Status Update on North Korea (DPRK) Travel

Well, it’s that time of year again—tensions are high in the Korean peninsula and this year more so. Yet, tourism to North Korea is still going strong and we’re just back from another exciting trip to the DPRK.

Uri Tours led a group of Americans (yes, Americans can travel to North Korea!), and a few Canadians, to the DPRK for the April 15 Kim Il Sung birthday celebrations. This year marked the 101st birthday anniversary of the late President Kim Il Sung, a national holiday. We run tours every year this time because it’s a great chance to take part in the festivities and interact with the locals through mass dances and more. This year was no different!

The Mood in North Korea

Many of our tourists were nervous about travel to North Korea (officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, “DPRK”) due to the increased tensions in the region. We were, as we always are, in communication with the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, our DPRK travel partners, and non-profit partners who were on the ground during the height of the tensions—all who assured us that the conditions in the country had not changed much. That was exactly what we found when we arrived in Pyongyang a couple of weeks ago; the mood was expectedly normal. There was a lot of construction going on, notably new hotels and recreational establishments being built for both local and tourist use. And people seemed busy preparing for the April 15th holidays (flowers being planted, signs being hung, etc.). But there were little to no signs of North Korea preparing for war. We saw more airings of the Moranbong Band, North Korea’s hottest new all-girl band, on state broadcastings than we did of political tension.

Locals’ Reactions to American Tourists

We had the usual warm reception every where we went. The most frequent question our tourists were asked this time was, “You still wanted to visit our country even though the relations of our countries are hostile?” And when people responded emphatically, “YES!, the conversation opened up. “So what do you think about our country?” “Where are you from? What kind of work do you do, etc.” The normal curiosities our tourists experience with locals. Our tourists are surprised that there isn’t more anti-American sentiment. The usual phrase is, “We don’t hate Americans, we only hate American policy.”

We had an interesting moment at the Grand People’s Study House. When we told the in-house philosophy professor who was in charge of showing us around that we were from the U.S., he brought us to an English class that was in session. The philosophy professor asked if a volunteer wanted to speak to the class in our native “American-English.” We quickly had a volunteer, an accomplished woman, former executive and professor from California.

We caught the class as they were ready to break so it was loud in the classroom—people in the middle of chit-chat, many walking out presumably for a bathroom break. But as soon as our volunteer took the podium, there was a palpable silence in the room. Some students were even calling their peers back into the room.

Our volunteer started by stating that she was American. She then talked about her background, her travel experiences, and so on. The classroom was fully engrossed, soaking it all in. She was quite the hit, to say the least. Our guides explained to us later that these students are enrolled in a 30-session English course and that it was a rare treat to hear a native English speaker.

Social Media in North Korea

For the first time ever, tourists can now bring their cell phones into the country and can access 3G internet in North Korea (caveat: 3G access is only available on monthly plans). We are now live Instagramming in the DPRK, as well as live posting on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. We even held the first-ever live Reddit IAmA from the Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang! There are still lots of “firsts” yet to come from the DPRK and we’re excited to be on the front-lines of these new developments in North Korea travel!

The State of North Korea Tourism

The DPRK is still very much open for tourism and our North Korea tours continue to run. To add, this is a big year for DPRK travel! July 27, 2013 marks the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, (at least the signing of an Armistice Agreement since a peace treaty was never signed). The Arirang Mass Games, North Korea’s famous 100,000 live performer event, starts early this year from July 22 to September 9. There will be mass dances, military parades, flower exhibitions and maybe even fireworks this July in North Korea! If you plan to visit the DPRK, this July is the time to do it! Check out our “Victory Day” tour lineup and book today for an adventure of a lifetime.

Filed under: Uncategorized | May 4, 2013