behind the atomic curtain.

    It probably is the most isolated and closed country of the world. The place, where in 21^st century there is no public access to the Internet, TV sets and mobile phones are still not very common. The time has stopped there around 30 years ago. On the other hand, it is one of the safest place for tourists, because as being one you will not be left alone for a lone stroll in the city and moving around the country is often accompanied by soldiers. Individual travel is impossible. It doesn’t stop thousands of tourists from various countries (mostly China) who every year visit this hermetic and the most controlled country on Earth – North Korea.

    When you think about Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), you probably think “nuclear missiles, extreme regime and poverty”. It’s definitely not the most common tourist destination but at the same time DPRK is not listed as one of the least visited places in the world. In mid-50’ the first Korean tour agency was established, which until today arrange trips for Chinese and other tourists. Entering the country is very much possible (some people think it’s not; the problematic nationalities are American and South Korean), and easy.   

    Currently there are many agencies which arrange trips to North Korea. They have a variety of options: from one day trip across the Chinese border, to two weeks tour which allows exploration of the majority of the country. No need to mention those trips are not meant to be cheap holiday. The most popular is 4 day long trip which costs around $750 for non-Chinese tourist (they have it cheaper). The price includes pretty much everything in pretty much the best places in the country – representative hotels and restaurants, visiting showroom-supermarkets (everywhere you and your travel mates will be the only people present). Going to North Korea you will only see what the government what you to see – the most beautiful and attractive places. All the rest (the real life, that is), is carefully hidden from the sight.

    We go in 5 people group – surprisingly small. Usually one group consists of dozen or more people, but since it’s winter, less people are interested. 4 Chinese and me. The plan is 4 days and 3 nights in North Korea, which in reality are limited to 2 and a half days of sightseeing and 1 and a half day of travel. We take a train from Chinese border town of Dandong to the Korean capital – Pyongyang. Before boarding the train travel agent gives us the passports (with individual visas inside; very unusual sight as most of the tourist in big groups get one group visa on a separated paper)  and gives crucial hints what to do and what not to do in the country. Forbidden is taking photos of soldiers and army buildings, pointing at pictures of Korean leaders and taking photos where the leaders are not fully exposed. There is a total prohibition of making jokes and laughing at anything coming from Korea. Best option is to not ask any uncomfortable questions.

   

There are many North Koreans in the train we board from China but nobody gives us the second look, which is as a bit odd for being a foreigner in such place and not attract any attention. In just about 10 minutes after we leave China and cross the bridge over Yalu River we arrive to the Korean side where for some reason 2 hour long stop is needed. We all expect detailed luggage, phones and cameras check (there are many items and photos which cannot be taken into the country), but finally the control turns out to be very brief check of bags and signing immigration documents. In the evening we arrive to Pyongyang where we are greeted by two tour guides – one for Chinese tourists, one English speaking for me.

    After arrival we don’t have much time to waste so we directly go for a diner to one of the most luxurious restaurants in the capital. It can easily capacitate dozens of people but, as in many other places visited by us, we are the only guests. Out 47-floor hotel has all the modern commodities (swimming pool, conference hall, and the possibility of sending emails ) for its guests. There are no people, though, to use them. Those kind of places are unreachable for a regular citizen, who doesn’t even have enough money to buy basic food (if there is any available at all). Only the elite people, government officials, can enjoy the delicious food there or night life activities.

   

The second day of the trip the plan starts early in the morning. At 7:30 am we leave the hotel and we get the first day light glimpses of the city. Typical social realism architecture – massive concrete buildings, unbelievably wide streets. From time to time we pass huge statues of national heroes and other praise the revolution, the Party and the leaders. Always present elements of the city are propaganda quotations of Kim Ir Sen and those encouraging the citizens too fight with western imperialism. The lands out of Pyongyang are never-ending crop fields, and not so common, located for from the main road, villages.    

    After the breakfast we go to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) – the dispute border between North and South Korea. According to the tour guide’s words it is the most dangerous place in the world. During 3 hour long journey we got passed by just a few busses and almost none private car. There are more cars in Pyongyang but it’s still a far cry from the regular traffic of other countries. Most of the people use bikes or walk. In the capital there is a metro system and other public transportation means such as trolleybus and bus. The latter seems to be lacking basing on the long queues on the bus stops.  

    The citizens strongly limited when it comes to travelling. In the capital only the selected, elite people can live. The rest – 85% of the population live in towns and villages. There are many checkpoint on the roads to control the validity of travel permits for those who want to go to another town. Those who can’t afford the bus need to hitchhike, use a bike or simply walk dozens of kilometers. 

    In the city taking photos is generally allowed (respecting those few previously mentioned rules), in the DMZ you can use your camera only in a selected spots. In the zone there are more propaganda shops with souvenirs and snacks from Korea. Being in those kind of shops is one of a very few chances to shop in the country since the regular stores are unavailable for foreigners, who can’t even use the local currency. Most of the stores and restaurants we can see from the street have covered windows. In some of them you can see only the very basic products but there is almost nobody shopping there. In a few tourist shops you can buy exactly the same products: Korean postal stamps, country leaders’ biographies, flags, North Korean maps – with a territory including the South Korean one. Everybody in the country “knows” that there is only one Korea and the current division is American’s –their biggest enemy - fault.

   

During the visit in DMZ we are accompanied by two soldiers who are tour guides at the same time. They explain the history of the Korean War (1950 – 1953) and the final agreement. It seems like the history presented by the guides is “slightly” different to the one from history books found outside the country. We hear about terrible Americans who attacked North Korea in 1950 and about a heroic defense by the country’s citizens and finally, the first in the history, defeating American army. In fact, it was North Korea which first attacked the south and the treaty was signed partially because of the death of Joseph Stalin, the change of American president and cessation of hostilities on both fronts.

   

Every North Korean citizen from since childhood is told to hate the USA. It’s USA which is responsible for DPRK’s poverty (which is partially correct, because of the economic sanctions), always present political unrest, war threats, and the wish to control the world. Every Korean citizen has no doubt in the strength and power of their country which, in case of war, would easily defeat the USA and its allies. Watching local North Korean TV, we hear the news from other countries which always show the wars, poverty, destruction and other negativities. The information comes from Middle Easter and Asian countries. The only footages from Europe, Canada or USA are an old documents about scientific inventions (from ’90) or programs to study English (shown in a form of instruction of operating machinery, full of technical vocabulary, not necessarily useful in daily life). On the other hand propaganda films show happy and peaceful life in North Korea, shops full of products and prosperous factories and companies.

    After coming back from DMZ we visit the city of Kaesong, which is one of the UNESCO sites in Korea (for example former Confucius Academy Songgyungwan, which currently is transformed into a museum). The other place to visit by out group is the birth place of the President of Korea – Kim Ir Sen. It’s a village house in untouched condition. Probably because you can only visit/see them for the outside, without touching anything.

    For the end of the day we got a new attraction – a subway ride. Among dozens of functioning stations, tourists an only stop at two, which are the most representative and definitely not the deepest ones. Korean metro system is famous for being the deepest in the world because it also serves as an atomic bomb shelter. From the other source I am told that only these two station are available for tourists because they are the most beautiful and lightened (the tour guide claims that every single station is decorated in different mosaics representing core values of Korean citizens).

    Near many of the houses we can see solar panels, which, according to the tour guide are the part of Korean policy of self-dependence (North Korea doesn’t need to establish economical connections with other countries as it produces everything what’s needed). In fact, the solar energy for many is the only way to lighten their homes due to very common power shortcuts in the city. There is a famous satellite photos showing North Korea as a dark spot surrounded with brightly lighted South Korea and China. Pyongyang at night looks like partially abandoned city. Sporadic light comes from governmental buildings, lights for the statues of the leaders – Kim Ir Sen and Kim Jong Il or the flats of those who can afford the others ways of getting power. Villages often lack even the electric lines.

   

For the third day of the trip to Hyangsan mountains is planned. It’s a famous tourist attraction. We see one of the most representative Buddhist temples or the place where all the gifts for North Korean government are kept. It’s a highly secured monumental building which houses more than 160 rooms full of presents from all three leaders of North Korea. Swords, vases, sculptures, paitings, plants and animals (kept in botanic and zoological gardens), and even an automatic weapons and a laptop – are all gifts from almost every world country. The gifts from Poland are crystal vases presented by Wojciech Jaruzelski and Edward Gierek. 

    After we get back to Pyongyang we visit one of the public schools, where we participate in a student’s art performance and have a chance to ask some questions. Some as for many other parts of the trip, you are not really sure, if what you see is authentic or yet another arranged actors show. On the Internet, there are many examples (videos, hidden camera footages) of “actors” on the streets who play roles of pedestrians, citizens or even doctors in fake hospitals.

    The last day of our trip is a quick visit to the main city square and passing by the monumental statues of Kim Ir Sen and Kim Jong Il. In the city we can see people preparing for the 70^th anniversary of the creation of Korean army (8^th February). Attendance in speeches and celebrations is obligatory. Who doesn’t show up is immediately considered an enemy of the Party and most likely sent to a labour camp. Similar punishment is implemented on everyone who shows any sort of dissatisfaction about the country. In the DPRK there is a law known as guilt by association (by being a family member of the criminal). It mean that not only the actual person who breaks the law gets punished but also his family; offspring up to the 3^rd generation. This kind of law successfully discourages from any sort of law breaking as it could mean death of the family of the victim.

    Before the noon we board the same train which goes back to Dandong, China. Next 8 hours spent inside and nervous waiting for the border control of photos and things brought back from the country. Yet, once again we are don’t get any serious treatment and after filling up the exit form we are ready to come back to China.

     After leaving the train station in Dandong everything which was unavailable in North Korea is there. Bright neons, lights, loads of cars, people in different coloured clothes, shops and supermarkets, food stalls. Something, which is taken for granted in China, in almost impossible to get for North Koreans. The latter ones still lack the basic things like running water, electricity and food.

    What is also quite significant in North Korea is the fact that despite tragic situation in the country, people from the elite lead totally normal lives there. Fun parks, children playgrounds, museums, libraries and cinemas. There is even newly built ski resort and aqua park. Luxurious cars rarely seen on the streets of Pyongyang also belong to those from the elite.

    Every year the number of defectors from North Korea increases. They take a huge risk crossing the border river and getting to China and then to the Embassy of South Korea in Thailand where they can apply for the refugee status. Then they got help to start a new life in the country. Thanks to those people we can find out all of is impossible to see in North Korea by an outsider; all of what the North Korean government tries to hide. On the other hand, increasing number of smuggled western and South Korean films, TV shows and stories of those who have been out of the country start to slowly open eyes of the North Koreans and make them question the reliability and power of the Party. The knowledge is the strongest weapon. Hopefully the time when North Koreans will have to strength and opportunity to use it…