-- The world knows North Korea through its gigantic public displays.
There are the immense military parades, with tens of thousands of soldiers pounding thunderous goose-steps through the heart of the capital. The rallies where bureaucrats chant their willingness to die for the ruling family. The autumn festival where 30,000 young people flip small placards with military precision, creating stadium-sized mosaics of political slogans.
For the people of Pyongyang, they are simply a part of life. Residency is tightly restricted for the capital city, where life is far easier than it is for most North Koreans, who live with staggering rates of poverty and malnutrition. For the elite in Pyongyang, though, there is electricity at least part of the time, better schools and even the chance to shop in small department stores.
There are also the mass spectacles. And the people who live here – the generals and bureaucrats, teachers and scientists – all know they have parts to play in them.
Here's a look at the staged events and the North Korean people participating in them.
Earlier on HuffPost:
Loading comments… 
By The Associated Press 05/15/12 05:39 AM ET