This is one of the seemingly normal photos taken by Michal Huniewicz before smuggling a series out of the country. There’s nothing really unusual to these North Koreans traveling on a bus. But the North Korean government is considered notoriously secretive, Business Insider mentioned, so even the most ordinary of photos like this bring in a lot of buzz. Photography is allowed and encouraged but only in “designated places that are well-maintained…everything else is not allowed”.

Locals wait for a train to pass, providing Michal moments to snap this image of life in North Korea’s countryside. Amateur Photographer reported that photography is actively encouraged, but of course, under highly controlled conditions, and photos taken from Dandong Pyongyang train (such as the one above) are not allowed. In their interview with Michal, he said it was very much like a “stealth video game”; he could only take a picture when the uniformed officers were not around.