me to look up police brutality? Thanks, I've already seen it. I've been posting about it all over ATS for a long time. Doesn't change my opinion on NK, sorry. Evils of one group don't undue those of another, I stopped thinking like that in the 2nd grade.

originally posted by: DarknStormy

originally posted by: Xeven
Don't be fooled. That city is smoke and mirrors. The rest of North Korea is just like the horrid pictures you have seen. They spend money building that fantasy city while their people starve to death outside its gates.

Sort of like the Elite in America and the 50 Million people living on or just above the poverty line? This crap happens everywhere, it's just more colorful in your country.

Well yes sorta. America was not always like it is today, so the 50 million are living just above poverty on the still somewhat decent Ruins built by our ancestors. Such as Roads, Electric Grid, running water, Cell phones, Cable TV. Now yes there are some living in horrible locations but America is much cleaner and modern than anything in North Korea.

If your living in Poverty in America its time to get up and move to another location/state. Still lots of jobs and opportunity to live decent here if you put in effort. No one has to live in a ghetto unless your uneducated or cripple some how.

originally posted by: Char-Lee

originally posted by: James1982

originally posted by: Char-Lee

originally posted by: Bilk22
Well that may be our future too if things go as planned. At least it will be clean and neat though bland, grey with everyone wearing the same clothes

At least that way people are not spending their life feeding the style machine and making some creeps rich, nor losing their self respect because they can't afford the "better" styles!

So, in your mind, buying new clothes is loosing your self respect and making creeps rich.

But, being a slave in a factory to make some creep rich isn't loosing your self respect and making creeps rich.

Those people in the vids have their own idea of style, and they are lucky enough to have it because they live in Pyongyang.

No, people in the rest of the country probably aren't worried about clothing style, they are worried about whether they are going to die tonight, or whether their family is going to get killed, or whether their actions might get their family thrown into jail. You know, real problems. I'm sure those having to worry about such things feel very grateful that they don't have to worry about fashion! Wow...

A lot added to and twisted of course from my statement there, and again a lot of taking for granted that you know things you can't possibly know!

Can't possibly know for absolute certain? Sure. That can be said for ANYTHING. You cannot be absolutely certain you are not talking to a martian right now, but it's reasonable to assume you are talking to a human.

Even the Chinese are getting fed up with NK's leadership, why are you people so unable to separate the actions of the NK government from your hatred of the US? Because the US is evil, NK's leadership isn't wrong in doing what it's doing to the people?

Because I've yet to see you or your kind directly come out and say that most north koreans have enough to eat, decent place to sleep at night, reasonable assumption of personal safety and security, etc.

I've yet to see one of you address the issue that THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE. Do you not believe that? You think it's all just lies that north koreans aren't allowed to leave? Sure, those involved in business can take a few trips to China, better come back though or else your family goes into the gulags for 3 generations. Or maybe you deny those gulags exist?

I'm asking honestly, please explain to me what reality you think the NK people are living in? What is YOUR idea of the average life of a NK? Do you think it's good? On par with any other country that isn't a war/conflict zone? I'm honestly asking because I have no clue what you think life is like there. Tell us your story instead of tearing apart mine, please.

a reply to: anon72

Little trash on the Streets, not much traffic.

But I wonder if there are any people living in those high-rise buildings and if we just did not watch a movie where the extra's are everybody you did see.

No, something is seriously wrong with that country.

♫♪ zat ♪♫

a reply to: James1982


You failed to see my point. I said it as a hypotetical scenario. Of course in reality it aint hard to know how it really is in USA, for us in the rest of the world that is. What I meant was if USA was as isolated as NK.

But we can also assume that right now in NK they do show pictures of, say, Detroit and use that as propaganda to show the NK people how bad it is in USA as a propaganda tool. Now, how do you expect the NK people to find out how it really is in USA? They can´t right, they can´t look it up, they can´t travel to the country just like you said, so in their "reality" or whatever you want to call it USA might be a big s*it hole, based on pictures from Detroit. Just an example.

a reply to: James1982

your hatred of the US?

You sure do take liberties and huge leaps don't you!

we have a country that allows no access for spying and no information comes to us but gossip and you want us all to decide they are all living in horror...only thing that would make you happy is if everyone makes your huge leaps from nothing!

There is an odd thing about North Korea. Aside from....



....how electricity and the ability to distribute it outside party living and working areas seems to elude them.

If someone watches the Vice videos shot from traveling around inside North Korea with a 'minder', but seeing a variety of areas (including the DMZ from both sides as a near unique thing in a video series) it's how very empty the nation seems. The places he was shown to eat were set for many...with no one ever coming. Little or no casual pedestrian traffic too. Just...empty. Everywhere, that same thing.

If someone spends a few hours going over Google Earth satellite imagery or...take your pick of other publicly available stuff? The same thing is apparent. Infrastructure in that 'Stalinist Modern' style of concrete and matching blah can be found in some areas, but most of those have the same peculiar ghost town feel from above as they do from the Docu's which have come out. The rest? I think a North Korean would find even Cuba to be a resort island.

I truly feel for the North Korean people.....however many of them there actually are when the world can count them for real.

a reply to: Wrabbit2000

I wouldn't take those sat images too seriously.

For one...9 major cities are missing from it. And, I can guarantee that one of those cities was fairly well lit when I was there...

To be brutally honest, having actually been to NK, I would say that our leaders, and media, tweak the reality a little to push their point.

That's not to say that it is the land of unicorns and rainbows, it is definitely a stark contrast of extremes, but our media does definitely skew the data to one of those extremes to suit their purpose.