Looking North

An elderly lady watches North Korea through a telescope at Manghyangdae Observatory, Gyodong Island.

Dozens of observatories line the southern side of the impassable inter-Korean border, allowing everyone to take a peek over the Demilitarized Zone at the hermit kingdom of the North.

I’ve been working since 2023 on a long-term project on the Korean Division, which often leads me to visit these observation posts. They range from simple hilltop telescopes and military facilities with severely restricted access to huge tourist complexes with trendy cafés, souvenir stores and parking lots for dozens of coachloads of tourists.

There’s always an element of voyeurism in observing, through a telephoto lens or telescope and from the comfort and freedom of the South, dozens of North Korean peasants working the land with their hands under lines of red flags and slogans glorifying the Kim dynasty.

In the observatories, I meet displaced North Koreans who have come to see their lost homeland from afar, veterans from the Korean War, groups of schoolchildren, families and many foreign tourists.

Everyone has their own way of observing North Korea. And I found that these differences in attitude illustrate quite well all the feelings generated by the Division of Korea, from extreme absurdity to extreme sadness, and from indifference to morbid curiosity.

Visitors look at the North Korean bank of the Han River Estuary from the Yeonmijeong Pavilion in Ganghwa Island (September 2025).

Yeonmijeong Pavilion, Incheon City.

Kindergarten children on a field trip wait in line to watch North Korea through a telescope at Odusan Observatory’s rooftop (June 2025).

Odusan Observatory, Paju City.

A young lady takes a picture of a South Korean flag in the shape of a windmill at Odusan Unification Observatory, in front of North Korea.

Odusan Observatory, Paju City.

North Korea watches at Odusan Observatory.

Odusan Observatory, Paju City.

A couple of foreign tourists takes a selfie in front of North Korea at Odusan Observatory.

Odusan Observatory, Paju City.

A visitor watches Mt. Kumgang through a telescope at Goseong Unification Observatory.

Goseong Unification Observatory.

South Korean Coast Guards monitor smuggling and illegal fishing activies by Chinese vessels in North Korean waters from Yeonpyeong Island.

Manghyang Observation Deck, Yeonpyeong Island.

Visitors watch North Korea at Ganghwa Observatory.

Ganghwa Observatory, Incheon City.

A couple drinks coffee while watching the North Korean landscape across the Imjin River from Daonsoop Cafe in Paju City.

Daonsoop Cafe, Paju City.

A couple hugs while watching North Korea from the Odusan Observatory in Paju City.

Odusan Observatory, Paju City.

A couple watches North Korea from Ganghwa Observatory.

Ganghwa Observatory, Incheon City.

A Chinese tourist takesa picture of her Starbucks coffee in front of North Korea at the Aegibong Jogang Observatory in Gimpo City.

Starbucks Cafe at Jogang Observatory, Gimpo City.

A South Korean soldier looks at North Korea from the Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjom.

Joint Security Area, Panmunjom.

A visitor watches North Korea through a telescope at Odusan Observatory in Paju City.

Odusan Observatory, Paju City

A couple watches North Korea from Goseong Unification Observatory.

Goseong Unification Observatory.

Elderly Korean men watch North Korea through telescopes at Odusan Unification Observatory.

Odusan Observatory, Paju City.

A tourist watches North Korea through a telescope from Odusan Unification Observatory.

Odusan Observatory, Paju City.

A visitor lools at North Korea from Manghyangdae Observatory, in Gyodong Island (September 2025).

Manghyangdae Observatory, Gyodong Island.

A visitor watches North Korea through a telescope at Odusan Unification Observatory.

Odusan Observatory, Paju City.

A family takes a selfie using a selfie stick at Hwagaesan Observatory, in Gyodong Island.

Hwagaesan Observatory, Gyodong Island.

Visitors watch North Korea from Ganghwa Observatory's terrace

Ganghwa Observatory, Incheon City.

A woman watches North Korea through a telescope at odusan Unification Observatory.

Odusan Observatory, Paju City.

People look at North Korea from the Manghyangdae Observatory in Gyodong Island (September 2025).

Manghyangdae Observatory, Gyodong Island.

Dora Observatory, Paju City.

Dora Observatory, Paju City.

Visitors watch North Korea from Goseong Unification Observatory.

Goseong Unification Observatory.

A Swiss Army officer from the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission shows North Korea from the blue footbridge linking the NNSC Camp to the Joint Security Area in Panmu,jom.

Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) Swiss and Swedish Camp, Panmunjom.

Two ladies take a nap at Odusan Observatory's Cafe.

Odusan Observatory, Paju City.

Visitors watch North Korea through telescopes at Cheorwon Peace Observatory.

Cheorwon Peace Observatory.

Visitors drink coffee while watching North Korea at Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju City.

Odusan Observatory, Paju City.

Nanjeong-ri Observatory, Gyodong Island (September 2025).

Nanjeong-ri Observatory, Gyodong Island.

A visitor watches North Korea from the Jogang Observatory in Gimpo City.

Jogang Observatory, Gimpo City.

A family watches North Korea through a telescope at Manghyangdae Observatory, Gyodong Island.

Manghyangdae Observatory, Gyodong Island.

A tourist watches North Korea through a telescope from Jogang Observatory in Gimpo City.

Jogang Observatory, Gimpo City.

North Korea viewed from the Odusan Observatory.

Odusan Observatory, Paju City.

Visitors look at the North Korean bank of the Han River Estuary from the Yeonmijeong Pavilion in Ganghwa Island (September 2025).

Yeonmijeong Pavilion, Incheon City.

A family and a dog watch North Korean coast and the East Ssea from the Goseong Observatory.

Goseong Unification Observatory.

A telescope at Odusan Observatory.

Odusan Observatory, Paju City.

People watch the North Korean bank of the Jogang Estuary from an observatory in Gyodong Island, South Korea.

Manghyangdae Observatory, Gyodong Island.