HOW THIS JOURNEY BEGAN

Let me tell you how this journey began.

THE IDEA

The idea was put on hold due to the significant increase in air fares for Mexico.
I decided to pick up where I left off the previous year, on the Trans-Siberian Train, returning to China.

From my own experience, I’ve found that when you move to more countries, the travel period seems longer than it actually is.
I had to decide where to go next.

WHY GO TO DPKR

There’s a country that’s always talked about badly, and almost exclusively by hearsay.
The news that comes out about this country is often made up because hardly anyone has actually been there.

It’s important for travellers to see the world for themselves.
It’s especially important here to leave any preconceived ideas at the doo

From what I’ve seen, there are less than 100 foreigners here, and most of them are Russian or Chinese citizens.
This had a big impact on my decision-making process.

I wanted to be one of the select few who got to do it.

I’d made up my mind about the trip.
But was it actually feasible?

HOW TO GET TO DPKR

It might surprise you, but a trip to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea or DPKR is actually pretty easy to arrange.
The reason is simply that there’s nothing to organise.

It only took three days of emailing the authorised agency and signing a few documents to get a visa (which I then applied to the embassy), plus airline tickets from Beijing, hotels, travel, access to the main places and all restaurants included.

As with any other destination, travellers should respect the local laws and traditions.
All of this is laid out in the documents you sign to accept the terms and conditions.
It’s important to understand that criticising them later is disrespectful and unfair.

PREJUDICES, PARAOCKS AND MADDY DISPUTES

It’s fair to say that no country is so little known personally but inversely criticised.
This shows that most of these stories are the result of inventions, international fake news, prejudices and rumours that are spread without any critical thinking.

It was interesting, and maybe even a little fun, to think about all the things I’d heard about it and then see that reality was almost always the opposite.

THE FIRST CONTACT

The Air Koryo flight to Pyongyang has a very isolated gate at Beijing airport for check-in.
People in this line are probably the most curious in the world.

We look at each other, smiling, as if we’re all on a different kind of trip.

The inside of the Ilyushin Il-62 plane instantly takes you back to the Soviet 1960s, but the crew and the food served are definitely in line with other airlines.

After about two hours in the air, I landed in Pyongyang.
I’ve arrived in North Korea.

The luggage in the hold is cleaned up before it’s put on the belt.
The different groups, based on the chosen agency and language, are already trained, so now we just need to find their guides.

Just a heads-up: you’ll need to leave your mobile phone with the airport security, who’ll seal it in an envelope and give you the corresponding number to collect it when you’re due to leave.
Some people might think this is a hassle, but to be honest, I was pretty happy with it.

Once I’ve checked my bag, I hop into the 15-seat van that’ll take us on a long and winding route.

Mr Kim and Miss Ha will be our guides for the trip. They speak perfect English and tell us that they’re our leaders, so anything will have to be agreed with them.

One thing that strikes me right away is the constant mention of Korea, not North Korea.
I ask why, and the answer is even more surprising: “For us, Korea is one. We have nothing against our Southern brothers. We speak the same language and we have the same blood. The problem is the United States.”

I never thought I’d hear these words.