40°27'21.6"N 124°55'18.8"E

We think of North Korea as a dark and evil place without much electricity, industry or cars, where people still live in huts so the regime can build nuclear weapons and eat cheese. That might indeed be the case, but those are perfect conditions for starlight photography.

I hitchhiked there in the summer of '19, sneaked into the border area and observed the area to give you my view on North Korea.
I also swam across the border into North Korea.

The only car in North Korea

“The only car in north Korea” – Long exposure with starlight in the background. Most traffic I saw on this road was either by foot or by bicycle.

Long exposure: Yellow are the lights from a Chinese patrol boat, blue are the lights from a Korean patrol boat. In the background you see a Korean city, surrounded by obscurely large buildings, lights are blasting into the dark sky to show activity of life. But the buildings seemed abandoned and the light wasted

Lights from lorries in North Korea

The few cars that used this road were big trucks and a dam. Used by smugglers, they leave a beautiful play of light in the starry sky

Telescope view into the country. The North Korean flag above the ship is clearly visible.

Truck driver waiting to cross the friendship bridge to North Korea.

Border area to North Korea, just before i made the swim across the Yalu River.