| Tips and photos for North Korea vacations and tourism, posted by real travelers and North Korea locals. Map |
 | North Korea General Tips | Tips 1 - 10 of 36 |  |
 Arirang Poster by DSwede
Being a Meegok Nam (tenderly named “American Bastard” by the North Koreans), this is the only time of year that the N Korean government will allow you to visit. But if you are any other nationality, you may visit at any time (but still need an invitation Visa and tour with a group).
While it may be thought of as a huge achievement to orchestrate these huge performances, one must also look at the implications of it.
The people in DPRK are hungry and lead a meager life. They do not have much to be thankful for, and are living until the carefully mastered direction of the government. The months of preparation and rehearsals, as well as the festival itself is a perfect pacifier of the people. During these times, they are distracted from other activities and from concentrating on their daily needs. Stalin and Hitler also implemented similar distractions on the people.
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 Dandong Museum plaque by DSwede
Also, in all the museums of China, the impression is made that the 2.9 million Chinese soldiers fought side by side the North Koreans. Many died, more were wounded. However, in all my time in North Korea, no mention of the Chinese armies was ever voiced. On the contrary, it was not with the aid of 2.9 million Chinese soldiers that the Allied/UN forces signed an Armistice at Panmunjom, but rather it was Kim il-Sung who single handedly defeated the US. (and the Japanese in WWII also as evidenced by the Arch of Triumph in P'yongyang).
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FYI, obtaining North Korean Won is illegal for foreigners. If you want some, you will have to sweet talk one of your guides, or tip them very well (but discretely).
For money collectors, currency bills can be found in Dandong China tourist shops.
Any place that you can purchase goods in DPRK will do the exchange calculation on the spot. They accept RMB, EUR or USD. Your change will be given back in the same currency as your payment.
As of 2003, USD is no longer the federal reserve security, so the USD will not get the best exchange value. Euros will give you slightly more advantageous exchange rate.
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During the briefing, we were told the different uniforms so that we could distinguished the military personnel from the North vs the South.
The North wears "brown or olive drab North Korean uniforms with red arm bands for guards with weapons and yellow arm bands ...."
You may have guessed perhaps the more well built South vs smaller built North. Surprisingly, the North personnel seemed more jovial and at ease while the UN Command personnel wore dark glasses and were stern face and dead serious.
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 by WillettsworldLeave a Comment
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 by ColmNugent
You'll spend a majority of the time in the capital (see separate VT page) where you'll be taken to a series of the most stupendous monuments to Kim Il Sung (KIS), which are quite breathtaking in their scale and grandeur. The Koreans (well, Kim Il Sung to be precise) liked to build on a monumental scale. All public buildings, such as the People's Library and Study House are the most fabulous collections of marble and granite and stupendous chandeliers are ten-a-penny. Evry building has a statute of KIS, every town has a monumental statue of him at its highest point and hoardings of him are as common a Coke adverts. Every bench he sat on is encased in perspex and every word he uttered is available in a series of volumes. It can get just a little oppressive once you've been there a few days. I can't imagine what it must be like to actually live there.
Dancing in Kim Il Sung Square with about 150,000 citizens of Pyongyang - all of whom were dressed in national costume. Being looked at as if we'd just landed from Mars, and as far as most North Koreans were concerned, we just had. Leave a Comment
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The North Korean currency is called the won and it is possible to obtain it when in North Korea but you can't spend it. Think of it as a souvenir. When I first arrived at the Yanggakdo Hotel, I noticed a small sign beside the reception counter saying "Exchange". My guide book (Lonely Planet) had said that it wasn't possible to exchange money for the won but along with the Exchange sign, there was also a list of foreign currencies and their exchange rates typed out on a piece of paper housed in a plastic holder. I changed 10 Chinese RMB for 175.10 won and received crisp, new notes and coins back. I was rather chuffed by this and went to tell other members of my tour party. The rates are the "official" rates but we all met an Italian guy working for UNICEF on the train back to Beijing who said that the unofficial black market rate was €1 = 4,000 won when the official rate was €1 = 192 won!
Even though it is possible to exchange for North Korea won, you can't actually spend it anywhere. I tried to approach a stall outside the Foreign Language Bookshop near the Kim Il Sung square but all I got was a horrified look on the face of the lady at the stall. Buying something with local money is a definite no-no. Take with you Euro's, US dollars or Chinese RMB and take these in small denominations as it can be quite an event to get the right change back (basically in whatever they have lying around). Practically everything was priced in Euro's. Leave a Comment
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At a few places that we visited we were met by female tour guides who showed us around. We basically turned up at the doorstep in our bus at each attraction and were shown around by these guides. Some spoke English and some just Korean which was then translated into English for us by either one of our government appointed tour guides. Leave a Comment
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When you sign up for a tour via your travel agents website, you will have to complete and sign a visa application form for the DPRK. The details on this may be checked by your travel agent and then probably checked by the officials in Pyongyang. Your travel agent will also need a photocopied photo of you and your passport. After everything was sent I then paid for the trip and that really was that - all there was to it!
What I did was to pick up my visa in Beijing before my trip as I was in China for a few months before my trip to North Korea. My travel agent (Korea Konsult) emailed me details of where and when to go and collect the visa (basically from a North Korean guy in a hotel, the day before I was due to fly out to Pyongyang). I did this without any problems. He also gave me my flight ticket to Pyongyang, so that was all there was to it as far as the travel arrangements were concerned. Oh, by the way, you won't get the chance to keep your visa as they take them away from you before you leave. Leave a Comment
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One thing you'll notice everywhere you go in North Korea is that there'll always be at least one Kim looking down on you whether it be Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il or both. I first noticed this whilst walking around a Children's palace shortly after we had arrived from Beijing as their portraits were in all of the classrooms. They're even in every single train carriage on the Pyongyang metro! Most public buildings will also have their portraits hanging from the walls. Leave a Comment
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