As I've just posted about my recent trip to South Korea, I thought I would follow up with a little insight into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and my trip there a few months ago.
I had wanted to visit the reclusive state for some time and see what it was really like, but as things were hotting up in the region (Otto Warmbeir had just died and tensions between the USA and North Korea were at an all time high) I decided to go for just a day to test the waters as I reasoned it was too dangerous to spend too much time there.
I arranged a day trip through Young Pioneer Tours who specialize in tours to countries a little off the usual tourist map.
I first travelled to the Chinese city of Dandong which sits on the Yalu river across from Sinuiju in North Korea which is connected by the Friendship Bridge.
After leaving the Chinese border I boarded a bus filled with Chinese tourist (I was the only westerner) and we slowly made our way across the bridge. There was a knot in my stomach as we crossed the river and entered North Korea. There was no turning back now!
The bus driver came and collected all our cameras which would be returned to us a little later after being checked.
We were greeted by a tall guard in brown uniform and large wide-brimmed hat popular in communist countries. He took our passports which would be kept until we returned at the end of the day.
As the Chinese tourists were lead back onto the bus I was asked to stay behind by a gentleman in a dark suit and with glasses. He introduced himself as my guide, but it was pretty obvious he was some sort of government official. He explained some of the rules to me about taking photos ("only nice photos please, we will check") and outlined the day ahead. He quizzed me on why I was visiting North Korea and I tried to answer as best I could without showing too much apprehension.
Our first stop was the obligatory visit to the statues of Kim Il-Sung and King Yong-Il where we were instructed to buy flowers to lay and take a bow to the founding leaders of the DPRK.
I am standing to the left in the second row.
After paying our respects, we moved on to a soap factory on the outskirts of town. As we drove through the city I noticed that there were very few cars on the street. Soldiers in their large hats cycled on old fashioned bikes and as we left the city I could see people working in the fields by hand with no farm machinery or equipment whatsoever. It felt like Russia in 1917 with the large propaganda hoardings along the roadside.
After the factory tour we then went to a kindergarten to watch the children perform a show. One thing that I noticed on the walls was the number of tedy bears and children's characters that seemed to have guns or radio equipment incorporated into the murals.
We were seated in a large auditorium and two young Korean girls in traditional dress introduced the show (in Chinese and Korean).
It was incredible to witness such young children with such talent and I wondered what sort of life these children must have.
Here is some footage I filmed of a little drummer boy:
After the show it was time for lunch and we were driven to a compound which was guarded by two female North Koean soldiers. We were taken into a building and seated at tables laid out with food. The meal was quite similar to those I had had in China, but with the addition of Korean dishes such as Kimchi (spicy cabbage) and all washed down with a palatable North Korean beer. While we ate two Korean women in traditional dress sung for us.
After lunch were were taken to a small museum and then to a local park where people were dancing. It was difficult to know whether the people we saw were there out of choice, or whether the whole thing was scripted for our benefit. The old ladies in the park looked happy/friendly enough, but when somewhere like North Korea, one is never sure of what is really going on.
AT 4pm we headed back to the customs post and my palms sweated as I wondered if I would get my passport back and be allowed to leave. Getting in was easy, it was getting out again that concerned me, but after a brief wait while our cameras were checked for unflattering pictures, we were soon on our back across the Yalu River and into China.
For more information on my trip and other crazy destinations such as Turkmenistan, check out my website thetripgoeson
I hope you enjoyed my story!