Rare Photos of Life in North Korea You Probably Haven’t seen Before

Rows of identical houses

Architecture in North Korea in general and in Pyongyang, in particular, is characterized by uniform gray cement, as used by the old Soviet Union. Since the country is technically, if not practically, a communist state, the message from the regime is that everyone is equal and therefore living arrangements should be equal as well.

The reality is, that due to insufficient technical expertise and international sanctions, many of the buildings are not safe to inhabit and many others are empty and unused.