Wednesday 14 May 2014

Tale of two countries: Amazing photographs which show the stark differences ...


  • German photographer Dieter Leistner captured images of the countries which used to be united before Cold War split

  • The capitalist South is busy and prosperous but the communist North is poor and repressive 

  • Bustling streets of Seoul contrast with miserable scenes in Pyongyang 


By

Hugo Gye



Published:


14:47, 13 May 2014




|
Updated:


17:42, 13 May 2014




These extraordinary photographs show the extreme differences between everyday life in North and South Korea.


The two countries were culturally identical before they were split into the communist North and capitalist South – but now they are almost unidentifiable.


German photographer Dieter Leistner travelled around both countries, capturing images which demonstrate the huge gulf between them.


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Morose: The metro in Pyongyang, where commuters look glum and the train is showing its age


Morose: The metro in Pyongyang, where commuters look glum and the train is showing its age


Playful: Young people enjoying themselves on the modern subway in South Korea


Playful: Young people enjoying themselves on the modern subway in South Korea’s capital Seoul


Austere: Three women in drab clothing crossing the road in North Korea


Austere: Three women in drab clothing crossing the road in North Korea


Extravagant: The women in Seoul are more colourfully dressed while the street presents a lively scene


Extravagant: The women in Seoul are more colourfully dressed while the street presents a lively scene


South Korea’s capital Seoul appears modern, prosperous and busy, while Pyongyang in North Korea is desolate and underdeveloped.


Mr Leistner was given official permission to travel to Pyongyang in 2006, and returned to the peninsula six years later to take complementary photographs of Seoul.


He sought out comparable locations in order to capture a set of photos which would highlight the similarities and differences between the two nations.


In Seoul people can be seen chatting on the subway, whereas those on the metro in North Korea seem to be more subdued.  






Old-fashioned: The Okryu restaurant in North Korea, with distinctly archaic decor


Old-fashioned: The Okryu restaurant in North Korea, with distinctly archaic decor


Relaxed: South Korean customers chatting in the Cafe Sunset overlooking the Dongjak Bridge


Relaxed: South Korean customers chatting in the Cafe Sunset overlooking the Dongjak Bridge


Ranks of students: A language course at the


Ranks of students: A language course at the ‘Grand People’s Study House’ in Pyongyang


Sophisticated: Students using computers and Powerpoint presentations at Daelim University in South Korea


Sophisticated: Students using computers and Powerpoint presentations at Daelim University in South Korea


Drab: Two women stand outside a concrete building in North Korea, next to a pile of building materials


Drab: Two women stand outside a concrete building in North Korea, next to a pile of building materials


Slick: Workers take a cigarette break in South Korea, in front of a backdrop of skyscrapers


Slick: Workers take a cigarette break in South Korea, in front of a backdrop of skyscrapers


The photos of North Korea showcase bronze statues of Communist heroes and wide avenues with very few cars and people.


The bustling streets of Seoul could not be more different, choked with cars and people and late-night shopping.


Mr Leistner’s book, Korea-Korea, reflects on the parallels with the situation in his own home country, which was for decades split between West and East Germany.


His images are supported by excerpts from two diaries. The first was written by Philipp Sturm, who grew up in East Germany and accompanied Mr Leistner to Pyongyang.


Undeveloped: Fields in one of the counties outside North Korea


Undeveloped: Fields in one of the counties outside North Korea’s capital city Pyongyang


Infrastructure: A road leading out of the Seoul suburbs presents a stark contrast


Infrastructure: A road leading out of the Seoul suburbs presents a stark contrast


Waiting: Commuters in Pyongyang wait for the bus to arrive


Waiting: Commuters in Pyongyang wait for the bus to arrive


Hi-tech: The bus stop outside a school in Seoul is shaped to look like a giant television


Hi-tech: The bus stop outside a school in Seoul is shaped to look like a giant television


Empty: A policewoman directs traffic on the deserted streets of North Korea


Empty: A policewoman directs traffic on the deserted streets of North Korea


Commerce: A woman selling hats in the bustling centre of Seoul


Commerce: A woman selling hats in the bustling centre of Seoul


The second was written by Ahn Hehn-Chu, who was born in Germany to Korean parents, and has regularly visited Seoul since she was a child.


In her diary entry, she described how dynamic Seoul is. She wrote: ‘I’ve been to the former night market in Dongdae-mun at 4am to go shopping before but this is the first time I’ve gone to a hair salon that’s open 24 hours.’


Mr Sturm’s account of North Korea, by contrast, highlights the strict regulations imposed on visitors, and what they are allowed to photograph and record.


After landing in Pyongyang, he wrote: ‘Once inside, border guards stamp our passports and ask us to hand in our mobile phones for the duration of our visit – for security reasons, they say.’





Secrecy: This photograph of the Geumsusan Palace symbolises the closed culture of North Korea


Secrecy: This photograph of the Geumsusan Palace symbolises the closed culture of North Korea


Boulevard: A statue of admiral Yi Sun-sin on one of Seoul


Boulevard: A statue of admiral Yi Sun-sin on one of Seoul’s main thoroughfares


Desolate: North Koreans walk past a building with peeling paint


Desolate: North Koreans walk past a building with peeling paint


Divergence: The two countries used to be indistinguishable, but this image shows how South Korea has experienced economic growth to give it a Western feel


Divergence: The two countries used to be indistinguishable, but this image shows how South Korea has experienced economic growth to give it a Western feel


Glory? A statue of Kim Il Sung, founding leader of North Korea, next to a Soviet-style monument


Glory? A statue of Kim Il Sung, founding leader of North Korea, next to a Soviet-style monument


History: South Korea


History: South Korea’s monument to King Sejong with a group of visitors posing for a photograph


He also recounted visiting the Mangyongdae Children’s Palace, where school children can part in extracurricular activities in line with their talents.


‘Countless children appear, as if ordered and perform for us and our escorts on command,’ Mr Sturm wrote.


Mr Leistner studied photo engineering and visual communication in Cologne, Essen, and Wuppertal.


In 1999, he became a professor of photography in the design department at the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences.




Work: The photographs were taken by Dieter Leistner and published in a book called Korea-Korea








Comments (427)


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P Gregory,


Coventry,


moments ago


Whilst I’m totally against the repressive regime of North Korea, I wonder which economy is actually less damaging to the environment and more sustainable? Very likely to be North Korea, by a long way! And although the people are repressed, having materialism and wealth is never the key to happiness…. which is contentment and family values.





Jay,


Dublin, Ireland,


5 minutes ago


This is exactly what Marxism will do for (or to) you!





jimbo,


barrow,


12 minutes ago


Reminds me of the north/south divide in Great Britain.





Stephen,


Worcester,


28 minutes ago


More stark than the differences between the old East and West Germany. The North Korean people look so miserable with little money and nothing to buy. Even every day items like nylon tights aren’t always available so grown up women have to wear girls socks





Pleasantstream,


Mermaid Waters, Australia,


40 minutes ago


North Korea looks a bit drab, but which country is safer? The regimented north or overstimulated south?





pkvanderbyl,


rhodesia nottinghamshire, United Kingdom,


44 minutes ago


And if Labour wins the next election then we will end up looking like North Korea because of the 2 Eds and their far left tax and spend policies.





Jim,


Norwich, United Kingdom,


44 minutes ago


Good God…that’s just like London and North of Watford where the peasant live in poverty.





Tim,


Manchester,


45 minutes ago


The train in Pyongyang looks better than anything Northern Rail operate.





Al,


Up North,


26 minutes ago


I was just thinking that ! Be interesting to take a photo of commuters on a crowded,clapped out Northern Rail Pacer train. The passengers would look less happy than North Koreans.






Figjam,


london, United Kingdom,


52 minutes ago


They need a revolution is North Korea! A Peoples uprising!





Ronnie Zeng,


Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,


59 minutes ago


Western Propaganda love to show picture taken in different time and space and make comparison or show edited photo to make a country look bad. If I have not travel the world and learn to see the truth behind their lie, I would have been as ignorant and blind as most of the world. Its safe to walk alone at night anywhere in North Korea but not the USA or many Western country. North Korean Captain will not leave its passenger to die in a sinking ship or lost a plane that their radar detected.





The Old Man,


London, United Kingdom,


19 minutes ago


Oh Ronnie, you’re such a laugh.



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