And this is the reason my answer would be no. So far as I know, tourist in North Korea eat just fine but I wouldn’t be able to escape the fact that the government that is feeding me is the same one that causes their people to starve. Nor do I wish myself to be used for some sort of North Korean propaganda purpose. We all know NK is a shit hole so it’s not like I’d bring back any useful information to the rest of the world. No, no reason to visit aside from my own curiosity and but I can’t take enough showers afterwards to wash off the dirty feeling I’d have from accepting NK hospitality.
I’m told that there was a certain end-of-the-world mad desperation in the late USSR, once the writing was on the wall, by an expat friend over there. I doubt the DPRK would have the same feeling.
Tough call for me. I’d be fascinated to see it, but like some others here, I’d be troubled that I was in some way a propaganda tool for Li’l Kim.
There was no diet Coke, which I did miss. You could buy beer; I don’t drink so I can’t say anything about its quality. You could also buy foreign snacks, but it was expensive so I only did so when I was really craving something sweet.
At meals we were served plenty of food, which was almost always a variety of local dishes. There was usually some kind of small fish and I did get rather tired of picking out all those tiny bones. Otherwise I had no problem with the food: nothing gross, nothing overly spicy, nothing that made me sick. Occasionally, it was actually quite tasty.
The lack of cell phones alone would probably entice me to go. I am American-born Roma with no relatives that could be harmed by me going.
I hate to break it to you, but many North Koreans have cell phones these days, especially in Pyongyang. They’re restricted to calling within NK, although there have been some reports of people being able to access Chinese networks up near the border. It’s yet another example of how allowing any kind of modernization allows information from outside to get in.
Or at least they had them at some point recently. Policy could have changed in the meantime.
That’s like asking if I would want to go to Watts on a Saturday night in the summer wearing a Klan outfit.
No.
i do not wish to become a geopolitical bargaining chip, if Lil Kimmie’s pablum is lumpy that morning, and, miffed, he decides to start World War 2.5.
Murrkian. Of Mutt ancestry.
Yep, I’d go without a moment’s hesitation.
A quick search shows 5 days for 2000 USD and 7 days for 2300 USD, so there is no way I’d go since at that price I could bum around India for 3 months.
Edit: It may be as cheap as 1000 USD for 5 days but that’s still way too expensive. If I’m spending that kind of money I’d much rather go to Bhutan.
Nope. No Asian ancestry, but Grandpa fought in Korea and I’m in the military myself.
Plus, it’s depressing.
In a flash. My parent was born in Pyongyang, and they BBQ’d the friends of my grandparents, but I think they would approve.
Then you’d be in the gravest danger of being taken captive. Did your parent leave legally or escape?
I love to visit new places, see the local culture, meet the people, etc…
But that’s in no way enough to get me to step foot within the borders of the worst hellhole regime on the planet. If I live long enough, I may get the chance to visit a sane North Korea, but not until then.
I would love to visit North Korea, I think it would be utterly fascinating, but I wouldn’t go for several reasons.
I’d feel kind of uncomfortable as a rich westerner gawping at the basically prisoners of the North Korean regime.
I wouldn’t want to give a single penny towards the maintenance of said regime which I’m sure at least some of the hard currency from the official trips goes towards.
European, no Asian heritage (that I know of)
I barely leave the house, much less travel outside my country! No Korean ancestry, USA baby!
I’m also fascinated by NK, and I’ve looked into going on one of the available tours myself. However, I can’t stand the idea that my money would be paid directly into the Kim coffers and would help in some small part prop up that utterly corrupt regime. There’s also a bit of voyeurism in the whole affair that I have problems with. So at this point, my answer is no, I wouldn’t go, even though I’d love to. If the trip is paid for me, it’s harder, but the money’s still going to the Kims - still no.
My Parent left during the Japanese occupation. In the argument between Japan and Red China over the Pinnacle Islands, I’m not supporting either side.
Oh, so before the country was split and the Kim Il-Sung was installed. Got it.
I don’t speak the language. No thank you.
It would feel like a massive land of solitary confinement to me, so no, I wouldn’t go - ever.