Life in Pyongyang can be difficult. For locals, the state demands they work long hours in jobs that are often physically intensive and mundane, and there are no labor unions or trade guilds to turn to to improve conditions in the workplace. Spare time, too, is eaten up by other commitments, from political meetings to volunteer work, with North Koreans living under constant expectations and rituals they must follow to get by in the complex social structure that dominates life.

And day-to-day existence for expats is often centered around work. With few amenities for foreigners and heavy restrictions on where you can and can’t go, it’s not as though, as an outsider, there’s much to do with a day off.

In short, this is a city where everyone’s working. But this is changing: with an emerging nightlife scene for foreigners and locals alike, as well as increasing choices when it comes to restaurants, residents of the North Korean capital have a growing range of things to do when they’re not on the job. After all, a key feature of Kim Jong Un’s rule has been, in many ways, the growth of a DPRK leisure industry, with new sports and entertainment facilities popping up with increasing regularity.

So what does the city that never takes a break do in its spare time? In part eight of a major new NK News expert interview series, we spoke with seven former and current residents of the capital – both foreigners and defectors – about how residents of the city relax. While all agreed that a day off is hard to come by, Pyongyangites are fond of sports, alcohol, and eating – and expats are usually happy to get involved.

Jim Hoare – A senior diplomat who established the UK’s embassy in Pyongyang in 2001-02

– A senior diplomat who established the UK’s embassy in Pyongyang in 2001-02 Ji Min Kang – A former resident of Pyongyang and contributor to NK News “Ask a North Korean” column. Left Pyongyang in 2005

– A former resident of Pyongyang and contributor to NK News “Ask a North Korean” column. Left Pyongyang in 2005 Alessandro Ford – A former student of Kim Il Sung university, left North Korea within the past six months

– A former student of Kim Il Sung university, left North Korea within the past six months Longtime Diplomat – A senior European diplomat that left Pyongyang within the past 12 months (identity hidden at individuals request)

– A senior European diplomat that left Pyongyang within the past 12 months (identity hidden at individuals request) Recent Diplomat – A European diplomat who left Pyongyang in the past 12 months (identity hidden at individuals request)

– A European diplomat who left Pyongyang in the past 12 months (identity hidden at individuals request) Jaka Parker – A Southeast Asian resident living in Pyongyang (photographer)

– A Southeast Asian resident living in Pyongyang (photographer) University Professor – A foreign university professor who teaches regularly in Pyongyang (identity hidden at individuals request)

Additional reporting: Chad O’Carroll

Q7) How do/did you normally spend your free time in North Korea and how does/did this compare with how locals spend their free time?

In any diplomatic post, a lot of time is devoted to contact with your host government and with other diplomats. Pyongyang is no exception, and a fair amount of time was spent in attending or organizing diplomatic functions – a mixture of work and limited pleasure. We ate out a lot and occasionally went to theatrical or music performances. There was a very friendly atmosphere in the small diplomat/NGO community, and Friday nights at the RAC (Random Access Club) were always well attended.

Before we had transport, we walked a lot around the city in all seasons. With access to a car, we would go further afield, since we were allowed to drive in the greater Pyongyang and Nampo areas. Picnics were a feature especially when we had either official or private visitors. From mid–December 2001, we had access to international TV after we moved from hotel to apartment life. We also, as always, read, watched videos/DVDs, and listened to music.

What of course is missing from this is contact with the Koreans. There was some with my Korean staff – we even got them to come to our flat on one occasion but a couple of them were very nervous because we assumed that they were not officially allowed to do so. We had occasional outings with them, to the seaside or bowling. The senior interpreter would occasionally have a drink with me – he had been taught the phrase “I could murder a pint” and was happy to use it. In the parks at weekends or when traveling, people would occasionally invite us to join in the dancing or have a drink but usually local people avoided contact.

The senior interpreter would occasionally have a drink with me – he had been taught the phrase “I could murder a pint” and was happy to use it

My staff claimed to have watched foreign films and they certainly knew the plots of some. The interpreters would happily look at foreign newspapers and books but would not take them out of the office. One was happy to borrow videos.

Normally we stayed at home on weekends as we, in practice, were not allowed to travel to the places we would like to visit. Otherwise we’d walk in the woods, drive to Nampo beach, or sometimes even Wonsan. We’d usually watch TV, read, work on Internet.

We did not really have any real insight into the life of local families, although I saw boys play football very often and I regularly saw people playing volleyball in the gardens or yards of their universities (students) or institutes and various institutions in Pyongyang.

But generally people in productive age ranges do not have free time

But generally people in productive age ranges do not have free time. They had to go to their workplaces from Monday to Saturday and on Saturday afternoon (and sometimes also more frequently) to attend political meetings, demonstrations and, of course, self-criticism sessions.

I think locals do not even have that much time. When they have time, they mostly sleep because they are tired all the time. If they do not sleep they drink or do sports like volleyball and table tennis.

I must admit, even though our lives are much different, the limited options in Pyongyang make it pretty much the same for me: sleeping a lot, reading, going for a run and lots of alcohol when meeting with colleagues and friends.

Meeting the few other foreigners is the major pastime since there are no cultural events and even the few leisure options that are available are seldom so attractive that you want to go back regularly.

The Kumrung Fitness Center is quite nice to have a round of squash from time to time, but there is not a single leisure facility that I will miss. There are some restaurants which are worth revisiting. Exploring new restaurants and shops is also one of the Pyongyang hobbies, although the food and products sold are mostly the same. If you then find something special, it is like a little gem that you either hold to yourself or want to show the world.

Pyongyang has limited options: Sleeping a lot, reading, going for a run and lots of alcohol when meeting with colleagues and friends.

Usually the kids and me will walk around the city, and go to the park near the Pyongyang downtown. There is a playground with some slides, and swings. Inside the playground there are usually a lot of North Korean kids playing there – we usually try to talk with the other parents there.

We also like to go to shopping at the shopping mall, to buy some daily necessities, such as vegetables, and other things, and on the weekend I take my wife as well. Usually at the weekend and Saturday night we go to a café called Hemaji (Sunrise Café) which is the only café open 24 hours a day. We go there around 21.00 until early in the mornings, till 02:00~ 04:00 before we return to our home.

On weekdays, when I have spare time, I always go, alone, photography hunting, looking for an atmosphere and the daily life of people who live in Pyongyang. Usually once a month we go relax in places, inside Pyongyang, or outside the city to have a picnic with family.

Usually at the weekend and Saturday night we go to a café called Hemaji (Sunrise Café) which is the only café open 24 hours a day

As students we spent our free time studying, reading, playing cards or watching films together, playing sports, drinking, etc. The only way my schedule differed from that of other students was that I spent more time studying and learnt Taekwondo thrice weekly. We would return from our lessons, have lunch, do homework for 3-5 hours, play football (or in my case go to Taekwondo), then bathe, making sure to spend a long time in the dormitory sauna! After that would be dinnertime, where we’d all listen to a Chinese student playing the piano that was in the corner.

After this you’d either read or finish your homework, before going to someone’s room to drink beer, eat dried fish or dried squid (the Korean equivalent of eating peanuts with beer) and take turns singing songs. There would be raucous applause at the end of each song regardless of talent. I rapped Eminem’s “Not Afraid”, rather unsuccessfully but no worse than many others. The Chinese let out a lacklustre cheer as the Koreans coughed politely. After the karaoke, we would stumble to bed for an early rise the next day.

As for the locals, from what I saw they tended to spend their time drinking, smoking, playing board games such as Korean chess or “Paduk”

As for the locals, from what I saw they tended to spend their time drinking, smoking, playing board games such as Korean chess or “Paduk” (Korean equivalent of “Go”), playing sports and exercising. One must remember these people work unbelievably hard during the day; evenings are spent relaxing with friends or playing communal sports. Volleyball is a big passion, as is Ping-Pong. North Koreans are mad about sports and people of all ages can be seen having a quick five-a-side or volleyball game in the afternoon. In Pyongyang evenings however, are spent at home with family: the streets empty as the lights dim.

There were various ways for us to spend our free time in North Korea – just there wasn’t that much of it. I spent most of my free time reading books at home. I’m not saying that I loved reading books more than other people. I’m not boasting about it – there just were piles and piles of books at my home and there was nothing else I could do besides reading those books at home! At least while reading those books, I could forget about the reality where there was no freedom.

But most other North Koreans weren’t allowed to read as many books as they wanted.

Thanks to my scholarly dad, there was a wide range of books at my home, ranging from foreign literature to other books that weren’t allowed. When I was little, I read the “Chronicles of Narnia” at home. When I told my friends about the story they all seemed pretty impressed.

We swam, drank beer and played the guitar together. That’s how we spent our free time together

When I was older, me and friends would sometimes get a ricecooker, a bag of rice and bottles of beer on the back of our bicycles and rode to the river. We fished together while leaving bottles of beer in the water. We cooked rice and rice soup with the fish we caught together. We enjoyed our beer with rice and fish soup we made. We swam, drank beer and played the guitar together. That’s how we spent our free time together. I don’t know how it might have been different from the way others spent their free time in North Korea. But that’s how we spent our free time with our friends.

I’d spend my time reading books, watching movies, shopping, surfing the Internet and playing sports. No different to anywhere else I have lived, apart from not having the freedom to just walk down to a local store to buy a snack or the daily newspaper.

The sunrises and sunsets in Pyongyang were always amazing to see.

The main difference between my lifestyle and the locals was the access I had to the Internet 24/7, although while there, I tried to limit my time in front of the computer screen and embrace the simple lifestyle that Pyongyang offers.

Main picture: NK News