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.

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 ...

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." ...

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.

Yet, thanks to satellite imagery and the internet, North Korea's secretive world is gradually being unveiled. Here is a series of remarkable photographs showing aspects of North Korea's hidden world ...

North Korean defectors speak out about challenges escaping and adjusting to life in a modern society. Kim Jong Un's regime has been accused of multiple human rights abuses.

The North Korea of 2024 is more belligerent, provocative and focused on its military than ever before. Pyongyang has put itself on a war footing, upping its defense production and forging ahead ...

North Korea’s government under Kim Jong Un has effectively sealed its northern border with China, worsening an already grave humanitarian and human rights situation in the country.