According to Guttenfelder, there's a huge priority on performing arts for young children in North Korea. In this photo, a kindergarten student prepares to put on a play of a popular children's fable.
Photograph by David Guttenfelder, National GeographicWhether he visited a school or a factory, Guttenfelder saw significant time and energy being invested in arts for children.
Photograph by David Guttenfelder, National GeographicKindergarteners practise riding unicycles in a Pyongyang gymnasium.
Photograph by David Guttenfelder, National GeographicSupreme Leader Kim Jong-un has called for a resurgence of athleticism. One of the most popular forms of exercise among North Koreans is rollerblading. In this photo, skaters enjoy a park built just for this purpose.
Photograph by David Guttenfelder, National GeographicAn outdoor speaker plays popular local music while people of all ages gather to dance in a Pyongyang park.
Photograph by David Guttenfelder, National GeographicPhotograph by David Guttenfelder, National Geographic
Arcades and carnivals are popular all over North Korea. In this photo, youngsters fire toy guns in a carnival game.
Photograph by David Guttenfelder, National GeographicAt Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang, students go swimming and enjoy massages from water jets in the pool.
Photograph by David Guttenfelder, National GeographicA group of factory workers and their families take a day off at a new swimming pool in Pyongyang. "People were diving and belly flopping," Guttenfelder says. "They were just so happy even though they didn't know how to dive."
Photograph by David Guttenfelder, National GeographicSchoolchildren clamber over a playground slide made to look like a North Korean airliner.
Photograph by David Guttenfelder, National GeographicA young boy climbs up a slide while rollerbladers look on. Some icons of the West—like Mickey Mouse on the boy's backpack—are so pervasive, they've made it into the closed-off world of North Korea.
Photograph by David Guttenfelder, National GeographicA drab apartment building in Pyongyang offsets colourful playground equipment. Guttenfelder says that despite the long work hours and tightly controlled personal lives, "people are trying to make the most of a pretty difficult situation."
Photograph by David Guttenfelder, National Geographic