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Ed Flanagan / NBC News
From atop Jangdaezae hill in Pyongyang on Monday, the visual effect of thousands of people waving flower wreaths was stunning during the event to commemorate the unveiling of a new mural of Kim Jong-il, who died last year.
North Korea has invited international journalists into the reclusive country to witness the launch of what they say is a weather observation satellite using a three-stage rocket in mid-April. The satellite launch is timed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung. The United States and South Korea say the satellite launch is more likely a thinly disguised test of long-range missile technology.
Ed Flanagan / NBC News
NBC cameraman David Lom was intrigued by what looked like old Arri Super 16mm film cameras in Pyongyang on Monday. Popular in the late 1950s, these vintage workhorses were in stark contrast to the high-tech cameras from the international media in Pyongyang, North Korea.
NBC’s chief foreign correspondent, Richard Engel, science expert James Oberg, producer Ed Flanagan and cameraman David Lom are in North Korea to report on the satellite launch. It provides a rare opportunity to get a glimpse inside the repressive regime as it transitions under its new leader, Kim Jong Un.
Ed Flanagan / NBC News
NBC News Senior Foreign Corespondent Richard Engel reports in front of tens of thousands just outside Kim Il-sung square in Pyongyang, North Korea on April 9, 2012.
The media’s movements will be closely monitored by North Korean officials. The Yanggakdo Hotel, which was selected to house all the foreign journalists during this week’s celebrations in Pyongyang, is on an island in the middle of the Taedong River and is only accessible by two bridges.
David Lom / NBC News
All North Koreans wear a Kim Il-sung pin when out and about. There typically seems to be two types of pins: one with Kim's face on a flag-shaped background and another of Kim's face on a small round button. In the case of our government-appointed minder, he often wears one pin on his suit jacket and another on his white collared shirt.
See some of the photos from a massive ceremony in Pyongyang Monday in honor of the unveiling of a new mural of Kim Jong-il, the "Dear Leader," who died last year. There are also some glimpses of ordinary life in North Korea.
David Lom / NBC News
On the train to the Sohae Satellite Launching Station on Sunday, our immaculate private train car frequently passed older models that serviced everyday North Koreans.
NBC News’ Richard Engel will be participating in a LIVE Chat with readers from Pyongyang, North Korea at 10 a.m. ET Tuesday.
David Lom / NBC News
Within the Yanggakdo hotel, the quietly slow pace of life in Pyongyang, North Korea comes out in the hotel's photo store.
Read more from NBC on North Korea's satellite launch: Clues about North Korea's space plans come to light at last
North Korea rocket 'not a military missile...but it's darn close
David Lom / NBC News
With so many journalists around and virtually all of our movement pre-planned by government-assigned minders, it's rare that you get a natural moment. The omnipresent President Kim Il-sung smiles down approvingly from his perch atop a train station.
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Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
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To call this news is a joke. The media will only be allowed to film and talk about what the North Korean officials want them to see and hear. The media is allowing themselves to be used to air propaganda from the North Korean government. The media should have told the North Korean government either we are free to come and go as we please or we are not coming at all. To participate in this highly scripted media event is a sham and not real journalism.
If the media don't like, don't go. No one is forcing them to go. Making demand to your host is laughable.
Whats "laughable" is the fact that these despots have ruled with an iron fist for so long.
Or it is just sad.
North Korea reminds me of the USA. The elite 1% at the top have it all, and the 99% at the bottom fight over the scraps.
That's right. The 99% in the USA only have 4 meals a week JUST like the 99% in North Korea. Those numbers sound just about right. IF you are going to say something, make it count, marlen101917.
I guess that our table scrapes are so much more yummy than those in NK where they are skin and bones and our 99% are overweight slobs. Thikn be4 ewe right.
Love the dress! But I thought Snow White only had 7 dwarves? And what is with the megaphone are there that many of them?
Those who think North Korea is in bad shape, please remind yourselves that the west isolates them effectively. This is because the west is afraid that an alternative system succeeds economically. This is why we put sanctions on North Korea and Iran and others that we do not agree with. If there were no sanctions and if alternate systems were allowed to co-exist and trade with each other, world would be a better place. But the top 1% would be poorer. Because the slaves would wake up on both sides.
Wow. Troll much? You have got to be paid to write such gibberish.
The Chinese are known to pay bloggers and others to post favorable comments. The North Koreans are probably doing the same thing.
So does that mean the officials wanted them to see the impoverished farmers in the video working with no modern equipment? What they wanted the the journalists to especially see is real because the amount of excessive propaganda is real. I think any glimpse into North Korea is informational.
A regime this oppressive cannot possibly succeed. You see, they aren't big on international trade. If sanctions were lifted they would import more stuff, but they simply wouldn't be interested in letting everyone have nice things. Those guys run concentration camps for political prisoners and it's not at all difficult to land yourself in one.
The 1% in America are mostly (though not always) greedy bastards who don't give a @!$%# about the 99%. The 1% in North Korea are evil sadistic tyrants who insist that by oppressing the 99%, they'll get to keep their power. I'd argue that the North Korean 1% are a lot worse.
The US could take some clues as to how to keep cities clean. Make those that get a free meal work for it first.
Actually, I think the reason we were let in was to put a face on the people to make it less likely for anyone to attack them and to give the perception to the international community that they are trying. I don't know haw far that would go, but that is the way it appears to me.
Sounds to me like "DR"of NK is interested in being part of the international community. This was definitely propaganda and not to be taken as anything other than a "big production" not dissimilar to the Olympics in Bejing. They will continue to repress and abuse their population. I am still happy for this charade of an "invitation" since they have always operated in extreme secrecy. What I am concerned about are all the other "devices" they may be developing that they are NOT displaying. I agree with you john, this was an attempt to "humanize" NK but we shouldn't fall for it. NK is a bully albeit a small one, on the world stage.
Well, it is undeniable that they do have lots of flowers, everybody is properly dressed and the streets are clean.
marlen101917, are you serious?
North Korea reminds you of USA? Which aspects strike you as similar?
The fact that the "99%" in N. Korea scrounge for dirt and grass to eat because they are starving?
The fact that they aren't allowed to say one word against any of their past or present rulers unless they are willing to face torture and the possibility that their entire family could be murdered?
The fact that they have little to no basic human rights that we Americans take for granted all the time and most of them don't even know they are supposed to fight for them because they don't know they're supposed to have them?
Before you go and feel sorry for yourself because your Honda doesn't compare to the Porsches and Rolls Royce's of the 1%, think about what the actual struggles of the citizens of North Korea are actually going for. Yes, there are many in America who are poverty stricken and have to bend over backwards to provide for themselves and their families. But even those who we consider "poor" or "lower-class" in America still are enjoying a much higher standard of living than those in N. Korea.
First world problems.
@barry-nj
My past comments on China were deemed favourable on the basis of my observation and view issues on a global perspective resulting fromr eading a wide selection of articles other than those sourced from US.
I do not get paid by Chinese authority. Your presumption is therefore untrue.
Henrich ... my comments were addressed to georgecons. But, if you happen to think that they apply to you, who am I to argue?
Very cool, almost makes you want to live there until, well, you know.
it's such a shame n korea doesnt offer any resources or money the rest of the world needs. so everone else just stands by and watches an entire country of people be oppressed by its government.
Maybe it's that outsized army that they have.
are you suggesting that their military is more powerful than ours? because its not.
No, it isn't more powerful. But, during the time that it took us to defeat it, it would inflict severe damage on South Korea. Mutually Assured Destruction doesn't require nuclear weapons.
Their military budget is disproportionately large. Most of the country's money goes to the military. America has an offense budget that's absolutely unnecessary and therefore wasteful--it needs to go to actual defense instead. But at least it isn't so disproportionate compared to the North Korean budget.
I'm so roneree
So ronery
YEA! I wanna peek at N. Korea, like I wanna Peek at Jerry Sanduskey in the SHOWER! SameThing!
The funny part is that the N. Koreans may not even know how people live outside of their country. The picture that show "COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS" shows a little glimpse of how behind the times that county's people are.
They seem to worship their leaders and are perfectly happy.
Because if they don't they get beaten and sent to re-education camps. Or shot. Or just allowed to continue starving.
What crap this is the West should not take part in North Korea's propaganda especially when rural North Korean citizens routinely starve and die in the streets.
Yep, rare peak alright. Rare and extremely calculated! What a joke. Please remove this ridiculous story.
Oh, TimeTraveller ... "Thikn be4 ewe right." Some of that be good. Clearly you are only hallucinating the 99% here.
Ha! They Are Parading The Full Force Of Totalitarian Propaganda. (Need to be in capital to express their passion.)
All sessions must be meticulously orchestrated, yet it's still interesting to see they keep such power over the people, as one photo caption says, "…omnipresent President Kim Il-sung smiles down…(at any corners of the nation)."
I'm expecting a series of Richard Engel's excellent reports, as he always accomplishes.
The world will continue to placate N Korea until it actually attacks S Korea and maybe not even then since it's not sitting on major oil reserves. We have allowed scores of dictators to oppress and murder it's citizens since WW2 and have really learned little and done less since then unless oil is involved. Anyone notice the USS Enterprise carrier group going to join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group in the Persian Gulf recently?
We have allowed scores of dictators to oppress and murder it's citizens since WW2 and have really learned little and done less since then unless oil is involved.
As so many people have observed, we're not the world's policeman. It is fair and reasonable that we put our lives and treasure at stake when our interests are threatened because the world is too big for us to run every country.
The world placates North Korea because it can devastate a large swath of South Korea, including Seoul. Otherwise, we'd probably just ignore the place.
The US has used smoke and mirrors to fool the world and the US thinks anytime another nation states their reason they are doing something that is not the true reason they are up to something devious going on just because we do that type of thi Not all nations speak with forked tongue the US has lied to the other nations in the world so many times the other nations are beginning to not believe what we say. Last example was the neclear weapons, mushroom clouds, the yellow cake, the aluminum tubes that Iraq was getting ready to send to the US. This was a republican president's lie so he could be commander in chief of our military during a phony war. You have to keep you minds open an not believe everything politicans say and never, never believe anything a cop tells you. Cops don't carry guns for fun they carry them to kill, so if your state allows concealed weapons get one and don't be afraid to use it to protect your self an get a vest.
you,sir,should jump on a plane,head directly to China,book passage to north korea,stay for a year,and report back to us,you complete idiot!
Gary Hanson-737542 , not happy here, then you should probably move. I am sure these other countries would love to murder you for saying what you just said. Really though from reading the last part of your comment I am thinking you need to see your doctor and have your medications regulated, I don't think they are working for you any longer.
We'll, thats different..
President Obama very publically took off his US flag lapel pin and publically refused to ever wear the US flag again. (Maybe he really wants one of the North Korean lapel pins)
Well, if this is NBC, we already know that they will project anything they want, true or not. They altered Zimmerman's 911 call to suit their fancy.
MSN.COM , has been my home page for a long time but it has become so boring it is not worth the time to look at it, try the BBC or Yahoo .com so sick of politics I could THROW UP! GOT IT...................................
North Koreans better flee to China, or learn how to swim to the Island of South Korea - soon!
South Korea isnt an island FYI.
And if fleeing to China were easy, they would have done so already.
If China finds North Korean refugees, then send them straight back over to North Korea.
Just like the funeral. No doubt stories will surface that people in the photo didn't look appropriately solemn and will disappear for re-education.
Anyone who thinks life in the US can be compared on any level to life in North Korea is beyond clueless. And, for anyone who thinks that North Korea is the way they are because of sanctions from the US and other developed countries needs to adjust their tinfoil hat.
It's pitiful that the North Korean people have been so totally isolated by their government.
In reality, although we are having difficult times here. We are far from North Koreans. But that day may come
here, who knows? In the Bible, governments are depicted in symblic language as beasts. Let the reader use
discernment!
North Koran history is interesting and Kim Jong-Un will have his legacy. I started reading Koren History when my daughter was stationed at South Koran US base. After talking with my daughters host Family I started reading up on the history so I wouldn't ignorant when talking to the family as they called when Peaches visited. Well I was curious about Kim Jong-ll as his fixation on the United States. I read about Kim's Dad Kim ll-Sung who had a harder rule and developed a cult personality and many described as autocratic. I found Kim's great-grandfather the most interesting of all as Kim Hyong-jik was raised a Christian, teacher and herb pharmacist. He lived in trying times and but is said to believe in the idea of chiwon and I hope Kim Jong-Un will feel the same. Kim Hyong-jik died in 1955 at the age of 96 years old.
History is import to know as each country has their own and to understand the people of the World is to understand their history. Americans look at cliff notes or a movie to form an opinion. I admit Peaches traveling to so many countries allowed me to take the time to read to understand the cultures she was dealing with. What surprised me is how much the host Family in South Korea knew about the United States History.
I did get lucky one of the young soldiers on the DMZ got good pictures for me of North Korea by using a zoom lens. Change comes with respect and understanding without it you have conflict.
North Koran, Koren History and South Koran? All in the first two sentences. You immediately lose credibility when YOU CAN'T SPELL THE NAME OF THE COUNTRY you're writing about!!!
Where did you go to High School? Walmart?
FAIL FAIL FAIL
Sorry it was just so interesting when the host family talked and I really knew very little about Korea. But I realize I am not as smart as you. As for being credible well it is still nice to have friends in South Korea and my daughter is now in Afghanistan. I am just a proud Mom. I wish I could share the pictures with you they are great.
jackierawlings, thanks for the insight. You have spelling bee winners in every tag. I found your story very interesting... Again thanks.
One thing I'll say for North Korean society is that they don't leave a bunch of GD trash behind when they leave events. Look up "Themepark 1984" on YouTube for an excellent and amusing look inside NK, with things like the "color photograph" sign pointed out sarcastically by the narrator.
Funny. I see Obama's smiling face plastered all over the place too. Kinda makes me want to vomit, but the liberal sheep bowe and worship like the N. Koreans.
you would think that they would spend their money on agriculture and housing, but i guess they want to be like the rest of the world
Does anyone have the feeling that North Korea is about to do something assertive and bold. Things don't make sense here at all! The North Koreans have invited the international community into their country to observe this satellite launch (odd). Most of the reports about the satellite have state that it looks cheaply and poorly made and the North Koreans are allowing people to walk right up to it and touch it (odd). We have not mentioned the behavioral consistency of North Korea; they love to test the international community to see what types of response they endure. I don't think they are opening up!! I think they are preparing to do some thing major. I think we are being distracted (or ambushed) and our curiousity is drawing us right into it!! Kim Jong Un is about to daddy slap someone and the whole world is watching.
I am inclined to say that you may be right. Something critter is afoot over there...