Update June, 2017: Since our visit to North Korea in 2011, the recent death of American tourist Otto Warmbier, who was detained while visiting the country, is a tragic situation that is inexcusable. Accordingly, despite our feelings that tourism in North Korea has positive benefits by exposing the North Korean people to visitors from the outside world, we can no longer recommend that Americans visit the country. It is too easy for the DPRK to make them pawns for continuing tensions between the two countries.

_________________________________________

Visiting the DMZ on the North Korean side is not everyone’s idea of a vacation. The Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea has been called “the most dangerous place on Earth.”  On either side of the border sits the largest concentration of soldiers and weapons on the planet. Vice President Mike Pence recently visited the DMZ to look out over North Korea. Here’s what it’s like actually being on the other side in the heart of North Korea.

We left our Pyongyang hotel early for the 120 kilometer drive on the Reunification Highway to the DMZ.  As we neared the border the bus passed through a series of checkpoints that were a few miles apart. These weren’t that intimidating, just a guard shack by the side of the road with a swinging gate out front.

Except for a major roadblock at the DMZ, the Reunification Highway leads directly from Pyongyang to Seoul. Typical of North Korea, traffic is generally not a problem.

But as we approached each checkpoint the mood on the bus got a bit tense. It was one thing to be in North Korea, it was quite another to be scrutinized by army personnel, particularly when carrying an American passport.

Military briefing by North Korean soldier at the DMZ.

After the final checkpoint the bus pulled up to a large concrete wall where we disembarked. We were led into a building that contained a gift shop, at the DMZ of all places, offering a wide range of ginseng products and books by the Great Leader, Kim Il Sung. We soon learned that ginseng was available for purchase wherever we stopped in the DPRK.

Portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are everywhere in North Korea

We were led into a room that contained a ten-foot high overview map of the area. A North Korean soldier, wooden pointer in hand, proceeded to provide a military briefing on the DMZ.  Like all rooms in North Korea, it had pictures of the Great Leader, Kim Il Sung, and the Dear Leader, Kim Jong Il, beaming down on the proceedings. After the brief pep talk we proceeded to the actual border which was delineated by a concrete curb that even a child could just step over. A series of small buildings the size of mobile homes straddles the border.

Looking at the DMZ from the North Korean side

We noticed that there was also a tour group lined up on the South Korean side.  So while the North and South Korean soldiers stared off against each other to see who would blink first, we had our own stare down with the tourists, likely from the same countries as us, on the other side.

We were permitted to enter one of the small buildings that straddle the border which is used as a conference room when there are disputes between the two Koreas. Through the small windows of the building we could see the South Korean guards about twenty feet away standing in battle ready positions, their arms hanging tensely at their sides with their fists firmly clenched.

North and South Korean soldiers are only yards apart at the border, represented by the small concrete curb next to the two North Korean soldiers. Photo courtesy Russell Ng.

As we ambled around the room we walked in and out of both Koreas so technically we were in South Korea at one point. On the bus ride back that was a matter of some discussion among our group as to whether we get credit for going to South Korea based on our brief foray.

After we arrived back in Pyongyang there was a sense of relief that we had survived our visit to the most dangerous place on Earth. Then reality set in and we realized we were still in Pyongyang, the capital city of the most isolated nation in the world.

With the recent death of Kim Jong Il, travel arrangements to North Korea are uncertain. The isolated country does not allow independent travel and all groups are escorted by two minders. But if you are interested in visiting the DMZ on the North Korean side. We traveled with with Koryo Tours. The British-run company has been leading tours to North Korea since 1993.

Click the link for more stories about our visit to North Korea.

Link to United States government information for visiting North Korea. (Spoiler alert: They highly recommend not going.)

Update June, 2017: Since our visit to North Korea in 2011, the recent death of American tourist Otto Warmbier, who was detained while visiting the country, is a tragic situation that is inexcusable. Accordingly, despite our feelings that tourism in North Korea has positive benefits by exposing the North Korean people to visitors from the outside world, we can no longer recommend that Americans visit the country. It is too easy for the DPRK to make them pawns for continuing tensions between the two countries.

_________________________________________

Sights in North Korea scream “look at me,” much like a regime that consistently tries to make news in shocking fashion. Although the country is small—the size of Pennsylvania, with an economy comparable to Kalamazoo, MI—they sport some whoppers: the tallest, biggest, deepest and more. Read more

We’d like to share some images of North Korea from postcards we picked up in Pyongyang. Some of them display the incessant propaganda while others are images of the modern city center.

Unless you’ve avoided all media, you’ve probably noticed that North Korea has been in the news quite a bit lately. When Kim Jong Un started his mysterious saber-rattling a few months ago, we found it hard to take him seriously. But when we visited North Korea we did notice something ominous, the people really believe the propaganda fed to them by the government that they won the Korean War (without any Chinese help by the way). If they believe they won the last war, perhaps they think they can win another.

Update June, 2017: Since our visit to North Korea in 2011, the recent death of American tourist Otto Warmbier, who was detained while visiting the country, is a tragic situation that is inexcusable. Accordingly, despite our feelings that tourism in North Korea has positive benefits by exposing the North Korean people to visitors from the outside world, we can no longer recommend that Americans visit the country. It is too easy for the DPRK to make them pawns for continuing tensions between the two countries.

_________________________________________

We’ve been to more than 25 countries so far on our year-long around-the-world journey, but one has generated more questions than all the others combined: North Korea. People wanted to know how to travel to North Korea? Others asked why would two Americans visit a country that is so isolated? As boomers we grew up with the Cold War, so we were curious to see firsthand its last outpost. If you are interested in going somewhere that truly is like no other place on Earth, North Korea should be on your list.

Visiting the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as it’s officially known) is not easy, but it is allowed by both the US and North Korean governments. Given the nature of the totalitarian state, that surprised us. Group tours through a DPRK-authorized agency are the only way to see the Hermit Kingdom, with entry through China, North Korea’s closest ally. We chose Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based outfit with the most experience touring the DPRK. Run by Nick Bonner, a British filmmaker who has made several documentaries about the country, Koryo has been leading tours to North Korea since 1993.

The DMZ seen from the North Korean side.

Our tour was a 5-day visit that included a trip to Pyongyang and the DMZ. Groups attend a pre-tour briefing the night before departure from Beijing that focuses on what to expect and how to behave in the DPRK. Anything our group did that broke the rules would reflect poorly on our North Korean guides and potentially cause future visitation restrictions.

The North Korean government is notoriously skittish about any information from the outside world, particularly as it relates to South Korea. This is a society where the people don’t have Internet access or a free media. Books, magazines or any information about North or South Korea are prohibited. Cell phones, computers and GPS devices are not allowed. They are confiscated upon entry and returned when leaving. Clothing with political slogans or flags of foreign countries (particularly South Korea and the USA) is taboo.

Kim Il Sung Square in downtown Pyongyang.

While we were allowed to bring cameras and encouraged to take pictures, the size of zoom lenses was limited. We also could never, and we do mean never, take pictures from the bus. That’s too bad because we saw some pretty interesting buildings and monuments from the bus that we couldn’t capture on film. We were also forbidden from taking pictures of military personnel or installations.

Given all those rules, we had a fair amount of latitude to take pictures when we did leave the bus. These excursions included trips on the subway and to parks where we freely mingled with locals and were allowed to snap away at will.

Women wearing the traditional choson-ot pose outside the tomb of Kim Il Sung.

Our tour included the usual highlights: the DMZ, Kim Il-Sung’s Tomb, and the USS Pueblo, which was of particular interest since we remember its capture in 1968. Somewhat incongruously, we spent an afternoon at the Pyongyang Gold Lane bowling alley. We timed our visit to coincide with the Arirang Mass Games, which take place in September. Billed as the largest mass participation event in the world (many things in North Korea seem to be the largest in the world) the Mass Games truly are spectacular.

With over 100,000 participants, they’re a multi-sensory performance that evokes Cirque de Soleil, military parades, Super Bowl half-time shows, ear-popping odes to the Dear Leader and frenzied flag-waving. One side of the stadium is filled with over 20,000 youths creating giant card mosaics depicting historical events in North Korea’s history: from military heroics to nature to burgeoning factories that highlight the country’s supposed industrial might.

The Arirang Mass Games are like no other show on earth. 

North Korea is a fascinating country. A visit there provides insight into the Cold War Communist mindset. But underneath all the propaganda and hubris we met people who, while devoted to their rigid ideology, were friendly and open. Visiting the DPRK has been one of the most memorable experiences of our journey.

For more information on North Korea please check the following:

US State Department travel information for North Korea.

Koryo Tours: www.koryogroup.com 

This post originally appeared on the travel blog My Itchy Travel Feet.

Update June, 2017: Since our visit to North Korea in 2011, the recent death of American tourist Otto Warmbier, who was detained while visiting the country, is a tragic situation that is inexcusable. Accordingly, despite our feelings that tourism in North Korea has positive benefits by exposing the North Korean people to visitors from the outside world, we can no longer recommend that Americans visit the country. It is too easy for the DPRK to make them pawns for continuing tensions between the two countries.

_________________________________________

Much has been speculated about North Korea—the government, human rights, the standard of living, etc.—but you rarely see anything about some of the more mundane aspects of life.  On our recent trip to Pyongyang I was intrigued by the day-to-day things seen through the fog of the government propaganda machine. In particular, what do women wear in North Korea?  Something as simple as how they dress can indicate their role in society.

A totalitarian regime does not lend itself to chic. The whole government machine is focused on men—the “Great Leader Kim Il Sung,” his son Kim Jong Il (merely known as “The Dear Leader”) and now Kim Jong Un, the third member of the Leader Dynasty.

North Korean women break out their Sunday best and finest shoes for the Mass Dance.

Women don’t loom large in this whole scenario.  There are few references to women—only Kim Il Sung’s grandmother (who raised him) and wife (who gave birth to the Dear Leader, then died in 1949) warrant any type of mention in the country’s history.  This is not a matriarchal society.

Given this rather lackluster status, it is hardly surprising that women’s attire here is not exactly fashion-forward.  Think a sort of “Asian-Communism-Meets-the-Stepford-Wives” and you get the general flavor.

The Pyongyang Metro on National Day.

The women tend to dress in one of three ways:  The Choson-ot (the traditional Korean long dress, known in South Korea as the Hanbok), a military uniform, or “regular work clothes”—which kind of looks like typical office wear in the west in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s.  Remember the two-piece dresses with a jacket/blouse and a flared mid-calf skirt?  Bam!  You’re in North Korea circa 2012.

Teenagers seem to have a bit more latitude, wearing jeans and Hello Kitty-type t-shirts, but I never saw a woman over about 18 dressed that way.  When I asked our guide about it, she just shrugged and said “that’s kids, when we grow up we dress properly.”   Which is probably not a bad model to follow for grown women everywhere.

Most of what I’ve described above just sort of sounds like a somewhat militaristic society where Vogue, Glamour, Elle (or even Good Housekeeping for that matter) are not distributed or even known about.  It’s the wearing of the Choson-ot where the whole “Stepford Wives” aspect comes into play.

Don’t get me wrong, these are beautiful garments, and remembering one’s heritage is important.  But in North Korea (or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea-DPRK), the Choson-ot seems to be mandatory dress whenever declarations of national pride are required (and that is often in the DPRK).

Bowling in Pyongyang wearing traditional garb

Guides at the national monuments all wear this outfit. Even young university women have a sort of abbreviated version:  navy and white with a mid-calf skirt.  It is the featured costume for women in the Arirang Performance (or “Mass Games”) every year.  It is de rigueur for mass impromptu national dancing done on National Day.

When our group visited the mausoleum of “The Great Leader” Kim Il Sung I noticed that the Korean woman all wore their “Sunday Best.” Imagine all of us dressing like Betsy Ross to visit Mount Vernon or the Jefferson Memorial and you get the picture.  In all fairness there is something to be said for dressing your best for an event that is important to you.

Striding off to pay homage at the tomb of Kim Il Sung. 

Here’s the kicker though; for the men, formal dress is considered a shirt and tie.  This is how “The Great Leader” is depicted in official portraits that are plastered on billboards everywhere, and there is nary a dopo (the men’s equivalent to the Choson-ot) to be seen.  It seems some genders are [allowed to be] more progressive than others.

If one were using fashion as an indicator of status—and let’s face it, that’s what fashion is all about—then the fashions in North Korea speak volumes.  Women can be well-attired, but power-dressing is just not in the vernacular.  Except. . . wait for it. . . shoes!  These gals might be wearing Betsy Ross-era clothing, but underneath it all, they are wearing pretty heels (trust me, I checked!) It seems “The Great Leader” either neglected or underestimated “the shoe gene” that is attached to our second X-chromosome.

One of the guides taking us around a historic site was dressed in that ’80s garb I mentioned earlier—but she was wearing the most beautiful pair of bright turquoise suede pumps.  She was formal and subdued throughout the whole tour. At the end, however, when she asked if there were any further questions or comments I asked our interpreter to compliment the guide on her beautiful shoes.

Her transformation was complete and instantaneous.  She became chatty and friendly, and we started comparing shoes.  (Unfortunately I was wearing my rather functional Keen sandals—see more on traveling shoes for women– but it was a great ice breaker).

Now this is the way to break down political barriers.


See more about our trip to North Korea.

To follow our journey around the world in search of the tasty and quirky and receive valuable travel tips subscribe here.

When I was a child my father spent one Saturday morning on the phone trying to find a store that sold a “Remember the Pueblo” bumper sticker.  He finally found a store that had the sticker so we all piled into the car to go get it. On the way my parents explained all the fuss about the Pueblo Incident.

The prior month, on January 23, 1968, the US Navy ship Pueblo had been captured by the North Korean navy for allegedly intruding into their territorial waters. During the capture an American sailor was killed. The remaining 82 sailors were being held hostage by the totalitarian regime of Kim Il Sung. My dad was a Coast Guard veteran and wanted to show his support for the sailors who were in captivity.

Just as the agreement to end the Korean War dragged on, the US sailors were not released until December 23rd of that year. This occurred only after the sailors and their commanding officer, Lloyd “Pete” Bucher, were subjected to enough torture to make false confessions and the United States issued an apology for trespassing on North Korea. Upon their release the State Department was able to confirm with Commander Bucher that the ship had not violated North Korea’s waters and immediately rescinded the apology.

The USS Pueblo today 

The ship was never returned and today it floats on the Taedong river in the center of Pyongyang; the only commissioned U.S. Navy ship in foreign hands. The North Koreans are very proud of the trophy that they wrested from the “Imperialist Americans” and it is required viewing on a tour of the capital city.

I had personal reasons for wanting to visit the ship. As a child I had been fascinated by the whole affair. It was the first time I had become aware of and intrigued by an event concerning international relations and diplomacy. Did I mention that I was seven at the time? Several years later, when I was a teenager, I wrote to Commander Bucher about the incident. He responded with a long handwritten letter about life in captivity and made comparisons to another major item then in the news, the Iranian hostage crisis.

As we approached the ship the first thing that struck me was how small it is. I couldn’t imagine bouncing around the frigid waters of the Sea of Japan in it. The ship was a World War II-era freighter that had been hastily converted for its current mission.

The Captain’s wheel on the bridge

It was lightly armed with two .50 caliber machine guns. During the incident they were wrapped in canvas which had frozen solid, rendering them unusable. It wouldn’t have mattered since the North Koreans threatened the Pueblo with two gunboats, three torpedo boats and a pair of MiG fighter planes circling overhead. At the point that the North Koreans starting strafing the ship, killing one sailor, Commander Bucher finally gave in and surrendered.

By all credible accounts that’s what happened that day on the high seas. The story we heard was a bit different. Our group was herded into the crew’s mess where we watched a 15-minute propaganda video of the North Korean interpretation of the events. This consisted mostly of harangues against America and really grainy footage of Lyndon Johnson looking demonic. What the video lacked in facts it made up for in rage and indignation.

Next we toured the room where the intelligence gathering equipment was held. Since the attack was so sudden most of it remained intact as the crew had little time to destroy the cryptographic machines and classified documents.

The still intact crypto equipment 

We went up on deck where the guide led us through the North Korean interpretation of events. Apparently the mighty Pueblo was captured by a mere eight North Korean soldiers who found the captain quivering under a table. No mention was made of the overwhelming amount of arms that the North Koreans brought to bear on the Pueblo. We almost got the impression that the eight soldiers had swum out to the ship in the freezing waters, hoisted themselves overboard under withering gunfire and then captured it as the Americans all cowered in fear.

We had been warned before the trip that we were not to point out to the hosts that their interpretation of historical events was different from ours. If we did the tour would come to an abrupt end and, besides, we weren’t going to convince them anyway. The “facts” as they knew them had been drilled into them for years; since birth really.

One member of our group, Jeff, had a finely honed knack for asking questions in such a subtle way that showed he wasn’t buying it. He asked innocently, “How did only eight soldiers capture eighty-three Americans?” The guide responded in all sincerity, “They were very brave.” This was a theme we were to hear often during the week.

One of the sad things that the tour of the Pueblo revealed was how much the North Koreans are still clinging to the past. The incident looms large in the country’s history and is put forth as yet another example of the superiority of their political system.

There was a time when “Remember the Pueblo” became a rallying cry in the United States. Today I would wager that less than 95% of Americans who were born after the Pueblo incident even know about it; but the citizens of North Korea have this minor skirmish that occurred over forty years ago drilled into them constantly. Until they focus more on the future, things will never change in North Korea.  It certainly makes for fascinating–albeit exasperating–touring.

For more go to the official web site of USS Pueblo veterans.

For more about our visit to North Korea click here.