Inside North Korea: Surprising Insights from a Russian Correspondent

A Russian reporter who recently visited North Korea is attracting attention by sharing the local atmosphere.

Vostok Media, a Russian Far East media outlet, reported on a North Korean tourism experience titled “The Amazing Sights of North Korea Through the Eyes of a Correspondent” on the 13th (local time).

From the 9th, North Korea hosted 97 Russian tourists for a 3-night, 4-day tour of Pyongyang and the Masikryong Ski Resort in Wonsan. A Russian correspondent is believed to have accompanied them.

The reporter expressed concerns before entering the country, saying, “North Korea is one of the most closed countries in the world, so it’s not easy to enter, and there are many rumors due to this isolation.”

However, he revealed, “When we arrived in Pyongyang, some tourists timidly took out their smartphones and cameras to secretly take pictures, but no airport staff stopped them from filming. In effect, filming was allowed.”

There was no one to check the photos on the cell phones and cameras when leaving, but some guides also suggested not to share the photos on social media.

The reporter thought that North Korean residents would be afraid of and avoid foreign tourists, but that was not the case at all. “North Korean residents and children waved their hands with smiles of joy towards the guests from Russia,” he said.

Although the tourist couldn’t freely visit stores, if they asked the guide, they could be guided to supermarkets or bars. He also said, “I recommended the local dark beer”. However, the reporter emphasized that there are precautions that must be strictly followed during a tour in North Korea.

It is prohibited to take pictures of workers, farmers, soldiers, and military facilities, and shoting the view of Pyongyang from the top of the Tower of the Juche Idea is also forbidden.

When taking pictures of North Korean leader statues, it’s important to follow three rules, he explained. You should shoot from the front, not the side, and if you want to take a picture with the statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong il on Mansu Hill in the background, you must adopt a “strict posture with both hands at your sides”. Lastly, in the picture, parts of the statue’s body, like arms and legs, should not be cut off.

Meanwhile, Russia and North Korea have been activating exchanges since the summit between Russian President Putin and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un last September. Additional trips to North Korea for Russian tourists are scheduled for the 8th and 11th of next month.