Tourism in North Korea

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A tourist takes photos with locals

Tourism in North Korea is offered or offered by various state-owned tour operators such as the Korea International Travel Company (KITC) , Korean International Sports Travel Company (KISTC) , Korean International Taekwondo Tourism Company (KITTC) and the Korean International Youth Travel Company (KIYTC) . organized. In general, tourism in North Korea is very strictly controlled by the government; around 4,000 to 6,000 tourists visit the country every year, including around 300 Germans. According to the Foreign Office , North Korea is the most difficult-to-access country in the world for foreigners.

procedure

View from the Juche Tower to downtown Pyongyang

Tourists must book their trip to North Korea as a package tour . The duration of the trip is one to two weeks, costs around 2000 euros (per person) and begins in Beijing . A trip to North Korea comes with some cutbacks. Tourists are allowed to tell the organizer the places they want to visit, but in the end the government decides where to go. The hotel and the restaurants are determined by the tour operator or the government prior to the trip. In addition, you will be accompanied by two guides and a driver throughout your stay. Tourists are only left alone in the hotel room. The escorts always speak fluently the language of the tourists who accompany them. An estimated 15 places are allowed to be visited by tourists, but most of the holiday is spent in the capital Pyongyang . Independent travel, i.e. without a companion, is not officially prohibited, but it can be dangerous under certain circumstances and is only possible if the tourist is able to evade the guardianship.

Restrictions

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  • The escorts tried by all means to prevent civilians from being spoken to. However, should a tourist manage to address a civilian, they face draconian penalties.
  • It is forbidden to take photographs of military installations, train stations, airports, port facilities, i.e. in principle all security-relevant areas. It is also forbidden to take photos of images that could damage the image of the state, including, for example, taking photos of poor parts of the city.
  • Telephoning is allowed in the hotel, but there is no mobile network.
  • All spending in North Korea must be made in euros , US dollars or yuan and in cash.
  • You should refrain from bringing Western symbols such as a German newspaper or a Bible with you, as in the worst case scenario you may be expelled from the country.
  • Critical questions or comments about the political system in North Korea are also reluctant to hear.

Moral acceptability

North Korea is considered the most isolated country in the world, and the country is also in one of the last places in many rankings, for example for the degree of democracy or freedom of the press . The totalitarian system of the state is considered to be the most restrictive in the world. There is hardly any freedom of opinion and belief, and the majority of the population has to live in poverty. Therefore, the question of whether it is morally or ethically justifiable to take a vacation in North Korea is in principle justified.

Eric Ballbach from the Institute for Korean Studies at the Free University of Berlin said: "The individual motive for the trip is decisive." Many traveled to North Korea to better understand what was happening there, while others were interested in the communist system. According to Ballbach, it is wrong to support the military with a trip to North Korea. There are various economic cycles in North Korea, the income from tourism would flow into the planned economy .

Travel bans under foreign law

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Since September 2017, citizens of the United States are no longer allowed to travel to North Korea following a decision by US President Donald Trump . This does not apply to US citizens who also have a foreign passport valid for North Korea .

Web links

Wikivoyage: North Korea  Travel Guide
Commons : Tourism in North Korea  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Despite warnings, more Western tourists are traveling to North Korea on latimes.com (English)
  2. ↑ Travel company from Hanover is sticking to North Korea trips on welt.de.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Berliners organize trips to North Korea at Tagesspiegel
  4. ↑ a b c Korea (Democratic People's Republic, North Korea): Travel and safety information on the website of the Federal Foreign Office
  5. ↑ North Korea: How the country could become the largest prison in the world at huffingtonpost.de
  6. ^ The Economist (2012):Democracy index (PDF)
  7. ↑ Ranking list of press freedom 2014
  8. ↑ Vaclav Havel:No concessions to the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il.In: The press. June 18, 2004.
  9. ↑ USA prohibits travel to North Korea. Tagesschau from July 21, 2017.
  10. ^ Nicola Smith: Trump administration bans US travel to North Korea following the death of Otto Warmbier. The Daily Telegraph of July 21, 2017.
  11. ↑ Yeganeh Torbati: US bans travel to North Korea from September 1, says Americans shoulderstand leave. In: Reuters . August 2, 2017, accessed November 12, 2017 .