North Korea

North Korea

“Three days. Three days of being monitored. Three days of being chaperoned, guided, led to see only what I was supposed to see, the very best of what the North Korean capital is prepared to divulge to sceptical foreign eyes. Three days of eating where I was told and when I was told. Three days of being surprised, being impressed, being awed… Three days of a surreal buzz the likes of which I’ve never experienced before.”

Dandong, China

Dandong, China

“The bridge, what’s left of it a well preserved and a popular tourist attraction, ends abruptly in a mass of twisted metal about half way across the river, a abundance of Chinese flags, piped revolutionary music and a huge screen looping Korea War footage there to accompany you as you peer the rest of the way into the curiosity that is North Korea, the world’s very last Stalinist dictatorship.”

Beijing, China (2017)

Beijing, China (2017)

“It’s people getting in my way, always in my fuckin’ way, as is their want; it’s their country, after all, and I’m the impostor. It’s barriers and mass crowd control. It’s a very visible police presence and people in officialdom… seemingly standing around doing absolutely nothing while actually policing subjugation and overseeing mass societal conformity…It’s basically the same as it always was, the ever-present push to modernise aside, on this my 7th visit to the capital of the world’s superpower wannabe…”

Seoul, South Korea (2017)

Seoul, South Korea (2017)

”Conscious that any visit these days could be my last, I’ve made a point on this sweaty saunter down memory lane of revisiting & photographing places & landmarks that I’ve photographed many times over the years. I’ve also gotten acquainted & photographed landmarks that weren’t even around when last I was. Dynamic Seoul – a city slogan – indeed.”

W Hotel, Seoul, South Korea

W Hotel, Seoul, South Korea

Launched in 1998 with the opening of the W New York, W Hotels & Resorts have grown into a chain of some 50 luxury hotels in 24 countries worldwide. Owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, W hotels are generally marketed toward a younger crowd, sporting...
Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, South Korea

Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, South Korea

I’m on a bit of a UNESCO World Heritage site crusade on this, my latest trip to South Korea. I didn’t have much time to sightsee when here this time (I rarely do) and given my history with Korea I didn’t have much I wanted to see anyway. That said,...
National Museum of Korea, Seoul, South Korea

National Museum of Korea, Seoul, South Korea

I’ve been visiting the South Korean Capital of Seoul on & off since early 2003. I even lived in the city full-time for a period of almost 3 years. However, prior to yesterday I had never so much as laid eyes on the city’s National Museum of Korea, the...
Changdeokgung, Seoul, South Korea

Changdeokgung, Seoul, South Korea

Changdeokgung Palace is one of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Kings of the Korean Joseon Dynasty (1391-1897) but the only one to have attained UNESCO World Heritage status. It was constructed in 1405, the fifth year of the 3rd King Teajeon’s reign....
Jongmyo Shrine, Seoul, South Korea

Jongmyo Shrine, Seoul, South Korea

The Jongmyo Shrine, in the Jongno district of the South Korean capital of Seoul, is a shrine complex, the last of its kind in Asia, the supreme shrine of the state where tablets of royal ancestors, typically kings & queens, are enshrined & where memorial...
Seoul, South Korea (2013)

Seoul, South Korea (2013)

It’s 11 p.m. on February 25, 2013. I’m in Seoul, South Korea. I’ve been here, somewhere I know and love all too well, since mid-January but my latest departure from Korea is fast approaching – in some 15 hours I’ll be on a flight to...

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