The laughing troops Kim Jong-Un thinks can take on America:

Candid photographs reveal care-free North Korean soldiers as country edges towards war with US

• Life in the North Korean military includes plenty of drills and heavy lifting, but there are lighthearted moments
• Soldiers are often allowed to attend Pyongyang's funfair or take in a show at the Dolphinarium theme park 
• Images of soldiers enjoying themselves form an important part of the North's propaganda directed at children

Photographer Eric Lafforgue captured both sides of life in the North Korean military - relaxing with fairground rides one day (left), before undergoing rigorous military drills the next (right)

They are the pride of their dictatorial ruler, and the men and women Kim Jong-un will rely upon to lay down their lives if Donald Trump chooses to strike.

But the threat of war doesn't stop the soldiers of North Korea's army from letting their hair down once in a while, as these pictures from the reclusive state show.

Uniformed troops can be seen laughing, going on fairground rides, and even attending a dolphin show at Pyongyang's 'dolphinarium', a Sea World-esque amusement park.

Life is obviously not all fun and games within the reclusive state, as other pictures show troops undergoing rigorous military drills or taking on gruelling manual labour by hauling bundles of wood.

The troops practice for hours each day, according to photographer Eric Lafforgue, in preparation for war.

That battle may come sooner than many thought as Donald Trump positioned a carrier group off the coast of the Korean peninsula this week, threatening to go it alone if China does not put pressure on Kim's regime.

Lafforgue, who has visited North Korea six times, said tour guides will tell you not to photograph soldiers, but this is impossible because they are everywhere (pictured, a man in uniform smiles for the camera in Pyongyang)

One treat for the best-performing soldiers is a trip to the dolphinarium, an amusement park in Pyongyang similar to Sea World, where they can watch the animals perform

The amusement park in Pyongyang is also a favourite haunt of soldiers while off duty, though they are required to wear their uniforms everywhere they go

Soldiers queue for rides in Pyongyang's amusement park. Pictures such as this are used in propaganda material delivered to schoolchildren to idealise the life of a soldier

Even while on parade there is time for a light-hearted moment, as this female soldier pets a dog. Men are required to serve in the military for 10 years, while women serve seven

The military permeates every aspect of life in North Korea, including in the countryside, where they are sometimes used as tour guides, and other times used for cheap labour

A large part of life in the North Korea military involves hauling wood around, either to be used in construction, or as fuel for cooking fires because most of the country lacks electricity

Lafforgue said that on every trip to the reclusive state he has seen soldiers carrying wood, standing in for the communist state's poor infrastructure and failing economy

Every morning in Pyongyang the soldiers are taken to the city's square to practice drills for hours on end. Each soldier is given a number so instructors know who is performing well, and who is slacking

While Lafforgue said authorities typically do not like the drills being photographed, because the formations are not yet perfect, it is difficult to stop because the squares are so open

  

North Korean military uniforms are based on soviet designs from the 1950s when the army was created while part of Russia's zone of control on the Korean peninsula

The Demilitarized Zone is the place to see North Korea's military at its most polished, with high-ranking officers on hand complete with medals pinned to their chests (pictured, a soldier inspects the front line through a periscope)

North Koreans join the military straight from school, and children is where much of the propaganda around life in the army is focused. Soldiers often send letters to their old schools describing their 'idyllic' lives in the army

Under Kim Jong-il, wives and girlfriend were prohibited to soldiers during their first years of training so they could focus on their mission. The policy is relaxing under Kim Jong-un

While serving in the North Korean military is tough, with long hours and often scarce rations, duty is a huge point of pride for many families within the secretive nation

Military drills are important for all recruits, and are practiced endlessly, not just to impress people living inside the country, but for television camera from around the world

Soldiers are used on most of the North's propaganda posters, extolling the power and supremacy of the regime, while they also star on a lot of the country's television programs

Children are commonly seen walking around in military uniforms, an important part of indoctrinating them into life in the army, where they will be required to serve when they're older

Soldiers in civilian areas are typically friendly, Lafforgue says, and are more than happy to stop for a conversation - provided you only focus on the country's good points

In the DMZ, soldiers must stand with their fists clenched, as if preparing to fight (left, a North Korean soldier stands feet away from a southern counterpart) but scenes in the capital (right) are often more relaxed