Experience North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or North Korea, occupies the northern part of the Korean peninsula in East Asia, with mountains covering more than 80 percent of the land. A Japanese possession from 1910 to 1945, Korea was then divided, with Soviet troops occupying the north and the U.S. the south.
In 1950, two years after they had been made separate states, North Korea invaded South Korea. This began the devastating Korean War (1950-53), with the North, receiving Soviet and Chinese help, fighting a U.S.- led coalition of UN forces. The war caused an estimated three million casualties. After an armistice in 1953, a UN-monitored demilitarized zone was set up along the cease-fire line—dividing the two nations.
A communist land where time stands still, North Korea is one of the world’s most bizarre countries. The architecture of Pyongyang, the DMZ at Panmunjeom and a slew of other quirky Kim-centric sights are the reasons to visit. However, there’s absolutely no independent tourism - come by group tour or don’t come at all!