Pyongyang is a Potemkin village, a city of fake prosperity set up to improve NK's image in the rest of the world. Only preferred / favored residents are allowed to live in Pyongyang (government officials, their families, those chosen for university education, etc.). From what I remember, those who live in other parts of North Korea, which are almost universally in extreme poverty, are generally not allowed to travel to Pyongyang without official travel documents. Conversely, tourists who visit North Korea are
always accompanied by a government worker who monitors what they film and interact with, and they are almost never allowed to
leave Pyongyang except for a select few cultural sites.
Pyongyang is a walled garden set up for propaganda. The majority of North Korea is continuously struggling with poverty and famine. The central food distribution system broke down completely during the famine in the early 90s and never recovered. There's a big black market now outside of the capital because so many goods are routed to Pyongyang to maintain its illusion of prosperity.
Two books I recommend on the subject:
-"Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea" by Barbara Demick - a great book that focuses on what the title says - the ordinary lives of North Koreans, as told by a few who escaped and were interviewed extensively by the author. It's a very engaging read.
-"North Korea Confidential" by Daniel Tudor and James Pearson - a drier book (but still interesting) that focuses on how the economy and markets work in NK these days.
There are tons of documentaries that you can find on YouTube and elsewhere. Filming / travel isn't generally allowed outside of the touristy places so we have to rely on smuggled footage. I haven't watched any documentaries in the past few years so I don't have great up-to-date recommendations, but here are a couple I enjoyed:
North Korea: Life Inside the Secret State (Prime Video) - has footage of the countryside, from what I remember.
The Vice Travel Guide to North Korea - Mostly in Pyongyang, but does a good job of highlighting what a Potemkin village it is.
The Hermit Kingdom - follows a trip to Harlem Globetrotters took to NK a few years ago for a basketball game set up by Dennis Rodman, who is pals with Kim Jong-un. Less informative but still interesting.
You should be able to find plenty more if you search around a bit.
