In a photo taken on June 5, 2017 a traffic security officer stands on duty at an intersection in Pyongyang. Officially known as traffic security officers but universally referred to as traffic ladies, they are chosen for their looks in a society that remains traditionalist in many respects. They must leave the role if they marry, and have a finite shelf-life, with compulsory retirement looming at just 26. (Photo by Ed Jones/AFP Photo)

David Guttenfelder was born in Iowa and graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in cultural anthropology. He has worked for the AP since 1994 based in Kenya, the Ivory Coast, India and Japan. He is currently AP’s chief Asia photographer and his feature work has been used prominently in editorial publications throughout the world including Time and National Geographic. Photo: U.S. soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, fire mortars at known enemy firing positions from a base in the Pech River Valley in Afghanistan's Kunar province, Saturday, October 24, 2009. (Photo by David Guttenfelder/AP Photo)

A couple joke as they walk on the beach on August 22, 2018 in Wonsan, North Korea. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

A soldier walks on the bank of the river in central Pyongyang, North Korea on April 16, 2017. (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

A bride and groom jump over a skipping rope as they pose during a wedding photo shoot at a park in Pyongyang on April 18, 2019. (Photo by Ed Jones/AFP Photo)

A protester wearing high heels during a demonstration to support International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in Santiago, Chile, November 25, 2016. (Photo by Pablo Sanhueza/Reuters)

North Korean traffic police women chat next to a residential building while off duty Tuesday, October 18, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Photo by Wong Maye-E/AP Photo)

Festival-goers enjoy the mud during the annual Boryeong Mud Festival at Daecheon Beach on July 18, 2015 in Boryeong, South Korea. The mud, which is believed to have benefical effects on the skin due to its mineral content, is sourced from mud flats near Boryeong and transported to the beach by truck. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)