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More articles by 'Taylor Darby'
A diplomat’s life: North Korea’s brutal training for parades and mass games
North Koreans train for hours on end and late into the night to prepare for these events in Pyongyang
A diplomat’s life: The North Koreans are always watching you
There is no escaping Big Brother in a country that encourages and rewards citizens for reporting on each other
A diplomat’s life: Learning to cope with leisure in Pyongyang
Finding entertainment is not always easy, but foreigners can still enjoy movies, karaoke and other activities
A diplomat’s life: Navigating Pyongyang’s byzantine payment system
Foreigners may pay in one currency and receive change in others, while converting back and forth into virtual money
A diplomat’s life: The pleasures of retail therapy in the North Korean capital
A former diplomat in Pyongyang recounts the realities of shopping in the city and the propaganda purpose of many stores
A diplomat’s life: The uncertainty and tedium of lockdown in North Korea
A former diplomat in Pyongyang gives a first-person account of how authorities responded to the pandemic