Exploring North Korea: A Traveler's Rare Journey into the Hermit Kingdom
While hurling bowling balls down the lanes and enjoying microbrewery draft beer, we could have been anywhere in the world. Yet just 20 meters away in the foyer, North Korean locals clustered around a TV, watching Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un address a massive children's rally.
The live footage of 20,000 schoolchildren packed into a stadium, enthralled by the Great Leader, evoked Beatles mania North Korea-style. Watching goose-stepping child soldiers parade on the track seemed perfectly normal in context. The real oddity? Foreigners like us bowling in the capital of the Hermit Kingdom.
For tourists, North Korea—officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)—offers a voyeuristic glimpse into one of Earth's most isolated nations. It's not just about uncovering daily life; it's discerning truth from propaganda and contrasting Western media reports with on-the-ground reality. Entry requires an organized tour with fixed itineraries and ever-present local guides outside your hotel.
Though holidaying here may seem mad to many, it provides a once-in-a-lifetime peek into a secretive, enigmatic land. For the few thousand annual visitors, it's among the safest—yet most bizarre and fascinating—travel experiences.
Pyongyang
Our group of 15 joined a five-night Koryo Tours itinerary, led by UK filmmaker Nick Bronner, known for DPRK documentaries. We arrived via Air Koryo on a 1970s Soviet-era plane featuring wallpaper-like décor and patriotic tunes. Reading materials included the Pyongyang Times, fronted by Kim Jong-un with anti-American and anti-Japanese articles, plus a magazine spread on nuclear missile parades. Expectations soared before takeoff.
Upon landing, we surrendered passports and phones to guides—signaling no ordinary vacation. En route to our hotel, Pyongyang unfolded: propaganda murals in Socialist realist style, leader shrines, Stalinist monuments, austere high-rises, and ubiquitous DPRK flags. Though not the world's prettiest city, scenic Taedong River areas charm.
Passing endless concrete blocks, the scarcity of shops struck us. Guides noted discreet signage—blue symbols denote goods, like shoes or eggs. Pyeonghwa Motors' showroom hid behind mirrored windows. Our group entered only a Western-style department store stocked with Chinese imports and sparsely shopped.
Key Sights
DPRK sightseeing means packed days at grand Soviet-style monuments and colossal statues celebrating 'victories,' the Workers' Party of Korea, and leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.
The family leaders hold god-like reverence, especially Eternal President Kim Il-sung, still officially president 17 years post-death. Their images adorn billboards, buildings, and mandatory red lapel badges. Pyongyang visits include the 25m bronze statues (Kim Jong-il's unveiled April 2012 post his December 2011 death). Protocol: lay flowers, bow amid booming ceremonial music.
A 'North Korea only' highlight: Kim Il-sung Mausoleum, housing his embalmed body like Lenin's or Mao's. Ours closed for Kim Jong-il preparations.
Tours start at the Arch of Triumph, rivaling Paris' Arc de Triomphe but larger—stunning at night. Nearby, the 170m Tower of the Juche Idea overlooks the Taedong, built from 25,550 blocks (one per day of Kim Il-sung's life to age 70, unveiled 1982), embodying self-reliance nationalism.
The Monument to the Party Foundation features soaring granite hammer (proletariat), sickle (peasants), brush (intellectuals).
The Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum reframes the Korean War as a DPRK triumph, displaying U.S. plane wrecks and captured gear. The adjacent monument depicts war scenes in massive bronze. The USS Pueblo, seized spy ship (1968), docks as a pride symbol.
A lighter note: Mangyongdae Children's Palace, an extracurricular haven for prodigies. We saw taekwondo, accordions, intricate tapestries, ending with a concert of military choirs, acrobatic ballet, and feats like vase-balancing spins amid propaganda visuals (leaders' images drew applause). Imagine the annual Mass Games in a 150,000-seat stadium.
Pyongyang's metro, the world's deepest, dazzles with marble, chandeliers, mosaic murals in ballroom stations themed on glory, victory, liberation. East German trains from the 1980s add surreal, Kubrick-esque flair.
Beyond Pyongyang
Tours extend to Panmunjom's DMZ, where Korean War armistice (1953) divides the peninsula. DPRK soldiers brief meters from Southern counterparts; one apologetically blamed South Korea/U.S. for the divide.
Kaesong, ancient Koryo capital (918-1392, 136km south), showcases Buddhist heritage amid historic temples. We stayed in a hanok with courtyards, creeks, crackling propaganda PA, and dog soup option—popular with our group.
Local Interactions
Engaging locals is limited; they're wary of 'enemy' foreigners. Yet smiles and waves bridge gaps. During a Pyongyang hills picnic, merry locals—fueled by soju and beer—invited us, singing welcomes. This unscripted warmth felt truly hospitable.
