If New York Was In North Korea? Nickolay Lamm Imagines What It Would Look Like (PICTURES)

PHOTOS: If New York Was In North Korea..
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What would New York look like if it was magically transported 10,950 km to North Korea?

There would be no iconic adverts in Times Square, just billboards of the 'Dear Leader', no yellow taxis, no couples kissing in Central Park.

But, without the pollution and the bright lights of the skyscrapers, you can see the most beautiful stars in the night sky.

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The current New York skyline..

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And how it would look if it were in North Korea

It was passages in Barabara Demick's book Nothing To Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea which inspired artist Nickolay Lamm to create images of New York as if it were ruled by a similar totalitarian system as Kim Jong Il implements in the Asian country, he told HuffPost UK.

"The night sky in North Korea is a sight to behold," Demick described.

"It might be the most brilliant in Northeast Asia, the only place spared the coal dust, Gobi Desert sand, and the carbon monoxide choking the rest of the continent...No artificial lighting competes with the intensity of the stars etched into its sky."

"When adults go to bed, sometimes as early as 7:00 pm in winter, it is easy enough to slip out of the house. The darkness confers measures of privacy and freedom as hard to come by in North Korea in electricity.

"Wrapped in a magic cloak of invisibility, you can do what you like without worrying about the prying eyes of parents, neighbors, or secret police."

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A busy shot of Times Square in Manhattan

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And how it would look if Obama ruled the country like Kim Jong Il

Lamm told HuffPost UK the Times Square shot was inspired photos of Pyongyang and this description from Nothing to Envy. "There is almost no signage, few motor vehicles. Private ownership of cars is largely illegal, not that anyone can afford them... The houses are simple, utilitarian, and monochromatic."

"Couples are not supposed to make any public displays of affection - even holding hands in public is considered risqué."