43 Places

North Korea (read all 2 entries…)

Worth visiting!

Eye opener — 2 years ago

I’m just back from a 10-day trip in the DPRK, and looking at the tags given here it is painfully obvious how much the ideas about the country are shaped by what we hear in the western press. Go with open eyes and an open mind (knowing that what you’ll be shown is a selection just like what you see and hear in the West is a – different – selection) and you’ll come away with a very different picture of this country.

I really hope that late president’s Kim Il Sung’s idea of reuniting the “two Koreas” (really one country, one people, one language) as federal country with two states, each with their own system, will one day become reality. Economic development in the North (helped already by joint ventures with South Korea and China) will help making that dream a reality – but so will, in a small way, visits from people from other countries, providing a small “window on the world” through those guides (like ours) that are not only interested in teaching about their country but also in learning from their guests. What won’t help is demonizing the country.

I’ve come away admiring these proud people and their old culture and hope to return one day to see more, and see how they’ve progressed.

The picture shows one small aspect I’ve come to love: all main roads across the country (not just entrances and exits to cities as you often see) are lined with flowers. Even when growing food is hard work, a small amount of effort is given to grow a little beauty.

Sep 24, 2006, 11:34PM PDT 11 cheers

Comments:

Marjolein Katsma
Amsterdam

Extremely safe!

Sure I’m serious!

Yes, they have an international airport in Pyongyang (possibly more but that’s the one we used). Our group flew to Beijing from Amsterdam, then on the next day (with Air Koryo, a Korean company) to Pyongyang. At the end of the trip, we took the train back to Beijing.

The DPRK (the common abbreviation for the official name of the country, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – which this place on 43P should be renamed to since “North Korea” is only a colloquial, not an offical name) is open to tourists – and not just from China – and has been for many years though it’s not as easy to get a visa as it is for most other countries (though it seems to be easier than it has been). We went with a Dutch travel organization, but there are others that organize tours; they commonly work with an agent based in China who works with the DPRK to organize the necessary “invitations” and the group visa.

And no, we weren’t the only tourists there either (though we did our best – helped by our guides – to avoid a group of rather irritating British tourists). Avoiding other tourists can be hard though since basically all stay in the same hotel in Pyongyang. ;-) Since we stayed in other cities every other night we could avoid them most of the time though.

As to costs, roughly EUR 2500 for our 15-day trip (including flights, all transportation, and all lodging, food, drink and admission fees while in the DPRK - transportation and lodging only while in China). I stayed on for an extra week in Beijing so that cost more.

No fears for your safety – I’d say it is one of the safest if not the safest country to travel to! You are under supervision of your guides everywhere (you can’t roam around on your own) and anyway the crime rate is very low. Small example: bikes do not have locks (whereas in China they invariably do, and the locks are needed).

Apart from that everyone is very friendly and extremely polite – politeness is a basic part of Korean culture and language, and even more so in the North than it is in the South.

Oct 04, 2006, 01:18PM PDT | Parent | Respond to this 1 cheer

~**~mmm ~**~
Holland Village

Thanks!

Thanks for all these info, I learned alot from you..

Er, but I WON’T want to put it as “extremely” safe..It’s still not a very “civilised” society yet, you know?

I noticed that as a man, it’s easier to travel, and even by yourself and still no one would really want to harass you. Quite diff if you are a woman, you know? It would be the same when you travel to middle eastern countries, I haven’t seen a man came back unhappy from these countries, but it’s the different situation for women..After all, it’s a “men’s world” in those countries.

So, I don’t think North Korea can be categorized as the safest place to visit, and definitely not going to be safer than Singapore ;) ..AND esp when you can’t roam ON YOUR OWN, then that is NOT A SAFE COUNTRY to me :)

DARN, EUR 2500 is not cheap, I mean you could have gotten a better deal to visit other equally “uncivilised” asian countries and get a better value for money…There are still quite a few “uncivilised” or “untouched” ones in Asia, like Mongolia, Tibet, or Nepal, which is not going to cost you that much and at least not as “extreme” places like North Korea, you know? =)

Rgardless, it seems that you are pretty happy with your trip! You are the one who paid for your own trip, and so long it made you happy!

I wish there will be more ppl going there or making more reviews on their trip to North Korea, would be interesting to hear their opinions too..Cheers!!

Oct 05, 2006, 01:58AM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 5 cheers

Marjolein Katsma
Amsterdam

All civilized

I don’t know where you get these ideas but I can assure you that Korea (the whole of it!) is civilized – as are Mongolia, Tibet (part of China, and with a civilization that is as old and rich as the Chinese) and Nepal. I’ve not been in Mongolia yet (high on my list) but the others I have been to, multiple times.

As to “untouched”, Thailand maybe? At least that was never a colony. And Laos is “relatively untouched” culturally – although it was a French colony for a while they didn’t exert much influence there. I’ve been to both those countries as well (and would love to go back).

North Korea is entirely safe; you can’t roam around on your own because they want to know at all times where you are and obviously don’t want you to see everything – not because it isn’t safe!

North Korea isn’t “extreme”, so no, I don’t know… I think maybe you’ve been listening to too much propaganda. :) Yes, it’s a dictatorship of sorts – but so are many other countries that just don’t happen to be in the news. Turkmenistan comes to mind – an equally controlled society (and I’ve been there are well).

Frankly, I don’t know what you mean by “uncivilized” – all these countries have old and rich civilizations; they’re just different from ours, but that is precisely why they are interesting to travel to!

Oct 07, 2006, 12:51AM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 3 cheers

~**~mmm ~**~
Holland Village

?

Er, I can ensure you that most ppl would know the term and idea behind democracy and communism. ;)

And South Korea is definitely more civilised society than the North Korea. And if you don’t agree, ya, try telling the South Koreans that they are the same society as the North.

Huh, when I said “untouched” means not open to the MODERN world. Whoever said that modernization ONLY belongs to the western world?? There is a difference between “modernization” and “westernization”, you know? ;)

You said, “North Korea is entirely safe; you can’t roam around on your own because they want to know at all times where you are and obviously don’t want you to see everything”....Well if they WANT TO KNOW where you are AT ALL TIMES, then what does tell you of a society? If it’s so safe, why would they NEED to know or WATCH you??

I don’t know all your claim of being “safe” if its true, because I never lived in a communist country before lol… Plus, if it’s that safe, it would be recognized internationally lol

Having some form of “control” in a society is alright, so long it served the right purpose. But not to the extend of having no personal safety..Then that is not a safe and free society at all.

So in conclusion, my term of “civilization” means modernization, not westernization(being colonized or influenced by the western world).

P.S. And Thailand is definitely NOT a “untouched” society.

Oct 07, 2006, 05:33AM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 4 cheers

Marjolein Katsma
Amsterdam

One country, one culture, one language, one civilization

North Korea and South Korea are equally civilized, they are one country, one people, one culture.

Maybe you think North Korea suddenly got “less civilized” as a result of being practically flattened by bombardments during the Korean war? The speed with which they rebuilt is impressive, and certainly proof of being a civilized country.

You say you have never lived in a communist country – but you have visited communist countries. Didn’t you feel safe in them? (Why would North Korea be any different?) I have been to many, and I have not been unsafe in any of them. In fact I’ve probably been safer in all of them than in many other countries I’ve been to. And that safety is indeed recognized internationally. :)

If you say “civilization means modernization, not westernization” – then how do you define modernization? What means “modern” for you? For me, it is purely a relative term, relative to a particular culture, a particular technology. In that sense, North Korea certainly has modernized a lot since the Korean war, and not just technologically.

But to me, “civilization” has nothing to do with modernization or westernization – but with culture, language, education, how people deal with each other. Regime or political system also has nothing to do with civilization itself though it may influence the extent to which people may “live” or “express” their civilization and culture. As an example, during the Japanese occupation of Korea, the Japanese banned the use of the Korean language; they did not manage to destroy it – or Korean civilization – though, and it is still very much part of Korean civilization. Not even though they also plundered a great many archealogical sites and to date have not returned the valuable artifacts they took away. (Not that the Western world is any better at that; it still has to return a lot of things to their rightful owners as well.)

I would advise you to travel a bit more – with an open mind, to increase your understanding of other peoples and cultures. You seem to have a rather blinkered and prejudiced view of the world; such a view does not help to get mutual understanding and attain world peace.

Oct 08, 2006, 06:13AM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 1 cheer

Er... - ~**~mmm ~**~

:O - mandarin

Read up some history - Marjolein Katsma

Er again - ~**~mmm ~**~

North Korea (read all 2 entries…)

Eye opener — 2 years ago

Comments:

Extremely safe!

Thanks!

All civilized

?

One country, one culture, one language, one civilization

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