Allowed British tourists allowed North Korea allowing BBC to say what they saw

Don’t insult leaders. Do not insult ideology. And don’t judge.

These are the rules of the Tura guidance read by the west tourists as they prepare to drive across North Korea, is the most secret and violent country in the world.

Then have practical information. No phone signal, no internet, no cash cash.

“North Korean is not robots. They have an opinion, purpose, and a sense of humor, which leads to the boy’s journey, which continues to travel to the country last week, after a five-year hiatus.

North Korea binds its boundaries at the beginning of the pandemic, which prevents diplomics, helpful workers and travelers, and make it impossible to know what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened to what happened there.

Ever since, it is more likely to be alone from most of the world, dependent on support from Russia and China. Many are hesitant if Westerners are allowed.

But after years of cajoling and many false starts, Rowan and other tourist leaders were given the green light to restart operations. He united a group of enthusiastic travelers in just five hours, desperate to miss opportunity. Most vloggers and travel addicts, some want to solve the last country on their list, with the odd enthusiast in North Korea.

Thursday the tourists, from the UK, France, Germany and Australia, drove the border from China to the remote area.

Among them is the 28-year-old British YouTuber Mike Okkenedy. Even with its reputation, he was afraid of severe degree of control. Like all trips to North Korea, tourists are escorted to local guidance, following a strict, approved schedule. It includes careful trips choreographed in the beer factory, a school, and a new, perfectly stocked pharmacy.

Ben Weston, one of the Leaders Saour from Suffolk, likened to North Korea’s visit “is on a school trip”. “You can’t leave the hotel without guides,” he said.

“There are many times I have to let them know if I want to use the bathroom,” says Mike. “I haven’t had to do that anywhere in the world.”

Despite chaperoning, Mike finds snippets in real life. “Everything is working, not as anyone hanging alone. That’s a kind of faint to see.”

On his school trip, a group of eight-year-olds created a dance in the ballistic missile animations that made targets. A scene video shows girls and boys with a red neck, sing, while blows burn on a screen on their back.

Today, tourists are restricted away from the capital Pyongyang. Greg Vaczi from Koryo Tours, allowed other tourist companies, admitted that the current itinerary lacks “major monuments” in Pyongawa. He suspects that the authorities have chosen Reason their Guinea Pig because the place is somewhat content and can easily be controlled.

Set up as a special Economic Zone, to test new financial policies, it works as a false capitalist enclave within a state of socialist state. Chinese merchants operate in the same business in North Koreans, and can travel outside and free free.

Joe Smith, was a skilled traveler in North Korea and former writer for the North Korea NK news platform, on his third trip. “I feel as many times as you have visited what you know. Every time you get a little peek behind the curtain, leaving you with many questions,” he said.

Joe’s highlight is a liden’s agenda visit to a luxury market to people, where people sell jeans and fragrances, with fake locations in Louis Vuitton and Japanese imported from China. Here, tourists are not allowed to take pictures – an attempt to keep this consumer bubble from the other country, they are suspected.

“This is the only place that people do not expect,” Joe said. “It feels messy and true; a place in North Korea actual. I love it.”

But according to the experienced tourist leaders, group movements are more limited than past trips, with fewer opportunities to wander the streets, pop in a barbetshop or supermarket.

Covid is always quoted as a cause, says Greg from the tours of Koryo. “On the top they are concerned. Our luggage is polluted by the border, our temperature is taken, and about 50% of the people are still wearing a mask.” Greg couldn’t work if the fear is true, or an excuse to control people.

This covid thought hit North Korea hardEven if it is difficult to know the extent of suffering.

Local guides repeated the government line that the virus entered the country of a well sent from South Korea, and easily erased in 90 days. But Rowan, who went to North Korea were more than 100 times, knowing that Reason was affected by the hard regulations of Covid. Many Chinese businesses have closed, he says, and their workers have left.

Even Joe, the experienced North Korea Traveler, commented on how the buildings were arrested. “Places are very bad and no heating, except our hotel rooms,” he said, finding a trip in a cold, cloudy and deserted gallery. “They seem to open doors for us only.”

The regime pictures can be made to clean Korea in the North his hotel’s room is old and dirty, he says, like “his grandmother’s” sin “. The whole window is broken.

“They have five years to correct things. North Koreans are so sensitive what they showed tourists. If it’s the best they can show, I’m afraid to think about what else there”, he said. Most of the country is well kept, with More than four of 10 people believed unemployed and needed help.

One of the few instances of North Korea tourists to associate local people through their guides, sometimes speaking in English. In these recent journeys they are shocked to know, despite severe propaganda propaganda in regime and obstruction information. It may be because they speak Chinese traders to go and go, says Greg.

They know about Trump’s tariffs and Ukrainian war – even North Korea troops are linked. But when Joe shows a picture from Syria, his guide does not know that President Assad has been filled. “I mean so much that sometimes when people don’t want their leader, they rise and forced them, and he didn’t believe me.”

Such conversations should be managed. Restricted laws prevent North Koreans to speak freely. Ask or reveal many and tourists can put their guidance or themselves at risk.

Mike admits that there are times when it scares him. To travel to a North Korea-Russia Friendship House, he is invited to write the book to visitors. “I blank and write like ‘I like world peace.’ Then my guide told me that inappropriate something to write. That made me paranoid, “he said.

“Generally, guides make a great job that makes us safe. Just think some moments when I think, it’s odd.”

For Greg from Koryo Tours, these interactions bring a deep intention to North Korea Tourism: “North Korea has taken foreign ideas, which, in a country it is closed, very important.”

But North Korea tourism contends, especially allow travelers before the workers to help and most of the western diplomats, including the UK. Critics, including Joanna Hosaniak from the Citizens Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, argue these trips mainly benefit the regime.

“It’s not like tourism in other poor countries, where local people benefit more income. The majority of the population did not know the tourists existed.

A conversation finds the head of YouTuber Mike. During his school trip, he was shocked when a girl, after meeting him, said he hoped to visit the UK one day. “I don’t have a heart to tell him that his chances are very, very slow,” he said.