Some individuals have been unsettled after a person shared purported images of North Korea obtained via a drone.
Known for its stringent secrecy, North Korea only permits tourists with special governmental permission and under strict supervision.
You can legally observe North Korea from designated Demilitarized Zones adjacent to South Korea, or perhaps from a Starbucks if you’re nearby.
However, one social media user opted for a bolder approach by flying a drone over the border from China.
The photos and videos from this audacious venture were posted on Reddit, quickly gaining traction with 145k upvotes.
The drone captured images of a large building adorned with portraits of Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea, and Kim Jong-il.
The streets appeared deserted with no vehicles and only a few pedestrians, although the exact time of the footage is unclear.
In some videos, people can be seen on the ground looking up and pointing at the drone as it flew over.
Reddit users had varied reactions to this daring act.
One commented: “Am I tripping or is there no street drainage at all? Definitely no traffic lights. Looks like a concrete model of a city.”
Another remarked: “It’s interesting how the uncanny valley exists for inanimate things as well. This is close enough to being an actual city that it’s disturbing.”
A third added: “Yesss but barely any cars or people. No trash anywhere. It’s so bizarre to look at it.”
There was a common sentiment that the drone pilot risked getting into significant trouble.
It was noted that the endeavor was fraught with danger.
Some users were also puzzled by how effortlessly the drone crossed the border.
One user jested: “Guy singlehandedly invaded N. Korea.”
Another noted: “If this random dude with a drone from a store can this easily spy on North Korea, imagine the intel the US has.
“US intelligence are probably like ‘wait s***, we spent hundreds of millions on spy satellites and could have just used a f****** $500 drone?'”
Another user cautioned: “Causing an international incident as a goof,” and someone else added: “That seems like a dangerous game.”
Others speculated that the friendly ties between China and North Korea might prevent any severe repercussions even if the drone had been intercepted.