Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rickpidero]

When I was at orientation a lecturer told the class about taking special trips into North Korea. She said that these trips where closed down but due to open back up around October. The only thing I have found similar to this was the DMZ tour. Has anyone else heard of anything like this?

[taiwan_girl]

In addiiton to the DMZ tours, there is a trip up to Diamond Mountain run by Hyundai(?) corp. I believe that it is a 2 day/1 night trip. ROK citizens are allowed to go.

Other than that, there are tour companies that offer more "full" tours to DPRK. However, there is only another month or so til the end of the tourist season in the DPRK. They generally stop allowing foriegn tourists into the country end of November or so on the "full" tours, with resumption in early spring.

[bbb0777]

Yes, I went on one of those early last year before they closed.

There were two options:

1.) Trip to Kaesong (200,000 KRW for a day trip, lunch included). I don't recall if anything more than a day trip was available
2.) Trip to Mt. Geumgang. That one was available for different length trips and different accommodation levels at various prices.

One of the advantages was that no Visa was required for either, nor any sidetrip into China (for Kaesong -your bus went directly across the DMZ to N. Korea).

I know these tours were shut down, I don't know anything about when/if they are opening again.

I really enjoyed the Kaesong trip, and thought it was a bargain. Most of the fun was just being *in* N. Korea, and seeing the city out of the bus windows (noting the condition, lack of external lighting, burned out street lights, lack of cars, etc.).

[rickpidero]

Do you know what company you went through or who to call for that?

[bbb0777]

The tour company was Hyundai Asan.

Ah, here we go: http://www.hyundai-asan.com/

Be warned - in summer I checked this website - it acted like *everything* was available, until you got all the way through the registration process. At that point it said all tours were canceled until further notice.

Early last year when I went I didn't sign up myself though, a native-Korean friend did.

[curiousaboutkorea]

I had read some news back in August that they were to resume the next month (September).

I called one of the travel agents, Gonsee, yesterday, and they said they the tours were still shut down and were not aware of when they would resume.

[I-am-me]

If you want to see North Korea, jump the fence, run like hell, avoid the land mines, take some pictures and run back with the million man army behind you. That is how you do it!!

[deessell]

I spent five days in Pyongyang in August this year. I went to the Arirang games which was fantastic but I was actually glad to leave the country, it was very oppressive.

[alpope23]

Congrats! The money you spent on your trip has funded 3 more firing squads! Spend a month next time so they can buy another Chinese tank!

I'll never understand why someone would help support NK!

[oskinny1]

[alpope23]

[cdninkorea]

[DavePuff]

I spent two weeks in North Korea (Pyongyang, Peakdusan, and Kaesong) in 2005 and had an amazing time.

Koryo tours arranged a really professional package. I couldn't recommend them any highly.

http://www.koryogroup.com/

You can hear about my trip as I was interviewed on the Seoul Podcast.

http://www.seoulpodcast.com/archives/561

There are also photos from my trip on my blog.

http://staypuff.net/?cat=6&paged=3

Hope this helps. PM me if you have any questions.

[SusieQ_TX]

Do you know why the U.S. maintains a military presence in S.K.? More and more, its to keep the South from invading the North and kicking boo-tay like Chuck Norris. Since the economy tanked globally, there is a lot less rhetoric because the S.K. people realize the huge expense of bringing N.K. into the 21st century. The North will put up a fight for a few weeks, but unlike last time, they can't count on help from China.

[DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP]

South Korean society is suffocating enough as it is, I can barely imagine what it would be like in NK....