North Korea: The Leader in “Don’t Do It!” Vacations

Travel Blog  •  Jim Benning  •  12.07.04 | 5:43 PM ET

Writer Steve Knipp recently visited North Korea on a trip organized by Hyundai Corp., which is best known for its cars but also runs a tourism business in North Korea. Knipp had a good time, but he faced all kinds of restrictions. “A Hyundai executive half-jokingly says that his company’s excursions are called ‘Don’t Do It! Tours,’” Knipp writes in the Christian Science Monitor. “Cellphones, laptops, telephoto lenses, and powerful binoculars are strictly verboten. Visitors must wear photo ID tags at all times.” Among other things, Knipp was warned not to speak with locals about politics. “Two years ago,” he writes, “a South Korean woman reportedly asked a North Korean why President Kim Jong Il was the only fat man in the country, and was detained for several days as a result.” Yikes.

Tags: Asia, North Korea, South Korea


No comments for North Korea: The Leader in “Don’t Do It!” Vacations.

Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.