An American in North Korea

With all the buzz going on about North Korea in the news, I decided to try and find a blog on North Korea. The blog that caught my interest was titled "An American in North Korea," and is kept up by a man named Joseph A. Ferris. Other than being a Chief Mate on a US oceanography research ship, theres not really that much to him, not ex-military or anything, and i don't know why he's been able to gain access to North Korea. His blog centers around his travels throughout North Korea, and is accompanied by an extensive photo collection. His comments on the current happenings of North Korea are actually quite surprising. He draws attention to how the majority of the North Korean people seem to be oblivious to the 'war threats' CNN and Fox are so adamant on reporting about. His photos show people quietly and happily going about their lives seemingly just peachy. This being said, something i noticed about his photos were that he is accompanied by a guide throughout every step of his trips. This, in my mind at least, raises red flags. How much of what he is showing is a true representation of what is going on in North Korea, and how much of it is just guides showing a romanticized version of North Korean life. All in all, I though it was kinda kool to see North Korea from this point of view, regardless of wether or not it's accurate or not.