Korea, Dem People's Republic Overview The Democratic People's Republic of Korea shares borders with China, the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea and the demilitarised zone (separating it from the Republic of Korea). North Korea's capital, Pyongyang was completely rebuilt after the Korean War as a city of wide avenues, neatly designed parks and enormous marble public buildings. The Palace of Culture, the Grand Theatre, the Juche Tower and the Ongrui Restaurant epitomise the Korean variant of Communist architecture. The Gates of Pyongyang and the Arch of Triumph (built in honour of Kim Il Sung's 70th birthday) are particularly impressive. Many ancient buildings in Kaesong (six hours from the capital by train) bear witness to Korea's 500-year imperial history. The town is surrounded by beautiful pine-clad hills. Kumgangsan is the country's largest national park, consisting of a range of mountains (known as 'the Diamond Mountain') along the east coast of the country. A night at the opera provides a unique experience. There are also circuses and musical events of a high quality. General Information Area: 122,762 sq km (47,399 sq miles). Population: 23,702,000 (1999). Population Density: 193.1 per sq km. Capital: Pyongyang. Population: 2,741,260 (1993). GEOGRAPHY: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea shares borders in the north with China, in the east with the Sea of Japan, in the west with the Yellow Sea and in the south with the demilitarised zone (separating it from the Republic of Korea). Most of the land consists of hills and low mountains and only a small area is cultivable. Intensive water and soil conservation programmes, including land reclamation from the sea, are given high priority. The eastern coast is rocky and steep with mountains rising from the water and this area contains most of the waterways. Government: Communist Republic. Head of State: President Kim Jong II since 1994. Head of Government: Prime Minister Hong Song Nam since 1997. Language: Korean. Religion: Buddhism, Christianity and Chundo Kyo are officially cited as the main religions. Time: GMT + 9. Electricity: 110/230 volts AC, 60Hz. Telephone IDD to the country is available, although there is a very sparse internal network. Some hotels in Pyongyang provide direct international calls although this may be expensive. Country code: 850. Mobile telephone There is no mobile phone network at present. Internet Access to the Internet is unavailable. Telegram Services available in all Pyongyang hotels. Post Services are extremely slow and limited outside the capital. Airmail takes about ten days to reach Western Europe. Post office hours: Mon-Sat 0900-2100. Press Major daily newspapers include Rodong Sinmun, Minju Choson and Pyongyang Sinmun. The Pyongyang Times is published weekly in English, Spanish and French. There are also several monthly English-language magazines. BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 15.28 11.95 9.740 6.195 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 17.74 11.71 9.645 6.110 Passport/Visa   Passport Required? Visa Required? Return Ticket Required? British Yes Yes Yes Australian Yes Yes Yes Canadian Yes Yes Yes USA Yes Yes Yes OtherEU Yes Yes Yes Japanese Yes Yes Yes Note: Tourism in Korea (Dem Rep) is currently permitted only in officially organised groups of minimum one person. Visas can be obtained through officially recognised travel companies or the nearest Korea (Dem Rep) embassy. Passports: Valid passport required by all, including nationals of Korea (Dem Rep). VISAS: Required by all, including nationals of Korea (Dem Rep). Types of visa and cost: Ordinary and Tourist: €40. Prices may vary according to nationality. Application to: Consular section of the General Delegation of the DPRK or of the nearest Korean (Dem Rep) Embassy. Applications should be made by an officially recognised tour operator. Application requirements: (a) Valid passport. (b) One passport-size photo. (c) One completed application form. (d) Tour confirmation from recognised travel company. (e) Proof of sufficient funds to cover stay. (f) Letter from employer/proof of occupation. (g) Copy of applicant’s passport. (h) Copies of return or onward destination tickets. Working days required: Four weeks. Note: For stays of over 24 hours registration with the MFA is required, although most hotels will automatically do this for the visitor. Money Currency: Won (Won) = 100 chon. Notes are in denominations of Won100, 50, 10, 5 and 1. Coins are in denominations of Won1, and 50, 10, 5 and 1 chon. Note: Hotels tend to only accept cash payments in local currency whilst shops prefer US Dollars. Currency exchange: Currencies may be changed at the Trade Bank (Mon-Sat 0900-1200 and 1400-1700) or at some hotels. Convertible currencies include HK$, US$, A$, £, Yen and €. Credit & debit cards: Main hotels in Pyongyang will accept credit and debit cards such as Visa and Mastercard. However, American Express is not usually accepted. Travellers cheques: Generally not accepted. However, US Dollars are often accepted as an alternative method of payment. Currency restrictions: The import and export of local currency is prohibited. The import and export of foreign currency is unrestricted, subject to declaration on arrival. Exchange rate indicators The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Won against Sterling and the US Dollar: Date May ’02 Aug ’02 Nov ’02 Feb ’03 £1.00= 3.21 3.35 3.45 3.50 $1.00= 2.20 2.20 2.20 2.20 Duty Free The following goods may be imported into Korea (Dem Rep) without incurring customs duty: A reasonable amount of tobacco and alcoholic beverages. Prohibited items: Binoculars, arms, ammunition, explosives, drugs, any books or literature in Korean language and seeds. Animals, plants and all groceries require certificates of entry. Note: Gifts, precious metals and personal items such as cameras, watches and tape recorders must be declared. Public Holidays Jan 1 2003 New Year’s Day. Feb 16 Kim Jong II’s Birthday. Apr 15 Day of the Sun/Kim II Sung’s Birthday. Apr 25 Foundation of the People’s Army. May 1 International Workers’ Day. Jul 27 Victory Day. Aug 15 Anniversary of Liberation. Sep 9 Independence Day. Sep 9-11 Ch’usok (Harvest Moon Festival). Oct 10 Foundation of the Korean Workers’ Party. Dec 27 Constitution Day. Jan 1 2004 New Year’s Day. Feb 16 Kim Jong II’s Birthday. Apr 15 Day of the Sun/Kim II Sung’s Birthday. Apr 25 Foundation of the People’s Army. May 1 International Workers’ Day. Jul 27 Victory Day. Aug 15 Anniversary of Liberation. Sep 9 Independence Day. Sep 27-29 Ch’usok (Harvest Moon Festival). Oct 10 Foundation of the Korean Workers’ Party. Dec 27 Constitution Day. Health   Special Precautions Certificate Required Yellow Fever No No Cholera 1 No Typhoid and Polio 2 N/A Malaria 3 N/A 1: Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is not a condition of entry to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. However, cholera is a risk in this country and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include a vaccination, as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness. See the Health appendix. 2: Immunisation against typhoid is highly recommended and against poliomyelitis is generally advised. 3: Malaria risk is low and exists mainly in the benign vivax form. Food & drink: All water should be regarded as a potential health risk. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Bottled water is widely available and considered fine to drink. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled. Other risks: Diarrhoeal diseases including giardiasis, dysentery and typhoid fever are common. Hepatitis B is endemic in the area. Hepatitis A and E also occur along with tuberculosis. Epidemics of Japanese encephalitis and dengue fever may occur. Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix. Health care: ‘People’s Hospitals’ and clinics are to be found throughout the country, but resources can be limited and basic. At present, emergency medical flights are not permitted into the country. Tourist sites generally provide medical facilities. International travellers are strongly advised to take out health insurance. Travel - International AIR: The national airline is Air Koryo (JS). During the summer months China Northern Airlines (CJ) also serves Korea (Dem Rep). Direct flights run four times a week from Beijing (China) with both airlines, and Air Koryo also operates weekly flights to Moscow and Vladivostok (Russian Federation), Beijing and Shenyang (China), Bangkok (Thailand) and Macau (SAR). Approximate flight times: From Pyongyang to London is 13 hours. International airports: Pyongyang (FNJ) (Sunan) is 24km (15 miles) from the city (travel time – 45 minutes). Facilities include bars, restaurants and duty free shops. Departure tax: None. SEA: Main international ports are Chongjin, Hungnam, Haeju, Kimchaek, Kosong, Sinuiju, Sonbong, Unsang, Najin, Wonsan, Songnim and Nampo, the port of Pyongyang. RAIL: The country has a relatively good rail network with connections to Russia and China. The Trans Mongolia Railway and Trans China Railway runs between Shineuiju and China. Namyang connects with the Trans Manchuria Railway and the Trans Siberia Railway links Rajin with Russia. There are no routes to the Republic of Korea, although these should open sometime in the future, following negotiations between the two countries. ROAD: There are roads from Dandong, Lu-ta, Liaoyang, Jilin and Changchun in China and Vladivostock in the Russian Federation, but foreigners are only permitted to enter the country by rail or by air. Travel - Internal AIR: There are flights from Pyongyang, Hamhung, Kaesong, Kiliju, Kanggye, Sinuiju, Wonsan and Chongjin, although foreigners are not allowed to use these. RAIL: The extensive rail network built by the Japanese during World War II has been broken by the separation of North and South Korea, but the main passenger routes run from Pyongyang to Sinuiju, Haeju and Chongjin. Service, however, is slow. Timetables are not published and it is advised to purchase tickets through a travel agent. ROAD: Traffic drives on the right. The quality of major roads is good; many are dual carriageways. All roads leading out of Pyongyang have police security checkpoints where identity documents must be produced before continuing the journey. There are no buses between cities. There are very few road signs. International driving licences are not accepted and in order to drive within the country it is necessary to sit a local driving test and obtain a local licence. URBAN: Pyongyang has a two-line metro and regular bus services. TRAVEL TIMES: The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Pyongyang to other major cities/towns in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Road Rail Diamond Mt 10.00 - Kaesong 8.00 6.00 Nampo 1.30 8.00 Accommodation Pyongyang has a few first-class hotels where foreign visitors stay, although groups cannot know in advance which one will be used. All other towns have at least one first-class hotel for use by groups. Visitors must stay in designated tourist hotels (rather than in local yogwan). These are generally of reasonable standard, and are graded as deluxe, first, second and third class. Introduction Only travel companies officially recognised by the North Korean Authorities are permitted to bring groups of tourists to North Korea. Independent tourism is not permitted, and foreigners must be accompanied by a guide at all times. PYONGYANG: North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, was completely rebuilt after the Korean War as a city of wide avenues, neatly designed parks and enormous marble public buildings, leading to its alternative name of the ‘youthful city’. The Palace of Culture, the Grand Theatre, the Juche Tower and the Ongrui Restaurant epitomise the Korean variant of Communist architecture. The Gates of Pyongyang and the Arch of Triumph (built in honour of Kim Il Sung’s 70th birthday) are particularly impressive, while Morangborg Park and Taesongsan Recreation Ground (with its fairground attractions) offer relaxation. For the (mainly communist) 13th World Festival of Youth and Students in 1989, a 150,000-seat stadium was built in Pyongyang. Mangyongdae, Kim Il Sung’s birthplace, is a national shrine. His family’s thatched cottage, now a museum, overlooks the Taedong River and the capital. ELSEWHERE: Many ancient buildings in Kaesong (six hours from the capital by train), bear witness to Korea’s 500-year imperial history. The town is surrounded by beautiful pine-clad hills. Kumgangsan is the country’s largest national park, consisting of a range of mountains (known as ‘the Diamond Mountains’) along the east coast of the country. Its unspoilt, diverse environment is popular with birdwatchers, photographers and botanists. Myohyangsan, whose name means ‘exotic fragrant mountain’, offers pleasant walks and climbs through a contrasting scenery of waterfalls, woods and Buddhist pagodas, just 120km (75 miles) northeast of the capital. The Exhibition Centre, with its imposing four-tonne bronze doors, houses thousands of gifts presented by foreigners to Kim Il Sung and his son. Sport & Activities As mentioned in the Resorts & Excursions section, in 1989 the country hosted the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students with a consequent expansion of sports facilities around the capital. For further information contact the National Administration of Tourism of the DPRK (see Contact Addresses section). Social Profile Food & Drink: Reasonable restaurants can be found in the main towns and cooking is usually based on the staple food, rice. In hotels and restaurants it is better to stick to the Korean, Chinese or Japanese items on the menu as experience of Western and Russian cooking is limited. Eating out is arranged by the guide. Nightlife: A night at the revolutionary opera provides a unique experience. There are also circuses and musical events of a high quality. Special Events: For details of the major festivals and other special events celebrated in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in 2003 contact the National Tourism Administration of the DPRK (see Contact Addresses section ). Social Conventions: Discretion and a low political profile are advised. Photography: It is strongly advised to ask permission before taking a photo. Photographs of Korean officials or guarded buildings should be avoided. Tipping: Officially frowned upon although some hotel staff may expect a tip. Business Profile Economy: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has a Soviet-style command economy based on heavy industry. The country has rich mineral deposits, including most of the major base metals, as well as gold, silver and tungsten. Since the main industrial infrastructure was developed in the 1950s, development resources have gradually shifted to light industry and latterly concentrated on automation and modernisation. Most trade is conducted with the Russian Federation, Japan and China, where a number of joint industrial ventures have been set up. These measures have only partially compensated, however, for the serious loss of trade with the former Soviet Union, which precipitated North Korea’s economic decline during the 1990s. Estimated at four per cent per annum, this contraction has been compounded by a series of serious floods. Although most evidence is anecdotal – in the absence of detailed official information – it is clear that the North Korean people have suffered severe shortages and, in some areas, starvation. The recent improvement in relations with the South will, Pyongyang hopes, produce some economic dividends but, given North Korea’s current pariah status in Washington, this may take some time. The North Koreans have yet to adopt any of the political or economic reforms seen in China, Russia and Eastern Europe. China is the most likely model, but so far North Korea has gone no further than devaluing the won (a largely artificial measure since the won is not convertible) and cutting the subsidies on some basic goods. Business: Suits are required. Business transactions will take place outside the office, generally in the evening, as visitors are not allowed to enter offices. Commercial Information: The following organisation can offer advice: The DPRK Committee for the Promotion of External Economic Cooperation, Jungsongdong, Central District, Pyongyang (tel: 333 974; fax: 381 4498). Climate Moderate with four distinct seasons. The hottest time is July to August, which is also the rainy season; coldest is from December to January, winters in the far north can be very severe. Spring and autumn are mild and mainly dry. Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens are worn during the summer. Light- to mediumweights are advised in the spring and autumn, and medium- to heavyweights in the winter. Waterproofs are advisable during the rainy season. History and Government History: Once a unified country with an independent monarchy, Korea came under strong Japanese influence in the latter part of the 19th century (see Republic of Korea section for more details of pre-1945 history). Japanese forces occupied the country in 1905 and formally annexed it five years later, deposing the emperor in the process. Korea remained under Japanese control until the end of World War II when the Japanese were driven out by Soviet and US forces. In a manner similar to post-war Germany, Korea was divided into military occupation zones along the 38th parallel (line of latitude). The former Soviet Union withdrew from the North in 1948, having overseen the creation of a Democratic People’s Republic and ensured the pre-eminence of the communist Korean Workers’ Party (KWP) in the country’s political life. The North aspired to reunify Korea under communist rule and in 1950, supported by the Chinese communists who had taken power the previous year, invaded the South. US and other allied forces joined the South to repel the invasion. After three years of bitter fighting, the existing North-South division was restored and an armistice signed between the two Koreas. A demilitarised zone was created across which the two sides – with backing from their respective superpower supporters – have traded little more than insults ever since. The DPRK was ruled from 1948 until his death in 1994 by Kim Il Sung, known publicly as ‘The Great Leader’, as the head of the ruling KWP. Under his rule, North Korea was regimented to an extraordinary degree and all but hermetically sealed from the outside world. The country was governed according to the tenets of juche, Kim Il Sung’s idiosyncratic philosophical cocktail of Stalinist orthodoxy, ultranationalism and quasi-religious mysticism. The death of the Great Leader in July 1994 brought to power his son, Kim Jong Il, who carries the moniker ‘The Dear Leader’. Under the new regime, the North Koreans have slowly opened up to the world. As well as a natural desire for a rapprochement with the South, northern attitudes have been driven by the economic crisis – manifested by serious food shortages – which followed the collapse of trade with the former Soviet Union at the beginning of the 1990s. Aggravated by crop failures, the crisis has meant that since 1995, several parts of the country have suffered from persistent serious food shortages. Tens of thousands of North Koreans have died of starvation or sought refugee status over the Chinese border. The gradual, often imperceptibly slow thaw in North-South relations can be traced back to 1970 when Kim Il Sung formally decreed reunification as an objective. Unfortunately, the truculent and often belligerent behaviour of the North Korean government has not helped. Moreover, the attitudes of old allies in Beijing and Moscow, who saw more to gain by developing their relations with the rest of East Asia, has not worked to the North’s advantage. Most importantly, the North’s determined pursuit of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes created much international suspicion and hostility, especially in the USA. In 1994, Pyongyang agreed to cease nuclear activities but suspicions remained that they continued in secret. In 2002, President George W. Bush described North Korea as a part of the so-called ‘axis of evil’ whose posture and activities are considered a threat to the new world order. Later in the year the North Koreans admitted that they had broken their earlier promise. Yet the American reaction was relatively mild, especially when compared to the pressure applied to Iraq over the same issue. Part of the reason for US moderation concerns the attitude of the South, which is driven, in part, by the wish of many thousands of families to be reunited after the post-war division of the peninsula. Several isolated initiatives had been undertaken since the 1970s, but the issue was near the top of the agenda when Kim Jong-Il and the South Korean leader Kim Dae-Jung met in Pyongyang in June 2000. This historic summit was deemed a considerable success, although the task of reconciling – let alone reuniting – these two former antagonists remains a formidable one. Since then, North Korea has come blinking into the light of international diplomacy, holding a flurry of meetings in the nine months from October 2000 with the USA, the EU and others. The USA is the key, however, as North Korea is desperate for aid from the international financial community, and needs US acquiescence. Government: The country is ruled by the Korean Workers’ Party. The popularly elected Supreme People’s Assembly is constitutionally the highest organ of the state, but real power lies with the Standing Committee of the Party Central Committee Politburo. Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.