Traffic Lady On Her Way

The Traffic Ladies of North Korea have something of their own cult following. It's a fascinating aspect of North Korean society, one which I will admit I was eager to get a photograph or two of. Given that these ladies stand in the center of intersections in Pyongyang directing traffic, it's not like they're exactly elusive, but it's still somehow a bit challenging when on tour to get a good shot of them.

Sure enough though, we did get a stop for a few minutes to take some photos of them near a museum, although this candid shot of one walking to/from work makes it a bit more real. It's an interesting choice of uniform, but as is the case with hats for the military, traffic ladies also get a pretty large peaked cap. I don't know what it is about North Korea and their fondness for large, peaked caps, but it's there.