iPhone application offers rare glimpse into North Korea

A new iPhone application now offers a rare glimpse into North Korea, one of the most isolated countries in the world. The free application, Fotopedia North Korea, which launched in late June, displays more than 1,140 photos that photographer Eric Lafforgue took across North Korea on his four visits between 2008 and 2010. The photos show soldiers, children, the massive gymnastics extravaganza known as the Arirang Festival, as well as anti-American propaganda posters and images of the country's leader Kim Jong-il and his late father and the country's founder, Kim Il-sung. A propaganda poster shows several missiles being launched at the United States while another poster illustrates a crushing blow to the U.S. North Korea views the U.S. as its key enemy and fought against its troops during the 1950-53 Korean War, though it wants to improve its relations with Washington. The photos also show many people paying tribute to the country's founder by visiting his towering bronze statue overlooking Pyongyang. The Kims are the subject of a massive personality cult that pervades almost every aspect of North Korean society.