21 Images That Prove the Stunning Beauty of North Korean Women

Photographer Mihaela Noroc has been backpacking from continent to continent for the past two years to document the diversity of women around the world. She's journeyed from Myanmar to Chile and everywhere in between for her project The Atlas of Beauty. The last destination on her tour was North Korea. While we know about the huge monuments to Kim Jong-un and the drab olive uniforms of the military, we've never heard or seen much about the women of the country.

"Women of North Korea are not familiar with global trends but this doesn't mean that they are not preoccupied by their look," declared Noroc. "While neighboring South Korea has the world's highest rate of cosmetic plastic surgeries, North Korean women live in a different world." Traditional colorful outfits are worn for celebrations and special occasions (or, if you're a newscaster, every night!), and high heels are popular. Though South Korean skin care rituals have made their way to the United States, we confess we're dying to know about these ladies' complexion regimens. Read on to see the flawless women of North Korea.