North Korea appears oddly ordinary upon first sighting. For most Westerners, perceptions of the hermit kingdom have been shaped by images of missile launches, goose-stepping soldiers, and grim tales of totalitarian control. Yet the first glimpse of the world’s most secretive state comes as something of a letdown. Across the river from the Odusan Observatory sit a few pale tower blocks, silent-looking farmland, and distant hills disappearing into haze.