First British tourists allowed back into North Korea tell BBC what they saw

Do not insult the leaders. Do not insult the ideology. Do not judge.

These are the rules that tourist guides read to Western tourists as they are preparing to drive across the border to North Korea, which can be said to be the most secret and repressive country in the world.

Then there is practical information. No phone signal, no internet, no cash machines.

“The North Koreans are not robots. They have opinions, goals and spirit of humor. In our briefing, we encourage people to listen to and understand them,” says Rawan Bird, who runs a leading young woman, says one of the two Western companies that resumed trips to the country last week.

North Korea concluded its borders at the beginning of the epidemic, closed diplomats, relief workers and travelers, and made it almost impossible to know what was happening there.

Since then, she has been removed more than most of the world, relying on support from Russia and China. Many questioned whether Westerners will be allowed to return.

But after years of casoling and many wrong beginnings, Rawan and some other round leaders were granted green light to restart the operations. Collect a group of enthusiastic travelers in just five hours, desperate to not miss this opportunity. Most of them were bloggers and travel addicts, while others wanted to mark the final country of their list, along with the strange North Korean fans.

Last Thursday, tourists traveled from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Australia over the border from China to the remote region of Rasun on a four nights trip.

Among them was the British British British on Utiper Mike Okinidi. Even with her reputation, he was surprised by the short level of control. As with all trips to North Korea, tourists were accompanied by local guides, who followed a strict and pre -applied schedule. It included carefully designed trips to a beer factory, a new school and a pharmacy, stored entirely.

Ben Weston, one of Sofolk’s tours leaders, likened North Korea to “be on a school trip.” “You cannot leave the hotel without evidence,” he said.

“Several times I had even had to tell them when I wanted to use the bathroom,” said Mike. “I have never had to do this anywhere in the world.”

Despite the bullets, Mike was able to discover real life scraps. “Everyone was working, no one felt hanging out. This was a kind of dark.”

On his trip to school, a group of eight -year -old children danced on the ballistic missiles that hit targets. A video of the scene shows girls and boys with a red neck, singing, while explosions explode on a screen behind them.

Currently, tourists are kept away from the capital Pyongyang. Greg Vaczi from Koryo Tours, another trips company that allowed her to return to, admits that the current trip lacks “great monuments” in Pyongyang. The authorities are suspected that Rason as a Guinea pig because the area is relatively and easy to control.

It was created as a special economic zone, to experience new financial policies, which acts as a small capitalist in a socialist state otherwise. Chinese businessmen run joint institutions with North Koreans, and they can travel inside and go out to some extent.

Joe Smith, a North Korean traveler and a former NK News Specialized North Korea, was there on his third trip. “I feel that the more times the times you visit, the less you know. Every time you give up a peek behind the curtain, which leaves you only with more questions,” he said.

The highlight of the atmosphere of a sudden visit outside the paganism to a luxury commodity market, where people were selling jeans and perfumes, along with the fake Luis Vuitton handbags and Japanese washing machines, which may have been imported from China. Here, tourists were not allowed to take pictures – an attempt to hide this consumer bubble from the rest of the country.

Joe said: “This was the only place where people did not expect.” “I felt chaos and realism; a place that the North Koreans really go. I loved him.”

But according to experienced tours leaders, the group’s movements were more restricted than previous trips, with less chances of roaming in the streets, broadcasting in a barber salon or supermarket, and speaking to the locals.

Greg of Corio Toro said that Kovid was often martyred as a cause. “On the roof are still worried. Our luggage has been cleared on the border, our temperatures have been taken, and about 50 % of people are still wearing masks.” Greg cannot know if fear is real or an excuse to control people.

Kovid believes North Korea severely hitAlthough it is difficult to know the extent of suffering.

Local guides repeated the government line that the virus entered the country in a balloon that he sent from South Korea, and was quickly eliminated in 90 days. But Rawan, who had more than 100 times in North Korea, felt that Rasun was affected by difficult regulations. He said that many Chinese companies were closed, and their workers left.

Even Joe, the experienced North Korean traveler, commented on the extent to which the buildings calm. He said: “The places were lightly lit and there was no heating, regardless of our rooms in our hotel,” noting a trip to a cold, dark and unknown art gallery. “They felt that they only opened the doors for us.”

Joe said that the photos of the regime may make North Korea look clean and shiny, but personally realize that “the roads are horrific, the sidewalks are volatile, and the buildings are strangely built.” He said that his room at the hotel was old and fossil, and it is similar to a “grandmother’s living room.” The entire window was cracking.

“They had five years to fix things. The North Koreans are very sensitive about what they are exposed to tourists. If this is the best they can show, I am afraid to think about what is another there,” he said. Most of the countries remain well hidden, with More than four of every 10 people believe that they are under nutritional and need help.

One of the few opportunities for tourists in North Korea interact with the locals through their evidence, who sometimes speak English. On these recent trips, they were amazingly aware, despite the intensive advertising machine of the system and information. This is perhaps because they are talking to the Chinese businessmen who come and go, Greg said.

They were aware of Trump’s definitions and the war in Ukraine – so that the North Korean forces were involved. But when Joe showed a picture from Syria, his guide was not unaware of Assad. “I carefully explained that sometimes when people do not like their leader, they rise up and force them to go out, and at first he did not believe me.”

Such conversations need to be carefully processed. Strict laws prevent North Koreans from speaking freely. Ask or reveal a lot and tourists may put their guide or themselves at risk.

Mike admits that this time had made him tense. On a trip to North Korea’s friendship, Russia, he was invited to write in the visitors’ book. “I went empty and wrote something like” I wish world peace. “After that, my guide told me that this is not suitable for writing.

“In general, the guides did a great job that made us feel safe. There were a few moments when I thought, this is strange.”

For Korio’s rounds, these reactions bring a deeper purpose for tourism in North Korea: “North Koreans get the opportunity to interact with foreigners. This allows them to reach new ideas, which, in a closed country, is very important.”

But tourism to North Korea is controversial, especially as travelers were allowed to return to relief workers and most Western diplomats, including the United Kingdom. Critics, including Joanna Hawsanic, are argued by the Citizen Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea, that these trips are mainly benefiting from the system.

“This is not like tourism in other poor countries, where the local population benefits from the additional income. The vast majority of the population does not know that these tourists are present. Their money goes to the state and in the end towards its army,” she said.

One conversation stuck at Youtuber Mike head. During his trip to school, he was surprised when a girl, after his interview, said that she hoped to visit the United Kingdom one day. “I had no heart to tell her that her chances were very small,” he said.