Four Days in North Korea: A Journey into the Hermit Kingdom
When Janet Newenham, an Irish content creator based in Bali, spotted an Instagram post about a trip to North Korea, she acted swiftly. "I dropped everything and emailed the company saying where do I send my money," she recounts. "I had the flight booked before my place on the trip was even confirmed." This impulsive decision led her to become one of the first Western tourists to enter North Korea in over five years, as the country had sealed its borders in January 2020 during the Covid pandemic and only reopened to travelers in February 2025.
The Extreme Traveler's Quest
A holiday to a nation ruled by a dynastic totalitarian dictatorship, with no cars, no genuine restaurants, and few real tourist attractions, might seem like a tough sell. Yet, for a select few like Janet—extreme travelers with an insatiable curiosity and a goal to visit all 195 officially recognized countries—it was an irresistible opportunity. She is currently at 140 countries on her list.
Janet arrived weeks after the reopening, joining a tour group of "around 25 men" as the sole woman. Organized by Young Pioneer Tours, a budget company specializing in destinations like North Korea, the itinerary offered a glimpse into the reclusive state. However, on the final morning of their four-day visit, Pyongyang announced it would suspend tourist entries indefinitely, without providing a reason. The borders remained closed until recently, when the first passenger train between China and North Korea departed Beijing for Pyongyang after a six-year hiatus.
Behind the Curtain: What Really Happens
As China rebuilds ties with its isolated neighbor, many wonder what life is truly like in North Korea. According to Janet, not much happens. "The thing is there's not really anything to do in North Korea, it's all about being there," she says with a laugh.
Her group's activities included visiting a bank where they opened accounts, a local brewery, and five schools. The school visits provided the only semblance of genuine interaction with locals. "The kids know more about the world than you might think," Janet notes. "When I said I was from Ireland, they asked if I was from the north or south."
Other stops were less authentic. The tour involved being ferried to "restaurants that were not restaurants"—hotel conference rooms devoid of locals, staged to look like dining establishments solely for the tourists. "In a way, it's very much what you imagine it to be, and in a way it's not," Janet reflects. "Life is still going on. No one has a car except for government officials, it doesn't feel like anyone has any money, and the way people dress is very old-fashioned."
Strict Rules and Censored Entertainment
The dress code in North Korea is conservative and strictly enforced by law. Kim Jong-Un banned skinny jeans in May 2021, deeming them, along with mullets and certain piercings, symbols of a "capitalistic lifestyle." Janet observed that attire is typically all black, with old-world shoes and no jeans allowed.
Entertainment options are limited, with no public internet access. Instead, there is a state-controlled intranet with messaging services and news. Music is provided through Juchify, a censored platform akin to Spotify. "It's all censored and curated, but it's got Mamma Mia and a lot of Celine Dion," Janet says.
Despite the isolation, North Koreans are not entirely cut off from global events. Janet's guide, for instance, had heard about Donald Trump's interest in buying Greenland, and others were aware of the situation in Gaza. However, religion is strictly forbidden, with bibles, Qurans, and religious memorabilia confiscated at the border—Janet recalls one group member losing a Quran there.
Mandatory Devotion and Travel Reflections
Devotion to the "king" and country is mandatory. When asked about favorite songs or books, guides would respond with "the national anthem of North Korea" or "the constitution," Janet recalls.
For Janet, travel has evolved from a passion into a business. She founded Janet's Journeys, an adventure travel company that leads small groups on immersive cultural trips. Would she run a tour to North Korea if it reopens? "It's definitely not for everyone," she says. "It's for people who are inquisitive about the world and locked-off places. I couldn't say I really enjoyed it. Some places were weird, and to be honest, the only reason it wasn't boring was because of where it was."
She describes the experience as a group endeavor, with travelers dissecting events each night, questioning what was real or staged. "Everything feels special because you're like, woah, I'm in North Korea."
The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to North Korea, and visits are typically limited to organized tours for visa purposes. Many embassies, including the British Embassy in Pyongyang, remain closed, underscoring the challenges of accessing this enigmatic nation.
