StublueKPL

HI there,

Im off to the DPRK in September and was wondering if anyone on here has been?

I just looking for some info on the things to do/not to do etc and if anyone has been to the mass games, then some info on tickets etc would be great. (im trying to see if the expensive tickets are worth it as i read on the net that the cheap seats are more or less the same and give a great view also??)

Any basic info on whether its ok wearing shorts etc?? ( i know when visiting the mausoleum of Kim Il Sung then thats a no but at other times??)

Lastly,

Did you enjoy it??!!

many thanks in advance

Stu

Fleurette

Hello,
interesting one. I was looking into it myself a while ago. You can't just pop over into N korea though. You can only get in as part of an official government tour, where a couple (at least) of gov't officials will take you everywhere and watch everything you do.
You have to give your phone to customs on arrival and they give it back when you leave. You can only take photos of what they let you take photos of.
Apparently a Japanese woman was randomly killed on one of these tours- unknown why and dont have the source.
A few years ago I saw an undercover documentary where a Brit daringly went there and secretly filmed everything- dead people lying in the streets and most people starving to death etc. But on the tour they will only show you the Games and statues etc.
Also a few days will cost you about 2k. Good luck!

andrewrh

I think Stu is probably back home, safe, now. Else in a dark prison somewhere !

DigitalGhost

I went to the Kaesong Industrial Complex last year which is legally possible without a visa if you travel across from the Southern land border. I have looked into Pyongyang in the past as well but it costs a fortune and the OH says no.

expatasia

What was the motive for such a visit?

I have yet to meet a Japanese person who would contemplate visiting Pyongyang. Can't say I blame 'em.

DigitalGhost

Personal interest more than anything else, I have always had a bit of a guilty fascination with the hermit kingdom and since I was in Seoul anyway I thought it was too big an opportunity to pass up at the time.

I was quite surprised too that most of our tour group was actually made up of visiting Japanese. There was only actually 6 of us in the English-guide out of a coach load of 24 and that 6 actually included my girlfriend who is actually a Japanese anyway. The other four was made up of two visiting Dutch-Chinese students on holiday from Amsterdam and a middle aged couple from New Zealand.

It wasn't cheap though and because I was the only one out of the two of us who wanted to go and she was quite apprehensive anyway, as you could imagine, I ended up footing the whole bill for the two of us

I don't think you can do the tour anymore by the way, or at least not at the moment. They had closed up the mount kumgang tours (my first choice) before we got to Korea last year and they are currently considering evacuating all South Koreans working in the Kaesong complex after this week's events.

expatasia

Tbh I also am quite fascinated and have read blogs & seen tons of documentaries on N Korea. Wouldn't want to visit though and pay $s to that regime - did my danger bit when I was much much younger post Falklands living and/or travelling in Peru/Chile/Argentina....

More recently went to Hawaii with the OH, she was reluctant to do the USS Arizona Memorial visit for obvious reasons. As we approached the facility she lightened up somewhat upon seeing plenty of Oriental types milling around - when we got inside and onto the 'tour' we realised she was the only Nihonjin in the place!

Manc

Stu from what I gather........ and I have not been but read extensive travelogues on DPRK and the Arrirang games.

1) they're not likely to have foreigners spread out all over the stadium in cheap seats here and expensive seats there.
the foreigners all sit in the same area. they're asking if you want expensive tickets just for the hard currency.

2) you don't get a choice really of what to do and what not to do. Your itinerary will be fixed for you and from what I have seen you'll not be allowed to just mingle with regular folk of pyongyang.

3) you'll need a multi entry visa to China.

4) if you go, let me know because I'll be really interested to hear your story and pictures.....

StublueKPL

Hi everyone.

Im still on my shift at the moment so pretty busy but I did go to the DPRK in September.

I'll give you an update in a few hours but lets just say i really enjoyed it!!!

StublueKPL

Hi there.

I went in September, flying in from Beijing (air koryo on a 1970's style plane!) and then returning to china by train after 5 nights.

As mentioned, you do need a double entry visa into china for this.

It was a "different" experience and definitely not to everyones taste but i really enjoyed it.

As soon as you arrive, your mobile is confiscated and returned to you on departure. They also do a quick visual of check your laptop to see if you have any GPS on it as that is also banned. But cameras/video etc are all ok.

The tour is arranged through the DPRK government agency and it is all pre-planned. It includes things like Kim Il Sungs Mausoleum, War Museum, Film studios, DMZ border with the South and the main reason i went in September, the fantastic Arirang mass games.

The mass games itself was worth it alone. An amazing spectacle with around 100,000 performers. (google it for images etc). There is a difference in the seat costs as discussed earlier. Our group had the cheapest seats, 80 euros (everything is paid for in Euros/Dollars/RMB as you are not allowed the local currency). Aso for the seats itself they were perfect and the expensive seats (150-250euros) were only around 10 rows behind us so not really much difference.

The hotel is fine (there are only 2 hotels which foreigners stay in Pyongyang). I stayed in the Yanggakdo Hotel. Its like a 3* maybe in the UK. The hotel is about 50floors but most of them arent in use.It has the only karaoke in the DPRK I believe!! Its ok, clean and has even has BBC world on its tv (although this is only available in the hotel and supposedly only on the upper floors where the foreigners will be)

Basically if you want to do something different and enjoy listening to communist propaganda or enjoy communist statues etc then this is for you.

However, if you dont like not being able to leave your hotel without a "guide", walk about the streets yourself, having to adhere to their views on the Korean War and dont fancy living in a 1960's version of Russia, then its not for you.

But I for one will remember it fondly and I am actually thinking of going back to see other sights (if possible).

If anyone needs any info just ask.

Stu

expatasia

Was there anybody sitting in the dear seats?


Did you get to speak to anybody who was not guide/hotel staff? How did the people strike you in gen?

Thanks.

StublueKPL

There were a few people in the dear seats (French). I went at the busiest time of the year for western tourists (there were around 200 i think out of a total of around 2-3000 per year).

The only people we really got to speak to were the Guides/Hotel/Restaurants. However, on one of the days we went to see an orchestra (not my kind of thing but I was told the group either went as one or not at all so i went)
When we left the bus, 3 people stayed on with a guide (i didnt know) and during the concert they asked for a walk in the park. They then met a group of locals who were dancing and singing and the guide let them join in and they had great fun talking to them (well, talking as best as possible as no one really speaks english)

The people we met were generally very nice and i really cant fault them on that.