The real shock came at the model computer center. We were brought there to see how North Korea was keeping up with the times. Children sat at desks, staring intently at monitors, but something was wrong.
I walked closer to one girl. She was clicking the mouse diligently, simulating busy activity. But when I looked at the screen, a cold sweat broke out on my neck. The monitor was black. The computer was simply turned off.
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“No electricity,” a staff member whispered when he caught my gaze. Yet the children continued to “work,” playing their roles for the foreign guests. It was the perfect metaphor for the entire country: a beautiful picture with emptiness behind it.
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I raised my camera to capture this absurdity. The flash went off like a gunshot in the silence. The guides rushed me instantly. “Delete immediately! This is disrespect!” they shouted, trying to cover the lens with their hands.