From Your Quora Digest
How was your experience there, and what was your reason to go?
I’ve been, for a 10 day visit. I simply joined a tour, because I am interested in seeing what life in different places on this planet is like. It’s easy to find reasons against going to North Korea as a tourist, but it’s also easy to find reasons for. After some thought, I decided that given the opportunity, it was better to go than not to go.
My experience was mixed, but all in all I came out of it feeling I had learned a lot. We certainly didn’t get to explore on our own, but being taken between different government-approved spots, I did get to see many things that convinced me that contrary to what our media reports, for a large part of the population in North Korea, life isn’t all hell after all. This brings me some comfort to know, although I still hope for radical changes to happen in North Korea sooner rather than later, but not too quickly either. A speedy change would probably be incredibly painful for millions of people.
Anyway, here are some photos of my experience:
Somewhat dystopian hotel lobby. I imagine this is what a North Korean interior architect who never left the country thinks the lobby in a western hotel would look like.
You’re taken to many war memorials and national monuments, and you’re expected to behave with complete respect at all times. In some cases, like when you visit the mausoleum of previous Kims, you’ll have to wear nice clothes, preferably a suit and tie.
Pyongyang isn’t just a facade with no people in it. When you’re there, you see people going about their lives. They just do a lot of walking instead of driving around in cars.
Typical scene. Tall residential buildings, some factories/plants, and people walking around, throwing discrete glances at your tourist group, but definitely not coming over to have a chat.
If you go on a tour lasting more than a couple of days, you’ll get to see not just Pyongyang, but various other towns and cities as well. Here’s a street in Kaesong, before spring really gets going. It’s a bit bleak, but the lack of cars makes for a sort of pleasant and relaxed atmosphere anyway.
Most of the interaction you have with North Koreans will be with guides, like this woman. She’s wearing a traditional dress. They all wear pins showing at least one of the Kims. What that duck is doing there, I don’t know.
People are told to go work in the fields when it’s necessary. And they go. Whenever you drive past a bicycle parking like this one, you know you’ll soon see people in large numbers doing farm work.
At the War Museum you will be given detailed explanations about how the North Korean military succeeded in outsmarting Americans in various situations. They do not mind you falling asleep during the lectures, they’re quite used to it happening. The guides go into a bit too many details, most visitors find.
Just because you’re in North Korea, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself. If you want to, you can visit places like the Masikryong Ski Resort. It’s decent skiing, and you’ll be very popular among the well-situated clientele that is allowed to use these facilities. The ski lifts here is maybe your best chance to strike up a more or less random conversation with a North Korean. It takes 45 minutes from the bottom to the top …
I could go on and on. Visiting North Korea can be just as varied as visiting any other country, if you make it so. I have lots more photos on my web site, if you’re interested;
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