Pyongyang Postcard

Getting into North Korea to see the realities of life in the ‘hermit kingdom’ has long been one of the biggest challenges facing journalists.

So, when reporter Elise Potaka was invited for the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, it was an offer she couldn’t turn down.

Her postcard from Pyongyang for Dateline gives a fascinating look at how the country creates the carefully choreographed image it wants to present.

But there are also glimpses of the pressure people feel to follow leader Kim Jong-un, at any cost.

And she meets an Australian trying to forge friendlier relations between the two countries, who believes the media has created a false picture of life there.