The city of Dandong is home to nearly 25,000 North Koreans, but these people form two very distinct, almost completely unconnected, groups.

One group is the world of glamorous (by North Korean standards, that is) “foreign trade workers” who roam the streets of Dandong without fear, meet those who they wish and are basically free of most formal restraints. The other group are North Korean industrial workers, currently numbering greater than 20,000. Their lifestyles and earning capabilities stand in stark contrast to trade representatives (and their families).

Walking on the streets of Dandong, one can seldom even catch