OK, it’s not exactly on my short list of travel destinations, but I’m curious, nonetheless, and I do have some factual questions. (Actually, confirmation on things that I think I’ve gleaned.)
From what I’ve been able to gather, though, here’s what I think. Correct me if I’m wrong.
Unlike Cuba, the US doesn’t have a travel proscription against it. (If I’m wrong about this point, the rest of the questions are irrelevant.) However, the State Department doesn’t seem to think much of the idea, since there are not official diplomatic ties to North Korea.
Travel is only available as a closely monitored tour group.
Visas must be obtained thru China, since the US has no diplomatic ties.
Visas are hard to obtain because of the bureaucracy of having to go thru a third party.
North Korea doesn’t like to issue visas to Americans.
A co-worker of mine who has a US passport but has been on assignment in Shanghai for the past two years is planning a “vacation” in North Korea for later this Spring. He said it’s not that difficult to arrange, but as you would expect there is a lot of red tape and you aren’t allowed to leave the tour group even for a few minutes. I believe there are a few western-style hotels there, but I’m not sure how fun it would be to visit a country tightly controlled by a mentally unbalanced dictator (IMHO).
Look online for some some travel blogs of North Korea. Utterly fascinating. Imagine a commie-block city with wide streets and NO CARS!
You are taken on a guided tour and expected to follow along, not talk too politically, and be careful with the photos. And you must present flowers and bow to a Statue of Kim Il-Sung. Basically, take a polite “when in Rome” approach.
The advice seems to be, “if you don’t want to do this, don’t go.” The tour guides seem like nice enough fellows, so if you want to play “the voice of freedom”, you will only end up getting the poor tour guide in trouble.
It may be arrangable, but due caution is still called for. The State Department doesn’t forbid tourist travel (such as with Cuba), but obtaining visas is apparently challenging.
As an American, you will find it hard to get a visa. I have been trying for years. I did manage a visa to Iran tho, so hard visas are not always impossible.
And the fact that you have to be a cargo container…
Have you ever looked at the inter-Korean border in Google Maps? It’s fascinating. You can see this vast shiny new train station on the southern side with northbound tracks that merge down to one track which ends at a fence and a gate, then on the other side continues into North Korea.
Note that China isn’t the only country with diplomatic ties to North Korea; other countries with North Korean embassies include the UK, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Mexico. I’d assume that you could get a North Korean visa from any of these embassies. However, seeing as the only easy way to get into the DPRK is via China, you’d still have to deal with the Chinese at some point.
I found this from an NY Times blog… This guy got into North Korea by basically buying a visa in China and has now put together a 14-part documentary on his trip. What he’s put up so far has been pretty interesting.
I’m too lazy and incompetent to bust out with links; a guy from Harper’s went to the DPRK solo in 1996, as a journalist. Mebbe you could be one of those? Or a “scientist?”
A total WAG: wouldn’t there be an office for the DPRK at the UN?
You can take a bus to Kumgangsan (the Diamond Mountains) from South Korea. Of course, it’s a bit of a special place and not really what I suppose most people have in mind when they think of North Korea.
Mt. Geumgang is, essentially, a South Korean resort located geographically inside the territory of North Korea. Also, the workers there are North Koreans. It’s an odd thing all around.
