A local version of Spam. Smartphones, or two, for everyone. Amid escalating U.S.-North Korea tensions, former journalist Jean Lee visits Pyongyang and finds that, at least there, life has improved.

The Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, unveiled in a ceremony on June 24, is found on North Korea’s eastern coast.

Jones tells Newsweek: "Covering North Korea presents a number of unique challenges. Access to places, events and people is often restricted. Photographing daily life is very much a priority.

One such video shows a private market in Haeju, a port city on North Korea's western coast. It's just before 3 p.m., and merchants and their customers are leaning against bicycles or squatting on ...

Namyang, North Korea, seen from the city of Tumen in Northeastern China in 2024. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images A sign on a hillside in the town of Chunggang reads, "My country is the best." ...

It isn't clear why King defected, and what kind of life he'll face in North Korea, which is known for its apartment blocks and less-than-luxury circumstances. Getty Images A 2009 photo showing ...

Inside North Korea: What life for a rare foreign student in Pyongyang reveals about the reclusive country. Alek Sigley was pursuing a master's degree at North Korea's premier university.

Daily life in North Korea has come under greater scrutiny over the past few years as worries about political stability in the region have intensified. Subscribe to The Week Escape your echo chamber.

Han did not live an easy life. She left North Korea in 2007, ... Kim met Han at a safe house in Shenyang, a city in China’s northeast Liaoning province, which borders North Korea.

News of the death of Han Sung-ok spread rapidly among the North Korean refugees in South Korea. Many felt like they knew her. She fled North Korea for a better life.