Inside North korea
Introduction
North Korea is one of the most isolated countries on earth. It is led by the reclusive leader Kim Jong-il, who succeeded his father, Kim Il-sung, on his death in 1994. The latter had led the country for nearly half a century.
US President George W Bush famously branded North Korea part of the 'axis of evil'. The communist country responded by announcing to the world that it had a nuclear device.
A famine in the late 1990s forced North Korea to open the door to foreign agencies and NGOs. Now, that door appears to be closing.
RTÉ was allowed in to film the work of the Irish aid agency Concern, which has been in North Korea for eight years. Concern must leave the country in January.
RTÉ Foreign Editor Margaret Ward kept a diary of her week-long visit to North Korea. Cameraman Magnus Kelly took the pictures. 'We didn't have freedom of movement, we were accompanied at all times except for evening visits to restaurants, and our filming was restricted to locations agreed in advance by the government,' said Margaret Ward. 'However, we travelled around the country more than most foreign crews have managed to do, and got at least a flavour of life inside this secretive country.'
