Inside Kim Jong-un's push to bring Western tourists back to North Korea: What Brits find as they holiday in pariah country
Foreign tourists have stepped foot inside North Korea for the for the first time in five years and are left shocked by their experiences in the pariah country.
A small group of Western visitors made history as they returned to the hermit kingdom last month after the nation sealed its borders at the onset of the Covid19 pandemic in early 2020.
However, instead of the orchestrated tours of Pyongyang, these international travellers are now exploring the lesser-known eastern port city of Rason, designated as a 'special economic zone' over three decades ago to experiment with capitalist practices.
A group of 13 embarked on the five trip to the mysterious eastern port from February 20 to February 24 and were left stunned at experience where they were plied with fake designer gear and watched children dancing in front of videos of missile launches.
Among the initial group of visitors was Joe Smith, a British national familiar with North Korea from previous trips. He told the Telegraph that Rason appeared 'desolate, poorer, more spread out with a lack of restaurants' compared to the capital.
Tourists were first taken to an international goods market where local entrepreneurs sold predominantly Chinese-made items, including counterfeit luxury goods such as fake Gucci belts and Louis Vuitton handbags.
Smith recalled the market's lively atmosphere seemed genuine, with locals reportedly surprised to see Western visitors.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted Rason, with Chinese businesses that supplied goods and software disappearing overnight. Locals acknowledged these challenges but eerily expressed gratitude for state-provided rations during lockdowns.
A group of 13 Western tourists embarked on a trip to North Korea for the first time since the hermit kingdom after the nation sealed its borders at the onset of the Covid19 pandemic in early 2020
Visitors were shown a performance at the Children's Palace which saw children singing and dancing in front of a exploding missile display
The guests were taken around schools in Rason, a lesser-known eastern port city, designated as a 'special economic zone' over three decades ago to experiment with capitalist practices
People walk before a village on the outskirts of North Korea's northeastern city of Rason, near the borders of both China and Russia, November 21, 2017
For some tourists, like Filipino entrepreneur Riza Rasco, the trip marked the culmination of a quest to visit every country globally.
She highlighted visits to facilities such as a children's palace, where students engage in extracurricular activities like music and taekwondo, noting the impressive amenities.
However, performances included unsettling elements, such as children singing in front of videos depicting ballistic missiles targeting aircraft carriers.
Footage from the trip uploaded to YouTube showed children dressed in red, white, and blue attire singing and marching in front of a projector showing a montage of exploding missiles and bursts of fire.
Seemingly unfazed by the violent display, the children continued their performance before the eyes of the stunned guests.
During their show, they were even heard singing lyrics including: 'Our leader is the world's best'.
At a foreign language school, a 15-year-old student expressed unwavering loyalty to the regime, stating: 'We are the happiest students in the world because our father [Kim Jong-un] provides for us.
'He provides our uniform, our shoes, our bags, and we don't need to worry about money.'
But the tourist recalled seeing baffling propaganda slogans scrawled across the walls of buildings around the town which read: 'We must do everything at the request of the masters'.
Some visitors were taken aback by the apparent indoctrination of the youth, who aspired to serve in the military to defend their nation.
Footage from the trip uploaded to YouTube showed children dressed in red, white, and blue attire singing and marching in front of a projector showing a montage of exploding missiles and bursts of fire
Joe Smith, a British national familiar with North Korea from previous trips, told the Telegraph that Rason appeared 'desolate, poorer, more spread out with a lack of restaurants' compared to the capital
Smith recalled the market's lively atmosphere seemed genuine, with locals reportedly surprised to see Western visitors
Despite the strict supervision and curated experiences, tourists noted an eerie warmth and hospitality of their North Korean hosts, who made concerted efforts to accommodate their guests, sometimes offering Western-style meals instead of local cuisine
For some tourists, like Filipino entrepreneur Riza Rasco, the trip marked the culmination of a quest to visit every country globally
Despite the strict supervision and curated experiences, tourists noted an eerie warmth and hospitality of their North Korean hosts, who made concerted efforts to accommodate their guests, sometimes offering Western-style meals instead of local cuisine.
Kyle Grau, a 21-year-old Australian video game developer, also embarked on the trip to assess North Korea's technological advancements.
He was astonished to discover that North Koreans had developed their own versions of popular Western smartphone games, such as a clone of 'Clash of Clans.'
Unlike in 2019, when smartphones had limited connectivity and users had to visit physical 'app stores' for software installations, North Korean players now engage in online clan wars using devices connected to the country's intranet.
Additionally, the nation has introduced its own versions of platforms akin to Amazon and China's WeChat, as well as a rendition of the musical game 'Piano Tiles' featuring propaganda songs.
Currently, Western tourists are confined to the Rason area, while Russian visitors reportedly have access to other parts of the country.
In February 2024, North Korea accepted about 100 Russian tourists, the first foreign nationals to visit the country for sightseeing.
That surprised many observers, who thought the first post-pandemic tourists would come from China, North Korea’s biggest trading partner and major ally.
A total of about 880 Russian tourists visited North Korea throughout 2024, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said, citing official Russian data. Chinese group tours to North Korea remain stalled.
Tour operators like Koryo Tours, established by British expatriates in Beijing during the 1990s to facilitate travel to North Korea, have scheduled multiple trips each month starting from March.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14459841/kim-jong-western-tourism-north-korea.html
