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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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interestedinhanguk
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
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 Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 2:44 am Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
Hm...is there an embargo situation a la Cuba, or is the US government cool about it? |
Cuba is the only country that the US government forbids Americans to travel to (with certain exceptions on travel to Cuba). You're free to travel to N. Korea as far as the US gov't is concerned.
I've always wondered if, with a South Korean visa, either NK or SK would be suspicious, but others on these boards have gone and I haven't heard about any trouble. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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| bigfourie wrote: |
| is it safe to go there? i have never read or heard anything about traveling to NKorea at all |
It's one of the safest places in the world to go, so long as you don't do anything stupid. Where else can you go with that kind of stringent government control? If a North Korean gets caught stealing, they get sent to a prison camp that is essentially a death sentence. |
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samd
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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I just got back from a trip with Koryo Tours, and it was the best tour I've ever been on. They and their staff are great, and the itinerary was fantastic.
If I had the cash I would go again for the Mass Games, and I wouldn't go with any other outfit. I highly recommend them, and a visit to NK in general, it's the only way to see what the country is really like, without the media BS. |
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interestedinhanguk
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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| samd wrote: |
I just got back from a trip with Koryo Tours, and it was the best tour I've ever been on. They and their staff are great, and the itinerary was fantastic.
If I had the cash I would go again for the Mass Games, and I wouldn't go with any other outfit. I highly recommend them, and a visit to NK in general, it's the only way to see what the country is really like, without the media BS. |
Did you interact with the general population without supervision? |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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| samd wrote: |
I just got back from a trip with Koryo Tours, and it was the best tour I've ever been on. They and their staff are great, and the itinerary was fantastic.
If I had the cash I would go again for the Mass Games, and I wouldn't go with any other outfit. I highly recommend them, and a visit to NK in general, it's the only way to see what the country is really like, without the media BS. |
Come on, man...
details! |
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samd
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 8:18 am Post subject: |
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| interestedinhanguk wrote: |
| samd wrote: |
I just got back from a trip with Koryo Tours, and it was the best tour I've ever been on. They and their staff are great, and the itinerary was fantastic.
If I had the cash I would go again for the Mass Games, and I wouldn't go with any other outfit. I highly recommend them, and a visit to NK in general, it's the only way to see what the country is really like, without the media BS. |
Did you interact with the general population without supervision? |
Was I free to go anywhere I wanted anytime? Of course not. Was I able to talk to dozens of people in their native language? Yes. Was I allowed a certain amount of freedom by guides who recognized that I wasn't out to make trouble for them? Yes. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 1:34 pm Post subject: |
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| And how did the people respond to you generally? |
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tiger fancini
Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Location: Testicles for Eyes
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| Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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| samd wrote: |
| interestedinhanguk wrote: |
| samd wrote: |
I just got back from a trip with Koryo Tours, and it was the best tour I've ever been on. They and their staff are great, and the itinerary was fantastic.
If I had the cash I would go again for the Mass Games, and I wouldn't go with any other outfit. I highly recommend them, and a visit to NK in general, it's the only way to see what the country is really like, without the media BS. |
Did you interact with the general population without supervision? |
Was I free to go anywhere I wanted anytime? Of course not. Was I able to talk to dozens of people in their native language? Yes. Was I allowed a certain amount of freedom by guides who recognized that I wasn't out to make trouble for them? Yes. |
How about making some kind of blog/report of this trip? I'd certainly like to hear more about it, and I'm sure others would too. |
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lorenchristopher
Joined: 25 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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| tiger fancini wrote: |
| samd wrote: |
| interestedinhanguk wrote: |
| samd wrote: |
I just got back from a trip with Koryo Tours, and it was the best tour I've ever been on. They and their staff are great, and the itinerary was fantastic.
If I had the cash I would go again for the Mass Games, and I wouldn't go with any other outfit. I highly recommend them, and a visit to NK in general, it's the only way to see what the country is really like, without the media BS. |
Did you interact with the general population without supervision? |
Was I free to go anywhere I wanted anytime? Of course not. Was I able to talk to dozens of people in their native language? Yes. Was I allowed a certain amount of freedom by guides who recognized that I wasn't out to make trouble for them? Yes. |
How about making some kind of blog/report of this trip? I'd certainly like to hear more about it, and I'm sure others would too. |
+1 |
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samd
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 2:38 am Post subject: |
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| Captain Corea wrote: |
| And how did the people respond to you generally? |
There was a wide range of responses. Most people were surprised to hear me speak their language, some corrected my Seoul accent/vocab, some were suspicious, some seemed to have trouble understanding me. Kids in general were really shy, and I could barely get a word out of them.
On the whole people were warm and chatty, and seemed to make an effort to use words I knew as opposed to words they use in Pyongyang/the North. A couple of people shut down when I told them I'd lived in Seoul for five years, but most wanted to know more.
In the countryside people wave at you when you drive past, and you get some stares, but in Pyongyang I got the impression that they get a lot of tour groups - adults mainly ignored us, although drunk guys in the park wanted to have a chat, and we got pulled into people's folk dances by friendly ajummas. Kids pointed and stared, but I didn't hear as many "외국인"s as I expected.
In regards to the blog/write up, I do plan to put something together, but am not in Korea anymore and have limited access to internet so it might be a while. When/If I do I'll post a link in this thread though. |
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young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:23 am Post subject: Re: N. Korea Mass Games, anyone want to go? |
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| lorenchristopher wrote: |
Is anyone interested in going with me? If we go together we are more likely to get an English speaking guide and can share a room and hang out with each other. Most of my friends are Koreans so they can't go, haha.
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No can do. I'm working up untill September, otherwise I would be tempted.
Actually i've often been tempted to go to the N.K. embassy and see about any ESL opportunities up there. I don't think there is any, and I'm pretty sure they don't hire Americans anyway. That would be an experience to have under your belt. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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My wife was reading something in the press last month about them actually seking out Canadians and Brits for teaching up there.
Thanks for the snippit, Sam. Sounds interesting. |
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samd
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:08 am Post subject: |
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| Captain Corea wrote: |
My wife was reading something in the press last month about them actually seking out Canadians and Brits for teaching up there.
Thanks for the snippit, Sam. Sounds interesting. |
Yeah the Canadians sent a delegation of 20 or so teachers a couple of months ago, but apparently there're only a couple left. British Council also has positions there at a couple of the universities I think.
Here are some of my photos. I'm not much of a photographer, but you get the idea.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.10150234067077324.363659.653502323&l=f07c4cbf82 |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 6:32 am Post subject: |
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Those are quite cool.
And just an FYI, the wall is known here. Not too many people are interested in it, but I've known of it for years. I don't think it's any type of secret. |
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