Even as North Korea cuts ties with South Korea, the two nations share a common history and geography, notably the Baekdu Daegan mountain range.
A foreign hiker named Roger Shepard looks to this ancient mountain culture as a source of unity for Korea.
The 46-year-old New Zealander has had "unprecedented access" to the mountains on the North Korea side and looks to bring other people with him through his company, Hike Korea. So far he has spent nearly three months in North Korea (DPRK) over four visits.
He got this access by remaining as apolitical as possible.
"I was there to take photos of the mountains and that's what I did," Shepard told David Slatter of NK News.
Shepard shared some pictures and commentary (edited for clarity) with Business Insider.
The sacred peak of Paektusan is the highest mountain on the peninsula and where the Baekdu Daegan ridge — known as the energy life-line of the Korean people — begins.
Pictures and commentary courtesy of Roger Shepard.
The Baekdu Daegan ridge begins at Cheonji lake on Paektusan mountain in DPRK and contorts its way south for 1050-miles to the sacred peak of Jirisan in central South Korea.
Pictures and commentary courtesy of Roger Shepard.
The main core of my team consisted of three members of the NZ- Korea Friendship society that helped me obtain permissions to go to these remote zones of the Baekdu Daegan Mountains.
Pictures and commentary courtesy of Roger Shepard.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider