Foto di Eric Lafforgue/NK News
North Korea is undisputedly a wretched place to live. The UN estimates that the government keeps as many as 120,000 political prisoners locked up in concentration camps, where they are starved, beaten, raped, and enslaved. A prolonged famine caused thousands of people to starve to death in the 1990s, and food shortages are still a problem. Civil rights are an utterly foreign concept, as is democracy.And yet, for the 24 million or so people who call North Korea home, it is still possible to find occasional moments of happiness despite the utter misery that often surrounds them.French photographer Eric Lafforgue visited North Korea six times from 2008 to 2012, amassing a trove of photos that document the everyday lives of average citizens across the country. NK News — an independent news site based in Seoul that covers all things North Korea — selected some of the highlights from Lafforgue's portfolio to make a 2015 wall calendar, the sales of which help fund the site's in-depth coverage of Kim Jong-un's regime.NK News editor Chad O'Carroll shared Lafforgue's collection of North Korea photos with VICE News, explaining that the images, many of which capture candid moments that the country's ultra-secretive government would not normally allow the world to see, "contrast nicely to the polish of official propaganda."Lafforgue — who has also documented life in Iran, Myanmar, Eritrea, Syria, and other repressive regimes — travelled North Korea as a tourist, taking his first trip with a China-based tour company. O'Carroll said that North Korea usually places tight restrictions on professional photojournalists, but Lafforgue managed to fly under their radar until 2012, when officials banned the Frenchman from ever returning."Despite going back year after year and taking tens of thousands of photos, it seemed the North Korean hosts simply assumed his visits to be motivated by nothing more than a desire to see more of their 'socialist paradise,'" O'Carroll said. "Yet far from photography as being the cause, Lafforgue thinks a comment critical of a pro-North Korea friendship group made during his last visit was what ultimately led to him being banned from going back."Professional photographers are now required to get special approval before they visit North Korea, but Lafforgue's photos — a huge collection of which are also viewable on Flickr — remain, offering a rare, unfiltered glimpse at daily life in the Hermit Kingdom.North Korea leads the world in human rights, says report by North Korea. Read more here.Meet the men and women who help rule North Korea from the shadows. Read more here.North Korean meth, motorcycle gangs, army snipers, and a guy named Rambo. Read more here.North Korea's got a big crystal meth problem. Read more here.Missing North Korean student in Paris reportedly kidnapped by Kim Jong-un agents. Read more here.Follow Eric Laffourgue on Twitter: @ericlafforgue
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