The moment I stepped off the plane in North Korea, I knew this wouldn’t be like any other trip I’d experienced.
I’ve visited over 50 countries as a travel journalist, but nothing prepared me for what I encountered during my closely monitored 7-day tour of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The Strict Rules Begin Immediately
Our phones were thoroughly inspected at customs. “No GPS-enabled devices, no professional cameras without permits, and absolutely no books about Korea,” our stern-faced customs officer declared.
I watched as another tourist had their laptop confiscated for having downloaded Wikipedia pages about North Korea.
Your Every Move Is Watched
“We had two guides and a driver with us at all times,” explains Sarah Chen, another journalist who visited in 2022. “They weren’t just guides – they were minders, reporting our every move to their superiors.”
My own guides, Mr. Kim and Ms. Park (their chosen English names), never left our side except when we returned to our rooms at the Yanggakdo International Hotel.
The Pristine Capital Is A Movie Set
Pyongyang’s wide boulevards and imposing monuments feel surreal. Local residents seem to appear and disappear at designated times, like actors on a stage.
“It’s a Potemkin village on a massive scale,” says Dr. James Morton, a North Korea analyst I consulted after my trip. “What tourists see is carefully choreographed.”
The Unexpected Moments of Reality
But sometimes, the curtain slips. During our drive to the DMZ, I glimpsed rural villages without electricity and farmers plowing fields by hand.
Our bus broke down once, forcing an unscheduled stop. Before our guides could intervene, local children waved and smiled at us – a genuine interaction that felt more real than anything in our official itinerary.
The Food Situation
While tourists eat well at designated restaurants, the contrast with local reality is stark. The World Food Programme estimates 43% of the population is undernourished.
Our hotel offered a buffet of international dishes, but just blocks away, ordinary citizens queue for basic rations.
What They Don’t Want You to See
“The government presents a very specific image to tourists,” says former tour guide Lisa Park, who defected in 2019. “But the real North Korea exists in the spaces between official visits.”
I noticed these spaces: the flickering electricity, the absence of internet, the whispered conversations among locals when they thought no one was watching.
Should You Visit?
The ethical debate about tourism to North Korea is complex. Your $2,000 tour package partially funds the regime, but also provides rare human contact between North Koreans and outsiders.
“Every interaction, however controlled, helps crack the isolation,” argues Dr. Morton. “But visitors must understand they’re seeing a performance, not reality.”
The Truth About Visiting
After my week in North Korea, I left with more questions than answers. The country remains an enigma, but one thing became clear: what tourists see is just the surface of a much deeper, more complex reality.
The real North Korea exists behind the curtain, beyond the reach of carefully managed tours and official narratives. As a journalist, I can only report on what I saw – while acknowledging how much remains hidden from view.
Note: Some names have been changed to protect identities. This article is based on a visit conducted in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.