Introduction

Oh... I was a bit at a loss, still not accustomed to Korean, and it took me a while to realize that he was asking for my camera. Trembling, I handed over the camera, constantly wondering to myself: 'Did I make any mistakes just now? I had just gotten off the train and saw the statue of Kim Jong Il; I merely raised my camera out of habit and took a few pictures. Is taking photos not allowed? I looked around, and there were no signs indicating that photography was prohibited, which made me secretly breathe a sigh of relief.' I had just gotten off the train and saw the statue of Kim Jong Il; I merely raised my camera out of habit and took a few pictures. Is taking photos not allowed? I looked around, and there were no signs indicating that photography was prohibited, which made me secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

I pushed up the glasses on my nose, and the people around me began to take their bags down from the overhead compartments, orderly lining up in the aisle. I also stood up, shouldered my luggage, and joined the flow of people.

"Comrade, please hand over your camera," a fully armed North Korean soldier stood rigidly in front of me and saluted sharply. Seeing that I did not respond, he extended his hand and repeated with increased emphasis, "Comrade, hand over your camera!"

Following the flow of people out of the station, the first thing that catches the eye is a tall and imposing bronze statue— the statue of Kim Il-sung. The great leader stands with one hand on his hip and the other raised high, gazing into the distance as if he can see the future, steadfastly guiding the Korean people forward.

Comrade! That soldier took the camera without saying a word, skillfully removed the film from it, and then said solemnly: "Please take a full-body photo of the Chairman; otherwise, it would be disrespectful to our great leader, Chairman Jin. I must confiscate this roll of film!"

Ah... I numbly took the camera, watching the soldier turn and leave, my mouth agape for a long time without closing. It turned out that there was a mistake in this place; it turned out that when taking a photo of the Chairman, one could only capture the full body. I looked around with a sense of dread and then noticed that many fully armed soldiers were staring at the camera in the hands of the tourists

I gazed at the camera in my hand from which the film had been removed, and then looked at the fully armed soldiers around me; the atmosphere immediately became tense

I am a journalist, and the opportunity to come to North Korea alone for an interview is not due to my extensive experience or exceptional abilities. I am well aware that if it were not for my proficiency in the Korean language, it would not be possible for someone with only one year of work experience like me to conduct interviews in this mysterious land of North Korea

As soon as I got off the bus, I remembered my notebook and phone, which had already been "checked in" when I went through customs in Sinuiju. North Korea absolutely does not allow items like notebooks that could potentially carry their national secrets to be carried by us. Suddenly being without the things I am accustomed to is as uncomfortable as when my girlfriend of two months suddenly broke up with me

Through the dusty car window, I cast my gaze outside. The train's speed gradually slows down, and the scenery outside becomes increasingly clear.

What sets it apart from all the cities I have seen is the series of slogans celebrating the golden sun of the 21st century, Kim Jong Il, and wishing blessings upon Kim Jong Il's family. If I did not repeatedly remind myself, "I am now in the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang," I would almost think I was in the era of the Cultural Revolution.

A long whistle echoed, pulling me back from my dreams into reality, as a sweet North Korean contralto sounded in my ears: "Comrades, the train has arrived in Pyongyang. Welcome aboard train number 191 once again. Long live our great leader Kim Jong Il and his family"