Thread: Inside North Korea

I think a trip to North Korea would be awesome, too, second only to visiting the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

But, I don't think we'd have much option of what to see or do, they control that pretty well. I'd imagine you'd see the USS Pueblo, see the Arirang Festival (if you're there at the right time), see that huge statue of Kim Il Sung (and have to pay your respects) and then maybe be taken to the North Korean side of the demilitarized zone. Those all seem to be standard spots for the strict tour to take you.

Originally Posted by Speakeasy

I think a trip to North Korea would be awesome, too, second only to visiting the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

Less suffering at the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

Originally Posted by tsquare

Less suffering at the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

No doubt, no doubt..

Originally Posted by Hoplite

I'm usually not a traveler, I like my territory at home and I have no real desire to visit other countries outside of a small handful of select places. One of these exceptions is North Korea.

I have been continually fascinated by North Korea because it's such an abberation and life there is so surreal. It's such a secretive and closed-off society that has almost no parallel in the entire world. This elicits curiosity

With that in mind, I've been making inquiries into visiting North Korea. It isnt easy, only about 2-3,000 tourists a year go and those with American passports were only recently allowed in outside the Arirang Games.

If you could have access to North Korea, what would want to see or do?

I'd like to see the things I wouldn't be allowed to see, like the intense poverty, gulags, etc....just so I could film it and show it to the world. It's a horrible place and I've studied it heavily myself with as much video, reports, etc. But it's not because I want to visit it under its present circumstances. Nor would I want to be used as a tool for NorK propaganda that oppresses its people in that capacity which is what they do with Western tourists and make their victims participate in it.

I'd be very careful travelling there given you are a US citizen. If they let you in, you won't be left without minders and only taken on propaganda controlled tours. Forget about free movement of travel. And you best be minding the minders or else you can get in serious trouble. There is no diplomatic relations with NorK and the US and the government is very hostile to the US as you'll find out and others already know. It isn't like Cuba where the screwball situation more or less results from pandering to the Florida Cubans by this time where you'll be treated well and amongst a government who actually wants your tourism (they won't even stamp your passport because they want you to visit again and don't want to see you in trouble in the US if you go without authorisation). You'll be sitting on a nice beach at a tourist resort sipping a mojito at Veradero or somewhere with music and other travellers, etc. It's NorK, and it's surreal in a shitty, evil way and you're going to be top of the watched and hate list there.

If you're going to do it anyway, though, I HIGHLY recommend you do the following: get an Irish passport. In another thread, you expressed that you have Irish born grandparents. If so, apply for Irish citizenship (which is also an EU citizenship) and get that passport. It has no effect whatsoever on your US citizenship. You will want the extra help and political coverage if you get into trouble there and it's something they'll also have to consider if they wish to abuse you in any fashion due to being American.

Originally Posted by O'Sullivan Bere

It's NorK, and it's surreal in a shitty, evil way and you're going to be top of the watched and hate list there.

Just like high school.