Between Propaganda and Reality: An Encounter with Unseen North Korea

A tour through North Korea – one of the most isolated countries in the world. This country lives as if in a time capsule, and getting into it is a challenge.

How to Get into North Korea?

Obtaining a Visa

North Korea does not issue visas directly to tourists – they can only be obtained through accredited travel agencies that organize official trips to the DPRK. A state guide is also mandatory, who will not only provide information but also monitor your activities. Popular agencies:

• Koryo Tours (China)
• Young Pioneer Tours (China)
• Uri Tours (China, USA)

You can contact agencies in Beijing, as trips to the DPRK are organized from China.

My journey: From Vilnius to Helsinki, and then to Beijing.

Interestingly, in China you cannot use regular social media platforms – Facebook, Google or Messenger.

Alternatives used by Chinese:

• WeChat (Weixin) – instead of Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp
• Baidu – instead of Google
• Weibo – instead of Twitter
• Youku, Bilibili – instead of YouTube

For the flight to Pyongyang, I had to board an ancient Soviet Tu-154 aircraft. The entire journey was accompanied by anxiety – these planes have been manufactured since 1979, and their age raised considerable doubts.

Pyongyang – The Country’s Showcase

Pyongyang – it’s like the country’s showcase, where everything is carefully prepared for tourists.

Landing at Pyongyang airport – I was surprised by the order and cleanliness. Indeed, as I later noticed, order and cleanliness are among the capital’s main characteristics. But along with that, an obvious emptiness – many buildings looked uninhabited, we didn’t see lights in the windows, even though it was already evening.

The first object to visit – the Arch of Triumph, which, as the guide proudly emphasized, is 11 meters higher than the famous Arch of Triumph in Paris.

An interesting observation – suddenly, all at once, lights turned on in all city buildings. As if the city was given a signal that electricity could now be used.

Overnight Stay at a “Six-Star” Hotel

We stayed at the Yanggakdo Hotel, which is advertised as “six-star” – the highest class hotel in the country. Indeed, the hotel was impressive in its size and some luxury details, but at the same time quite strange.

In the room we found an ancient radio device with many wires. I soon realized that this device might perform not only a radio function but also a listening device. It’s also interesting that the elevator didn’t have buttons for the 3rd, 15th and 28th floors – according to rumors, local intelligence services are located on these floors. They may also have been removed for various other reasons related to local traditions, superstitions or specific building structure. For example, in some cultures certain numbers are considered unlucky, so they are avoided in building floor numbering. It may also be that certain floors are designated for technical rooms or staff, so they are not accessible to hotel guests, and their buttons are removed from elevators.

*This information is mentioned in Algirdas Morkūnas’s book “Travels on the Sofa”, where the author shares his travel impressions from various countries around the world, including North Korea.

A Dose of Propaganda

One of the mandatory points – visiting the mausoleum where the current leader’s grandfather Kim Il Sung and father Kim Jong Il are buried. Strict dress code, detailed security check, filming prohibited.

Entering the mausoleum was a real ritual. We had to go through a half-kilometer-long escalator, on whose walls were hung paintings with the leaders’ stories. Inside the building we saw the leaders’ cars, ships, train carriages and many awards received from various countries around the world.

Pyongyang Metro – Underground Museum

Pyongyang metro – one of the deepest in the world. The descent by escalators takes as long as four minutes, and the depth reaches about 100 meters. The metro station looks like luxurious museums – walls decorated with mosaics, with high ceilings and luxurious chandeliers.

The carriages themselves are like museum exhibits – Soviet trains that could have been seen in Moscow 40 years ago. Their condition is impeccable – no scratches or inscriptions, everything carefully maintained.

A metro ticket costs only half a cent – probably the cheapest means of transport in the world.

War Museum

The “Great Liberation War” museum occupies as much as 93 thousand square meters. In the center stands a huge monument called “Victory”. The main exhibits are military equipment, with descriptions next to each exhibit of how it was shot down or captured.

Kindergarten – Luxury Shown to Tourists

One of the more interesting visits – visiting a kindergarten. Hard to believe, but this kindergarten occupies as many as ten floors and five buildings, with a total area of 15 thousand square meters.

Eight hundred children are educated in the kindergarten – three hundred infants and five hundred older children. The building has not only separate zones for education, games and sports, but also a real swimming pool.

The impression is created that the children here only “play” daily life – they pretend to learn, have fun only when tourists arrive to show what luxury they have. Military themes prevail in all spaces, and children seem trained to follow commands.

Beyond the Capital – A Different Reality

The trip to Wonsan city – beyond the capital – revealed a completely different face of North Korea. Leaving Pyongyang, I noticed that the bus windows no longer opened – apparently so we couldn’t photograph what we would see further.

Beyond the city limits, life was completely different – poor roads, impoverished homesteads, people traveling on foot for many kilometers. Soldiers with ancient backpacks, workers in fields – everything seemed frozen in time.

Interestingly, at gas stations, fuel is sold not by liters but by kilograms, and they strictly refused to reveal the prices to us.

Pioneer Camp

Pioneer camp – a state children’s camp. It was distinguished by beautifully cultivated nature. Considerable funds were invested in it, beautiful buildings were constructed. Inside the camp we had to walk in complete darkness – there was neither electricity nor heating.

In the very center of the camp was a huge aquarium. Here you could see many deep-sea animals, some of which could even be touched. Such luxury is likely accessible only to children of the privileged part of society.

Journey Along the Korean Sea

Traveling along the Korean Sea, it was noticed that the entire coast was fenced, limiting access to the sea. Perhaps this is a military zone, as quite a few soldiers were visible around.

Stopping at one seaside facility, it turned out that the sea here looks similar to the Baltic Sea – similar sand, similar waves.

Kumgang Mountains: A Natural Wonder

Traveling further, the road began to climb into the mountains. The view was simply fabulous. The pines in these mountains are very different from usual ones – they are very branched, resembling bonsai.

Interestingly, although the country is impoverished, the environment was very well-maintained. All roadsides were swept at least within a ten-meter radius. Even the forest looked tidy, piles of needles collected.

Five Seasons in Kumgang Mountains

The Kumgang mountainous area has five seasonal names:

1. In spring, these mountains are called Kim Gam, which means “diamond mountains”. This is because when the sun shines on their snow-covered peaks, they sparkle like diamonds.
2. In summer – Pongrae.
3. In autumn – Poongak.
4. In winter – Kaegol.
5. When the mountains are covered with snow – Gaegol.

The Forbidden City in Beijing

In Beijing, you must visit the Forbidden City. Although tickets are not easy to get as they sell out quickly, it’s definitely worth the effort. The entire complex architecture is amazing – the emperors certainly had time and resources for construction!

The Forbidden City (Chinese: 紫禁城, Zǐjìnchéng) – is a huge imperial palace complex in Beijing that was the residence of Chinese emperors for more than 500 years. Today it is one of the most famous tourist sites in China, included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The palace architecture is impressive – the complex has more than 9000 rooms, decorated with traditional Chinese patterns, carvings and gold details. It was built during the Ming Dynasty (15th century) and was not only the emperor’s residence but also the country’s political center.

Shaolin and Unconventional Delicacies

In Beijing it’s worth seeing Shaolin monk performances, which bring temples tens of millions in profit per year. A lot of love and effort is certainly put into these performances.

In China you can taste unconventional (to us, but traditional to Chinese) dishes. Among them – snake (taste similar to chicken), cockroaches, larvae and grasshoppers. Small bugs should be taken by the legs and put into the mouth – the taste is quite good. Grasshoppers are especially interesting because they contain more protein than beef.

Conclusion

A trip to North Korea makes you think about many things we take for granted in everyday life – internet accessibility, freedom to travel, choose clothing or hairstyle.

The contrasts stick out most – between luxurious capital facilities and impoverished rural life, between propaganda and reality, between strict control and stunning natural beauty.

North Korea – like a time capsule where time has stopped. However, at the same time you can see that it’s not only a regime and propaganda, but also a country with stunning natural resources and unique cultural heritage.

10 Strangest Facts About North Korea

1. Unique calendar – In North Korea, time is counted from the first leader’s birth in 1912.
2. Strict hairstyle rules – Unmarried women must have short hair, and men have 28 official government-approved hairstyles.
3. Strict media control – The country has only three TV channels controlled by the government. The internet – only 28 permitted websites, and only with special permission.
4. It’s forbidden to fold a newspaper with the leader’s face – And that’s quite difficult because his image is on practically every page.
5. Blue jeans are prohibited – They symbolize the American way of life, and America is North Korea’s greatest enemy.
6. Fourth largest army in the world – After China, India and the USA, North Korea has the fourth largest army. They allocate a third of their GDP to defense.
7. Technically still at war – There is no peace treaty between North and South Korea, only a ceasefire.
8. Limited car use – Only military and government people are allowed to drive cars. Most locals ride bicycles.
9. Prestigious traffic controller job – For some reason, this job is considered very honorable.
10. Abandoned skyscraper – The tallest building in the country is an abandoned hotel in Pyongyang. Only the exterior was built, and inside it’s practically empty.

Contrasts Noticed When Visiting North Korea

Sources:

North Korea: Everything you need to know about the country – BBC Newsround

Korea, North – The World Factbook

The Forbidden City & the Imperial Palace, Beijing | Greenline Travel & Tourism