Entering the Democratic Peopleâs Republic of Korea started with a desire to see and experience true beauty. And beauty, I did see.
You canât venture into the DPRK half-heartedly. I chose to leave behind my phone so with empty hands and a blank SD card, we checked out of China and walked over a bridge to North Hamgyong province, the northernmost township of North Korea. After a mandatory bag check, our passports were stamped, marking our welcomed entry into the DPRK.
Walking towards the Democratic Peopleâs Republic of Korea
Exiting the Peopleâs Republic of China
The beauty of the North Korea was breathtaking. From the winding mountains to the valleys below, each scene would steal a piece of my heart and leave a smile on my face in exchange.
The horizon of Chongjin
Revolutionary site in North Hamgyong province
Overlooking Chongjin city
During my first meal in the DPRK, I unashamedly ate a second helping of seaweed soup but that didnât change. In fact, each meal was unforgettable â Â the organic vegetables, wild roots, seafood and delicious Korean side dishes would put my motherâs cooking to shame. There were evenings when there was too much food leftover and although some dishes were left untouched, we always made sure the restaurant staff knew just how pleased we were and that my pants definitely felt tighter than yesterday.
Breakfast in the DPRK
Shared meals by the beach
Lunch in the DPRK
We journeyed across endless mountains and fields to Chongjin, a large port city and the capital of North Hamgyong. Chongjin is North Koreaâs third-largest city with a population of over 600,000 and is known for its strategic port and its production of steel.
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We visited towering bronze statues of the ruling Kim family, museums dedicated to the grandmother of the current leader and revolutionary sites, significant in its resistance against Japanese occupation. Each visitation was hosted a party official â typically a woman â dressed in her staple khaki and red uniform, providing impressive details about the design and construction of the monument.
Official shares information from this revolutionary site
Revolutionary statue
What will remain with me is the beauty in the people. I saw it in the way high schoolers interacted with their friends, I saw it in the eyes of students, in the smiles of grandmas.
We had grown attached with our guides as they watched over us, taught us national songs about mountains and tree planting and sat side by side on our bus. There were moments when our interactions with the tour guides was so ordinary â when Lee dongjii told us about the butterflies in his stomach as he first held his girlfriendâs hands, when Kim dongjii laughed at my poor Chinese pronunciations, when they asked if my fever was improving or when he showed us pictures of his daughter.
The beginning moments with our guides may have been full of pleasantries and careful conversations were exchanged but by the end of our designated time together, we had shared much more.
Overlooking oceans by North Hamgyong
Picturesque bridges
The goodbye was difficult, so tender and permanent. There was a real end in our goodbyes. It was as if we were back in time, in an age when technology was limited so people who journeyed across oceans said goodbye as if it were the last.
Beauty in the most unlikely of places Entering the Democratic People's Republic of Korea started with a desire to see and experience true beauty.