Just around the corner from Bangkok’s neon strips of sleaze, aglow with the famous golden arches and crispy chicken colonels quietly lies one of the more unusual aspects of North Korea’s foreign policy; it’s chain of restaurants. For those who know even the first thing about the Hermit Kingdom, a capitalist venture such as this […]

Whether you consider it a pariah state or simply misunderstood, North Korea is known for going its ‘own way,’ and the Hermit Kingdom’s fashion trends, such as the North Korean suit. If you are travelling to North Korea, you have no doubt noticed Chairman Kim Jong Il’s idiosyncratic, signature olive drab, zip-up jamba (‘jacket’) or […]

A perk to working in North Korean tourism is access to the fascinating literature of the DPRK. Rarely read by foreigners or made available online, we’d like to share some. Here is an unedited excerpt, taken from the book “Anecdotes of Kim Jong Ils Life, Part 1” (2012 Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, DPRK). In […]

Mealtime in North Korea, like many East Asian countries, is a communal gathering with a shared assortment of dishes. Those who have visited North Korea on a tour have had the experience, sitting around the lunch table, drinking a beer, and discussing the day’s events. But mealtimes in North Korea aren’t just great for the community aspect- […]

Working in tourism in North Korea, YPT regularly answers questions about safety and security issues for when we’re visiting the country. The media paints a certain picture of the country and it is understandable that some people have questions about this. We give out detailed pre-tour information and brief everyone travelling with us at a […]

One of the first questions I’m always asked by customers is how on earth I managed to get this job. Most people only get the short version of the story: “Well, I travelled with YPT, hit it off well with the guides, and was lucky enough to get a ‘yes’ when I asked if I […]

Stocking up on Taedonggang beer and soju from North Korea, we set off on a trip like no other. For a week we’d be driving along the China-North Korea border exploring the borderlands. This on the Chinese side of the river, but with great views into the villages and towns on the Korean side and […]

The Pyongyang Taedonggang beer festival was a long time coming, expectations were high and I can gladly report that it did not disappoint. Pyongyang’s relationship with mass produced beer is a very recent one. In 2000, the government acquired the closed Ushers of Trowbridge brewery in England for £1.5M. The North Koreans dismantled the plant […]

As the 2016 Olympics opened, a photo of North and South Korean Gymnasts Hong Un Jong and Lee Eun-ju posing for a selfie together spread rapidly across the internet. The photo stood as a testimony of the power of sports diplomacy, and even helped many learn for the first time that North Korea does, in […]

North Korea would be one of the last places on earth you’d expect to see a top 5 list about western food compiled. But the truth is North Koreans have quite a sweet tooth and are also quite fond of some western cuisine. In recent years, these restaurants and dishes have been steadily gaining popularity […]