In North Korea, Pyongyang is undoubtedly the most prosperous area. Walking through the city's streets, you will see many young girls with fair skin, clean and tidy clothing, exuding confidence and vitality.
The girls of Pyongyang, in particular, are known as the "city's calling card" of North Korea. They leave a deep impression on many foreign tourists, making one feel that Pyongyang has gathered the "most beautiful faces" from across the country.
In contrast, rural life in North Korea appears much simpler. Rural residents often have darker skin, slimmer builds, and faces marked by the signs of long-term labor.
Most people in these areas make a living from farming, leading modest and challenging lives.
The young women in the countryside rarely dress as meticulously as the girls in Pyongyang, often presenting a more plain and unpretentious image.
This contrast between urban and rural areas seems to take one back to a few decades ago in China—where the cities developed much faster than the countryside, with resources heavily skewed towards urban areas, while the villages still retained their traditional hard work and simplicity.
Despite the lack of material abundance, children in North Korean villages still maintain innocent smiles and enjoy a carefree life of their own.
You can often see them playing by the riverside, chasing and frolicking, their pure smiles and carefree joy touching the heart.
Whenever someone picks up a camera, they eagerly gather around, posing in various ways for the lens, with a kind of innocent enthusiasm that warms the heart.
Across the Yalu River, in Sinuiju, the rural life remains simple.
Farmers are busy transporting goods, carrying heavy sacks on their shoulders, with sweat soaking through their clothes.
These daily labors have become a part of their lives.
It is said that the daily wage for these farmers is equivalent to about ten yuan (RMB).
However, due to relatively low prices in North Korea, such income can barely sustain a livelihood.
For these farmers, a life of modest means has become the norm, and they often find a sense of satisfaction in their daily toil.
As the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang is not only the political and economic center but also the place where material life is the most abundant.
Here, primary school students sit in spacious classrooms learning about computers, a scene rarely seen in rural schools.
Although there are not many computers, it shows the concentration of educational resources.
Children in Pyongyang have access to more modern technological education from a young age, which invisibly widens the educational gap between urban and rural areas.
Walking into a shopping mall in Pyongyang, you will see a bustling scene.
Citizens browse the shelves filled with various goods, and the bustling crowds showcase the consumer vitality here.
Although the prices of goods are not cheap, they still attract many customers. Fruits are among the "luxury goods" here, especially fresh ones, which are expensive, and those who can afford them are often seen as part of the "wealthy class."
In Pyongyang, the cost of buying a single apple might be equivalent to a rural farmer's income for one or two days, making the ability to purchase fruit a point of pride for many citizens, symbolizing their economic strength.
North Korea strictly controls materials and resources, and even in Pyongyang, high-tech products are not widespread.
Even citizens who can afford to buy a computer must first register it and obtain special approval.
What's more, owning a computer does not mean free access to the internet, as internet access is strictly controlled in North Korea, usually limited to special classes and "elite" individuals.
At the electronics counters, Pyongyang citizens always carefully check the configurations and specifications of monitors.
These devices are not only tools for acquiring information and knowledge but also symbolize a rare improvement in living quality.
Computers and the internet, already common in China, are still "luxuries" enjoyed by only a few in North Korea, further highlighting the vast gap between Pyongyang and the countryside.
Whether in the city or the countryside, the material life of ordinary North Korean citizens is generally simple.
Similar to China in the 1970s and 1980s, the people here do not have high demands for material conditions, focusing more on a peaceful sense of satisfaction.
Their daily diet mainly consists of kimchi, rice, and a small amount of meat. Due to state control over prices, the cost of basic necessities remains low, allowing most people to maintain a basic standard of living through their daily labor.
Among the "middle class" in Pyongyang, consuming fruits and electronic products has become a way of showcasing their economic strength.
In contrast, material life remains relatively scarce in the countryside and even in some smaller, remote cities.
Therefore, in the eyes of Pyongyang citizens, rural life seems to remain stuck in difficult times, often seen as a "bitter" way of living.
The urban-rural divide in North Korea is undoubtedly a result of historical and contemporary developments.
In this economically underdeveloped country with relatively scarce resources, the people's lives are marked by a unique blend of simplicity and hardship.
Yet, despite the material shortages, North Koreans continue to maintain a sense of optimism and contentment.
For Pyongyang residents, fruits and computers are their little "luxuries," symbolizing an enhancement in status and quality of life.
Meanwhile, in the countryside, children still smile for the camera, and farmers find fulfillment in their daily hard work.
Even with simple living conditions, they find joy in their lives.
Despite North Korea's slow pace of development, there is still a sense of genuine human connection on this land.
In such an environment, people's happiness and satisfaction do not depend on material abundance but rather on a love for and acceptance of life itself.
The resilience shown by the North Korean people under difficult conditions is precisely what makes this country uniquely captivating.
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