© Getty Images

A daily reminder -

Locals walk past billboards of former North Korean Supreme Leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital city.

© Getty Images

Closest comrade -

Pictures of Russia's President Vladimir Putin hang in the streets of Pyongyang on June 18, 2024, ahead of his two-day visit. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent Putin a birthday message a few months later, referring to him as his "closest comrade."

© Getty Images

Preparations -

Pyongyang is decorated with the North Korean flag and pictures of President Putin and Kim Jong Un, as workers carry a carpet during the rehearsal for the welcoming ceremony for Putin on June 18, 2024.

© Getty Images

Hustle and bustle -

Pedestrians go about their day-to-day lives, with some entering and leaving an underpass in Pyongyang. 

© Getty Images

On guard -

A North Korean army officer stands guard at the entrance of a government building ahead of Putin's visit, marking his first trip to the country in 24 years.

© Getty Images

On the border -

People walk across a bridge from Hyesan, North Korea, towards Changbai, Jilin province, China. Although border crossings do occur, they are tightly controlled by both governments and are typically restricted to trade or diplomatic purposes.

© Getty Images

Laundry day -

A soldier (standing on the right) watches as women wash clothes through a hole in the ice on the frozen Yalu River in Hyesan, North Korea.

© Getty Images

Views from the border -

A photographer snaps a shot of the low-slung houses and buildings in Hyesan from Changbai, Jilin province, China.

© Getty Images

Laundry duties -

A woman carries a plastic tub on her head as she makes her way to do laundry in a hole in the ice on the Yalu River, photographed from Changbai, China.

© Getty Images

Child's play -

Children play in front of houses in Hyesan, a city in the northern part of Ryanggang province of North Korea, as seen from across the border in Changbai. 

© Getty Images

A word of warning -

A sign written in Chinese and Korean displays the warning: "Sheltering individuals who illegally cross the border and trafficking women and children is strictly forbidden."

© Getty Images

Trainspotting -

Tourists in Yanbian, China, enjoy views of the Korea–Russia Friendship Bridge, a rail bridge over the Tuman River that is the only land link between the two countries. 

© Getty Images

A watchful eye -

Pictures of North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il keep a watchful eye over Namyang City, North Korea, as photographed from Tumen, China.

© Getty Images

Special delivery -

A woman watches on as a delivery of blocks of heating fuel is unloaded outside an apartment building in Pyongyang. 

© Getty Images

Training time -

Students of the Pyongyang International Football School take part in a training session in Pyongyang. The school, which opened in 2013, has 200 students and accepts 12 new entrants each year.

© Getty Images

Waiting around -

Two people wait on a street in Pyongyang. The squatting position, as pictured on the right, is a popular resting position that is a common sight in Asian cultures.

© Getty Images

Time to learn -

Students sit in a classroom in Pyongyang, taking a test, while one curious student peeks around toward the camera.

© Getty Images

A day to remember -

A newly married couple poses for photos on a boat moored on the Yalu River, with North Korea providing an interesting backdrop.

© Reuters

Chinese propaganda -

A large screen near the Yalu River broadcasts Chinese propaganda films to passersby in North Korea. The two nations have maintained close diplomatic ties since 1949.

© Reuters

A constant reminder -

Anglers cast off on the Yalu River, under the imposing shadow of a North Korean watchtower.

© Reuters

Village people -

Residents of the small North Korean village of Hyesan go about their daily lives, as observed from Chinese territory.

© Reuters

Snapping a selfie -

A man takes a selfie with North Korea and a broken bridge, which was likely destroyed during the Korean War, in the background.

© Reuters

An observation -

A solitary North Korean observation post near the Yalu River is photographed from China. The lookout tower enables guards to monitor everything happening in the vicinity.

© Reuters

Daily commute -

Commuters make their way toward a subway train platform in the Pyongyang metro. The network comprises two lines with a total of 17 stations and is one of the deepest metro systems in the world.

© Getty Images

Shaded strolls -

North Korean residents stroll along a street in Pyongyang, using umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun.

© Getty Images

Soaking up the view -

A tourist scans the North Korean countryside through binoculars atop a Chinese lookout tower. From there, it's also possible to catch glimpses of Russian territory.

© Reuters

How the other half live -

A Chinese resident peers through binoculars at their nearby but isolated neighbor, with the bridge connecting Dandong to the North Korean city of Sinuiju visible behind him.

© Reuters

Youngsters pass the time -

Young children pass the time playing and collecting water along the banks of the Yalu River in North Korea.

© Reuters

Under observation -

Photographed from China, a North Korean soldier and two residents have a conversation on the banks of the Yalu River.

© Reuters

Two perspectives -

A North Korean border guard stationed near Hyesan looks back into Chinese territory as the photograph is taken.

Sources: (Getty Images) (Reuters) (BBC) (CNN)

See also: Dictator deaths: infamous tyrants who were executed

© Reuters