23 Portraits of Women Who Live in North Korea
For over two years now, Romanian photographer Mihaela Noroc has been traveling around the world with a camera in hand and shooting portraits of women in their environment for a project titled “The Atlas of Beauty,” which we featured back in February.
The latest country Noroc traveled to in her journey was the hermit kingdom of North Korea.
“That’s why I decided to explore and photograph this subject, something mostly unknown for the rest of the world.”
![A woman working in a hotel in Sinuiju](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/1.jpg)
![In Pyongyang, the capital of the country](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/2.jpg)
![On the streets of Wonsan City](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/3.jpg)
![One of the wide boulevards of Pyongyang](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/5.jpg)
“Women of North Korea are not familiar with global trends but this doesn’t mean that they are not preoccupied by their look,” writes Noroc. “They are, definitely!”
“They have a passion for high heels and usually wear classic outfits, always accompanied by a pin, on the chest, representing one of the country’s leaders.”
![Library in Pyongyang](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/6.jpg)
![A singer before her show, in Sinuiju](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/7.jpg)
![Bicycles are the most popular vehicle.](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/91.jpg)
![Wonsan, a port city to The Sea of Japan](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/10.jpg)
![She was working in a train.](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/11.jpg)
“I tried to explore different environments, from factories or universities to public areas like big boulevards, parks or subway stations to show that beauty is indeed everywhere,” Noroc tells PetaPixel.
“Even though traveling to North Korea is limited to certain areas and conditions, the pleasant surprise was that most of the women were open and they kindly accepted to be photographed.”
![Subway station in Pyongyang.](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/12.jpg)
![Fishing is very popular in Wonsan](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/13.jpg)
![A waitress in Pyongyang](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/14.jpg)
![During celebration or other special occasions women wear traditional outfits](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/15.jpg)
![Textile factory in Pyongyang](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/16.jpg)
![Umbrellas are popular for sun blocking.](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/18.jpg)
![During the National Day huge mass dances are organized in big cities.](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/19.jpg)
![Student in Pyongyang](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/20.jpg)
![A woman working in a hotel in Sinuiju](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/21.jpg)
![Playing instruments is a popular activity](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/22.jpg)
![In Sinuiju, a city bordering China](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/23.jpg)
![People wear pins with the two former great leaders](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/26.jpg)
![Gates of Koryo Museum in Kaesong](https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/27.jpg)
Noroc continues to travel the world and pursue her goal of photographing women in every single country. You can follow along with her journey and photos on the project’s website, Facebook, and Instagram.
Image credits: Photographs by Mihaela Noroc and used with permission