All of us have our dream holiday planned in our heads. It could be somewhere hot and tropical, cold and snowy or somewhere sunny and mountainous. Not many of us would fantasise about visiting a totalitarian state where access to basic human rights is not guaranteed. But if you are one of those people, you’re in luck, as North Korea is set to re-open to Westerners for the first time in five years following its border closures during Covid.

North Korea was the first country to shut its borders due to the pandemic in January 2020 and is now scheduled to be the last country to re-open them. Only a select group of Russian visitors were allowed to enter the country during this period in tandem with strengthening North Korean and Russian relations. Tourist Companies like Koryo Tours and Young Pioneer Tours were allowed into the country in January to make arrangements for upcoming tours.

There is still a lot of trepidation surrounding the reality of these tours. This is due to the postponement of trips that were supposed to take place in February to March. Those who have booked their places will be keeping their fingers crossed for the success of these trips.

However, only one specific area will be opened to tourists. These trips will take place in Ranson, a fishing and farming area in the north which has been labelled the “only part of North Korea where capitalism is openly promoted”. This somewhat unique area in a strictly socialist country has an economy which is considered “much better than most of the surrounding areas of the north” and is considered by most North Koreans as a “good place to live”. Koryo Tour’s 5-day itinerary for the area includes an exploration of Hae’an Park, a visit to Rason School Uniform Factory, kimchi making and the viewing of seals from Pipha Island. Bear in mind that any access to North Korea will be strictly monitored by the government and any and all interactions and activities will be planned for a specific purpose. Minty Clinch recalled of her 2018 trip that the government “goes out of its way to ensure that tourists… [are] barred from making meaningful contact with north Koreans”.

Since Rason has no airport, travel to the region will encompass a bus journey from Yanji in China. Though this does pose some problems for any British hopefuls. China’s ‘transit-without-visa’ policy would not work for this specific journey due to the lack of flight which is a requirement for this policy. The tour companies have stressed the importance of correctly securing an accurate visa for the trip due to the risk of being unable to cross back into China and being left behind in the isolated country.

While this trip may sound exciting, one of the most frequently asked questions on these tour sites is, ‘is it safe to travel to North Korea?’. It is no secret that North Korea is deemed one of the most dangerous places in the world to travel. Koryo Tours have a statement saying, “Offences that would be considered trivial in other countries can incur very severe penalties in North Korea, particularly actions the authorities deem to be disrespectful towards the North Korean leadership or government, or those involving religion”, making this blatantly clear. The entire country is marked ‘Orange’ by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office which encourages avoidance against all but essential travel to the country. Not only is the British Embassy in North Korea currently closed, but also due to lack of internet in the country, contact with Britain is “almost impossible”. Koryo Tours may maintain their position that “we continue to run our DPRK tours safely”, but this does not mean that previous trips have always been successful.

The United States banned American citizens’ travel to the country in 2017 following the death of Otto Warmbier. Otto, a student aged 21 upon arrest, was detained in January 2016 following his attempt to steal a Hotel banner during his visit. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour for, in British eyes, seemingly meager crime. When he was finally released to the US in 2017, he was returned in a vegetive state and died shortly after his return due to neurological damage. US courts found blame in North Korea’s treatment of Otto and as a result, forbid travel to the country.

Koryo tours have tried to combat the risk by enforcing a required 1-hour briefing before departure to detail what etiquette is accepted in the country and what to do to remain safe.

Going to North Korea could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see what life is like inside one of the world’s most isolated countries. But a word of warning, as an expert from Koryo Tours said, “you enjoy and endure a trip to North Korea in equal measure”.

Featured Image: Caitriana Nicholson from Flickr

Title Quote: “Hermit Kingdom”