So I'm (finally) going to North Korea...! ^__^

[Kelinfort]

Ah yes, you have fun. If we never hear from you again, I wish the best for you.

[Cerbergo]

Heh lucky , I've been wanting to visit North Korea for nearly 8 years know but I know I never will

[Dokrib Choseon]

Enjoy your journey. However, please realise the state's control over what you see. They won't let you meet the starving masses, see the oppression that goes on there. Why would they? Don't expect to see both the positives and the negatives, as it's only in the state's interest to show you one side of the story.

Also, as a Socialist, I'm interested as to why you think North Korea is the most advanced nation in terms of Socialist theory. To my understanding, the economy is almost entirely state owned, with the exception of illegal businesses, and the worker's have very little power or freedom. While the Bourgeoisie have been overthrown, they've simply been replaced by a new bureaucratic regime.

It's a fair point to consider; they're not going to go out of their way to show any negative side of the nation, sure. That said, a lot of things can't be hidden, a lot of things can't be faked. There's something at least to be said for being there in person to see things.

I'm a Kimilsungist in terms of theory, but if North Korea today really was at odds with the theory Kim Il Sung Suryongnim laid out, I'd be the first to be upset over such betrayal of the revolution. Not expecting to see that, but if I did, I'd certainly have to analyze it as such.

To your point on theory, I find Kimilsungism to be a particularly advanced theory as it is essentially the synthesis of anti-imperialism and anti-capitalism, joining the two struggles into one in the same. It also very much advocates the importance of preserving the national culture as a means of resistance to cultural imperialism, which I really like, and preserves the Leninist theory of the necessity of an intellectual vanguard. Really, of all modern theories, I find it to be the "truest" to the Leninist core of things.

[Delmonte]

Wait, so you'll be one of the 205 people in North Korea that have the internet? I don't think you should answer any questions, because you'll probably be sentenced to three generations' imprisonment, which is a thing apparently.

[Dokrib Choseon]

Thanks! I'll be sure to let you know all about it. Also, if you're ever in the Beijing area, feel free to drop a line. ^__^

I doubt I'll ever be. I have no money >.>

Sorry to hear that. >___<

[Thafoo]

I've wanted to visit it for a while, but mostly for the novelty. I know I'd probably never see the horrible things associated with NK because they'd be hiding these, but still, "hey, I went to North Korea."

[Kelinfort]

Actually, if NS is available in North Korea, you should update us daily on your trip.

[Polski Swiety Imperium]

Wait, so you'll be one of the 205 people in North Korea that have the internet? I don't think you should answer any questions, because you'll probably be sentenced to three generations' imprisonment, which is a thing apparently.

In these conditions

[Bulgar Rouge]

A few things you should know:

1. A lot of North Koreans know English so you can try your chances in talking to ordinary ones. Also go to that Chinese border city, I believe it was called Dandong. There are many North Koreans with whom you can freely converse there, unlike the ones in North Korea.

2. You can find, buy and smoke pot there freely. It costs something like $ 0.80 per kilo. I don't smoke pot, but just in case you do, that's something you should definitely know.

3. You can probably buy their tablets from one of those shops that operate in foreign currency. Buy one and tell us what it's like.

4. Try their fast food chains and Coca-Cola replacements. I'm curious to know if they're worth trying. There's also a pizza restaurant in Pyongyang which I hear is good, and go to the restaurant called "Okryu". Best Korean cuisine in the world there.

EDIT: 5. If you really want to be a badass, there are tailors who produce individual uniforms, those black ones with the red flag badge. Wear that around North Korea, and you'll be highly amused by people's faces when they see you.

If you step out of line in any way while in North Korea's territory, that regime that hold you captive and do whatever they like to you.

Well if he's stupid enough to go as a missionary, that might happen to him, yes.

[Herrebrugh]

I doubt I'll ever be. I have no money >.>

Sorry to hear that. >___<

Oh well. You can make me jealous with your travel-stories from Norkland

[Ozzy]

Wait, so you'll be one of the 205 people in North Korea that have the internet? I don't think you should answer any questions, because you'll probably be sentenced to three generations' imprisonment, which is a thing apparently.

In these conditions

You do not like North Korea do you?

[Polski Swiety Imperium]

In these conditions

You do not like North Korea dumb dictators do you?

Fixed.
And for good reason, why should I like people like that?

[Dokrib Choseon]

Like the US doesn't have them too? Or a much higher incarceration rate (both total and per capita) than the DPRK? What do you think about that?

Honestly though, it doesn't really bother me in the case of the DPRK. I have no philosophical objection to the political isolation with those advocating harmful positions (and I feel capitalism is such a harmful position, as it's perfectly fine with allowing such an inequitable distribution of wealth so as to allow for preventable human deaths to occur). I don't particularly take at face value the narratives of political defectors (who obviously have a rather strong incentive to paint a falsely bleak picture of the nation), but pro-capitalist organization is suppressed there. And I, personally, find that to be a good thing. [/myhonesttwocents]

I don't live in the USA, and I don't support political camps. But what do you think of people who are in political prison camps (watch the video please) because their grandparents sympathised with South Korea?

1. I don't particularly buy that narrative; it's only relayed by political defectors, who again, would have every reason to lie. There's no empirical evidence backing such up.
2. Support for South Korea - at least at the time of Syngman Rhee's regime - is actually a fairly terrible thing to have done. I have a personal friend of mine who's Korean ethnicity-wise, but whose family had to flee to Japan because of Rhee's genocide of the island that she lived in. It's also a state that North Korea is legally in a state of war with. So it's something I find both morally objectionable, and understandably viewed as high treason in the context of the North Korean state. Politically isolating (ie. not even executing, as would be common in the US for high treason) those who did such seems justifiable.
3. If their grandchildren ALSO support South Korea in the same context (ie. not simply wanting peace with it, but actively supporting the sort of things that Rhee did), well, see above. If they don't hold such convictions personally, it's irrational to hold their grandparents' crimes against them.

[Romic]

Ive thought of going to NK. I just havent found the money to. From what Ive gathered its actually really hard to get there and you cannot have any personal electronics with you. Internet if they allow it to you is very restricted.

[Dokrib Choseon]

Wait, so you'll be one of the 205 people in North Korea that have the internet? I don't think you should answer any questions, because you'll probably be sentenced to three generations' imprisonment, which is a thing apparently.

From the itinerary I've seen, we'll be moving around a lot. I'm not sure how steady an internet access - if any - I'll have on a day to day basis. Most likely I'll assume that I'll be fairly busy actually traveling there, so I'll probably stick to answering questions before and after, most realistically. If I get a chance to post mid-trip I might though.

[Thafoo]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.gadling.com/ ... koryo3.jpg reason 5 why I'm not going to North Korea

[Ozzy]

Fixed.
And for good reason, why should I like people like that?

Relax, I am far from giving you reasons as to why you should like a commie Cold War relic, I was merely curious.

I watched a documentary on NK on Pivot, the people there are often defiant and miserable. Given the fact that hunger is a major problem there, I suspect the nation's human development index to be low.

Though I do like to know what makes North Korea tick in contrast to the former Warsaw Pact regimes.

[Dokrib Choseon]

A few things you should know:

1. A lot of North Koreans know English so you can try your chances in talking to ordinary ones. Also go to that Chinese border city, I believe it was called Dandong. There are many North Koreans with whom you can freely converse there, unlike the ones in North Korea.

2. You can find, buy and smoke pot there freely. It costs something like $ 0.80 per kilo. I don't smoke pot, but just in case you do, that's something you should definitely know.

3. You can probably buy their tablets from one of those shops that operate in foreign currency. Buy one and tell us what it's like.

4. Try their fast food chains and Coca-Cola replacements. I'm curious to know if they're worth trying. There's also a pizza restaurant in Pyongyang which I hear is good, and go to the restaurant called "Okryu". Best Korean cuisine in the world there.

EDIT: 5. If you really want to be a badass, there are tailors who produce individual uniforms, those black ones with the red flag badge. Wear that around North Korea, and you'll be highly amused by people's faces when they see you.

If you step out of line in any way while in North Korea's territory, that regime that hold you captive and do whatever they like to you.

Well if he's stupid enough to go as a missionary, that might happen to him, yes.

1. That's awesome. I was thinking actually of moving there (Dadong) next year as one of a few possible cities. Beijing is nice and all, but a change of scenery could be cool.

2. 0____0 Awesome! I was generally aware, but still, awesome! One of the few things that China is still very backwards on. >___<

3. Interesting thought. If I see one, and it's not too insanely expensive, I'll look into it.

4. I know we're going to the pizza restaurant in Pyongyang, and I think a burger place one of the days I'll be there. We also have several hours, a few days, to walk around in Pyongyang, so maybe I could look into some other places too. And thanks for the recommendation on the restaraunt; definitely will look into it.

5. 0__________________0 THAT. SOUNDS. AMAZING! Inside the DPRK you mean, or...?

[Herrebrugh]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.gadling.com/media/2010/10/airkoryo3.jpg reason 5 why I'm not going to North Korea

Air Koryo isn't the only way into North Korea, you know.

Though, I have heard that they are terrible.

[Dokrib Choseon]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.gadling.com/media/2010/10/airkoryo3.jpg reason 5 why I'm not going to North Korea

It's less than an hour from Beijing to Pyongyang by air; I doubt there'd even be a meal provided. Meh.

[Thafoo]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.gadling.com/media/2010/10/airkoryo3.jpg reason 5 why I'm not going to North Korea

Air Koryo isn't the only way into North Korea, you know.

Though, I have heard that they are terrible.

I dunno, the quality of the government airline says a lot about the country in general...

[Dokrib Choseon]

Ive thought of going to NK. I just havent found the money to. From what Ive gathered its actually really hard to get there and you cannot have any personal electronics with you. Internet if they allow it to you is very restricted.

You do have to jump through a lot of hoops to get there, yeah. It seems it's more about North Korea just making sure you aren't there to conduct espionage/cause trouble, which, from their position I can understand. I could link you to the travel agency I'm using though, if you're interested. They've been really cool/helpful about things.

As far as I've been told, you can bring in cameras, computers, and smartphones (though I doubt my (Chinese) service provider would get a signal in the DPRK, unless I'm near the border with China, so I may just leave it behind so I have one less thing to worry about forgetting). Internet connection is harder than say China or the US, but possible in at least some hotels. On the other hand, due to the sanctions, a lot of the corporations involved with the internet won't allow North Korea to connect to them.

I'm not holding my breath for much internet access in the country really, so I expect to just report about it all afterwards. But that's fine for the purposes of this I think.

[Threlizdun]

Something tell me youll change your flag soon after coming back

(I'm skipping the outright trollish posts, for reference).

Not particularly likely.

I've already studied the THEORY of Kimilsungism at fairly large length, and, at the very least, as a theory, I really like it.

At the very worst, by some large stretch of the imagination, I might (against all expectations I have at this point, to be honest) find evidence to lead me to the conclusion that North Korea is no longer following this philosophy post-Kim-Il-Sung. At which point I'd have to redefine myself very slightly as an "Orthodox Kimilsungist" or something. I doubt that'd actually happen, but if it did, very little would change with my theory, just my narrative of North Korea post-1994.

Well considering the Marxism-Leninism formerly espoused by Kim Il-Sung has been covered up and demonized, mentions of class struggle have been all but abandoned in favor of support of entrenched hierarchies and family leniages, Internarional revolution was completely abandoned and replaced with hyper nationalism, and all mentions of communism were dropped from the revised constitution, it's pretty damn obvious that the already ambiguous concept of "Kimilsungism" has no true bearing on the state today. Of course, you'll want to avoid saying that, as such observations will result in you never again seeing be light of day.

[Romic]

Yeah if you can shoot the link to me via TG itd be great! However I am an American. I just have an interest with NK to a point. I however want to go because I want to learn as much as I can before I die. Becareful of what you say though as they are really picky and can misinterpret what you say. The problem I see most is that yeah you move around alot.

[Indira]

Have fun. Just don't expect to experience the real DPRK. As for the political camps in America, do you have proof they even exist?