According to constructmaterials, North Korea is a country in Asia bordering China, Russia and South Korea. The capital of North Korea is Pyongyang. A number of major cities in North Korea are: Hamhŭng, Hyesan, Kaesong and Sariwon.
North Korea is known as a hilly country. About 80% of the country is mountainous. The country is ruled by a dictatorship. North Korea has virtually no tourism. The borders are closely guarded. The population is not open to contact and even eye contact is avoided. Only small areas are open to tourists. Should you visit the country, all information you will encounter and be told will be verified by the government. See clothesbliss for travel to Asia.
Where is North Korea?
Travel information of North Korea
Official name: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Continent: Asia
Area: 120,538 km²
Capital city: Pyongyang
Country code: KP, PRK
Population: 25,643,466 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: People’s Republic (Dictatorship)
Highest point: 2,774 m (Paektusan)
Distance (Amsterdam – Pyongyang): 8,352 km
Flight time: approximately 11 hours and 45 minutes
Negative travel advice
Current status: All trips to North Korea are discouraged.
Current color code: Red. Due to this status, a partial negative travel advice
is in effect for North Korea.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to North Korea. In addition, you will find an overview of individual travel components that you can use to compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about North Korea?
Weather and climate
North Korea has a continental climate. The temperatures are around 20 to 30 degrees in the summer months and around 0 to -5 degrees in the winter months. Temperatures are lower in the mountain regions. Winters in North Korea are known to be harsh with little snowfall.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for North Korea can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of North Korea can be found at Climate info.
Best time
April, May, June, September and October are the best months to travel to North Korea. You avoid the cold winter months and hot summer months.
Language
Korean is the official language in North Korea.
Would you like to translate from or to Korean for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon arrival in North Korea.
A visa is required. You can apply for this at the embassy of North Korea in Beijing (Beijing) after invitation and permission from Pyongyang.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in South Korea (also for North Korea):
netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of North Korea in Switzerland (also for the Netherlands): rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Before visiting North Korea, it is advisable to get one or more vaccinations.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria
Malaria occurs in North Korea. Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In North Korea, payment is made with the North Korean won (KPW).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
There are no ATMs in North Korea.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 7 hours later in North Korea.
During our winter time, it is 8 hours later in North Korea.
North Korea has no difference between winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone for North Korea can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic
In North Korea you must drive on the right.
Electricity
In North Korea you may need a travel plug in some cases.
More information about common plugs and sockets in North Korea can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: Local numbers
– Fire: Local numbers
– Ambulance: Local numbers
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to North Korea can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from North Korea can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from North Korea end in.kp.
North Korea official website: korea-dpr.com.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in North Korea is 00850 or +850.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from North Korea? Then use the Dutch country code 9931.
(If you use a country code, you must omit the first 0 of the number to be called.)
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from North Korea.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from North Korea.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in North Korea can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotel), restaurants and destinations in North Korea, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about North Korea?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited North Korea. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in North Korea can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in North Korea can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Northern Cyprus? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to North Korea.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Unknown
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…North Korea is the least democratic country in the world?
…Religious activities in North Korea are severely punished?
…North Koreans have no access to the global internet?
…North Korea has the third largest land-based army in the world?
…Tourists are required to have two official guides with them?
