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Harry Jaggard was allowed to shoot for five days in April.
Harry Jaggard participated in the Pyongyang International Marathon. (Photo Credits: YouTube)
North Korea is one of the most isolated and secretive countries in the world. Now, a YouTuber has shared rare glimpses of the country in his new video. Harry Jaggard used the Pyongyang International Marathon as a chance to enter North Korea and film a travel video.
The marathon was the first opportunity for many international tourists to visit North Korea. The YouTuber, in a chat, said that North Korea had been on his radar for years and the international marathon afforded him a loophole to enter the country.
In an interview with The New York Post, Jaggard recalled, “I’m not a runner, but they told me you have to be there in a month, and I made all the preparations and made it happen.” He managed to run the marathon in three hours and 40 minutes
Talking about his experience in the secretive country, he added, “My tour guide said that you’ll go into North Korea with 100 questions and you’ll leave with 1,000 questions, and it’s so true.”
The YouTuber, known for his travel videos, was allowed to shoot for five days in April. He mentioned that he was surprised by how much he was allowed to film in the country. A few areas, however, were restricted- a view tower, a war museum and a supermarket.
According to Jaggard, he and fellow runners were given a curated tour of the capital Pyongyang, similar to a “highlight reel.” “It’s like going on a tour of America but only seeing Las Vegas — like the shiny parts,” he said. The tour guide showed them the city’s subway system, a beer joint, war museums and monuments dedicated to former leader Kim Jong-il and the Workers Party.
In his vlog, Jaggard mentioned that many North Koreans appeared deeply indoctrinated and unaware of what was happening in the outside world. He was also surprised to hear one of the tour guides say that COVID-19 entered the country via air balloons sent by South Korea.
For the YouTuber, his experience in North Korea was something he would remember for a long time. “For me, the experience was more about the people that I met,” he said. “They are portrayed to hate all foreigners and hate the West, but that’s not really true. We had so many interesting conversations off camera that were just very heartwarming,” he said. Jaggard declined to talk about the conversations he had with North Korean citizens off the record.
- Location :
Delhi, India, India
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