No matter where you travel, you should be aware of the laws and cultural norms in order to avoid unwittingly getting yourself into trouble. In some countries, like communist North Korea, doing your homework can be matter of life and death, particularly when you think of the hijinks some tourists get up to.
To wit, in March, University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier, 21, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for attempting to steal a propaganda banner from the wall of his hotel. This week, he was released back into American custody---but he’s reportedly comatose.
So, in case you’re unaware of what visiting the hermit kingdom is like, here are 10 warning signs that should tell most people to think long and hard before booking that trip to Pyongyang.
1. It’s Forbidden to Travel Alone
Independent travel is not permitted. Everyone entering North Korea as a tourist must be with a tour group, and all tour groups must be organized through state-owned bureaus.
2. The Official Tourism Site Is Far From Inviting
The tourism section on the official state webpage of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the furthest thing from inviting. It’s downright scary.
3. No Press, Is Good Press
All other tourism bureaus clamor for media attention—they even organize all-expense paid media junkets to illicit positive reviews. Not so in North Korea. In North Korea, members of the media are forbidden as tourists.
Even with the Korean Friendship Association (KFA) trip being organized for July 2016, to mark the anniversary of the country’s victory in the Korean War, anyone is invited to join, the website says—anyone except Americans, South Koreans, Japanese, filmmakers, journalists, or any one else vaguely associated with the media.
Mind Your Holiday Snaps Too
The limit on “press” doesn’t just apply to official media. Taking pictures of any kind is also extremely restricted. Basically, the standard advice is to always ask permission from your guide, and only ever take photos of what your guides permits. The rules of what photos are forbidden is long, but it essentially boils down to this: Don’t try to take anything that might portray North Korea in a bad light.
Here’s the start of the section on photography from New Korea Tours.
“The public are obliged to report all photography. Taking photos of soldiers, at check points, poverty, sneaked photos and close ups of people without their express permission will cause serious problems. Photography when being driven around is also restricted. Even what we would interpret as ‘day to day’ harmless scenes may cause problems.”
Here are some forbidden images photographer Eric Lafforgue dared to take, so you can resist the temptation yourself.
4. Your Hotel Is Trapped on an Island
There are only a handful of hotels that are designated for tourists in North Korea. The main one in the capital of Pyongyang, is the Yanggakdo International Hotel, where Warmbier earned his 15-year sentence for trying to steal the banner off the wall.
The hotel, the second largest building in the country, is a towering 1,000-room block that’s actually located on a small island south-east of the center of the city.
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