The Koryo Tours Blog

Koryo Tours first to visit North Korean border city of Sinuiju

Posted May 21, 2013 by Koryo Tours & filed under Destinations, DPRK news, Tourism.

On May 20^th Koryo Tour’s General Manager Simon Cockerell was invited to be the first western tourist to visit the North Korean border city of Sinuiju, located just 900 metres across the Yalu river from its Chinese counterpart Dandong Sinuiju is a strategically important city which sees a large amount of Chinese trade with the DPRK passing through its border points and has long been open for Chinese visitors to make day trips. However until just yesterday this was impossible for western tourists.

Koryo Tours has been working for many years to make it possible for non-Chinese tourists to visit the city but yesterday Simon crossed the border from Dandong into Sinuiju ” I have been trying to get to Sinuiju for the last ten years and have passed it countless times on the train from Pyongyang to Beijing (we were once stranded for an afternoon in Sinuiju in 2004 when the international train could not take us into Pyongyang) but this trip was the first proper tour and a highlight in my travels in the country. Really great people and a good bit of interaction with the guides and locals”

We were very honoured to be thanked for all our hard work which made this possible by the DPRK tourism authorities in Pyongyang last Friday and by the local travel company in Sinuiju just yesterday. We hope that the opening of Sinuiju to western tourists continues the run of new sites for tourists to visit in North Korea, and will continue to push for greater access and more areas that visitors can go to.

Simon’s trip included all the main tourists sites such as the local revolutionary museum, statue of North Korean president Kim Il Sung, Art Gallery and Studio, local model kindergarten, a wander through a local park, a drive to the outlying southern section of the city, a visit to a secret local bar known only to Koryo Tours (a surprise to the local guide even!) and lunch at a restaurant on the Yalu river, directly across from Dandong, a view normally experienced the other way around. A selection of photos from the trip are included herein

Koryo Tours will be offering both day trips to Sinuiju from Dandong and optional extensions to all of our tours which depart from Pyongyang by train giving the maximum number of people the chance to experience this newly opening city. All details will be on our website as early as they can be and we look forward to experiencing this exciting new opportunity with you. Sinuiju is quite a different place to Pyongyang and most other cities around the DPRK – come with us to see why!

For all tour enquiries or media enquiries please contact us on info@koryogroup.com we look forward to hearing from you!

North Korea’s largest border city opening for tourists

Posted May 15, 2013 by Koryo Tours & filed under Destinations, DPRK news, Tourism.

We are pleased to announce that after several years of pressure on the part of Koryo Tours it is about to become possible for western tourists to visit the North Korean city of Sinuiju, situated on the opposite side of the Yalu (Amnok) river from the Chinese border city of Dandong.

Sinuiju has long been open to day-trippers from China and many tens of thousands have made this trip, yet it has remained stubbornly closed almost all western tourists, a situation that is about to change.

Koryo Tours will be offering the most comprehensive tours to Sinuiju available, including day-trips from Dandong, overnight stays, extensions to our regular DPRK tours to enable people already travelling in North Korea to add on a day or two in Sinuiju to their trip, in short anything that is possible to do in this fascinating city we will offer

Full details will be available soon as we are currently putting together what we will offer to anyone interested in this unique trip. As always Koryo Tours will offer the most in-depth and detailed tour experience possible so we ask anyone interested to await further details and prepare for a very special trip!

A selection of photos from a previous Koryo Tours trip to Sinuiju can be found with this newsletter and Koryo Tours’ General Manager Simon Cockerell will be in Sinuiju next week to continue the discussions and tour arrangements which we have been working on for much of the last two decades

Visits to Sinuiju will include; the main square of Sinuiju with its bronze statue of DPRK President Kim Il Sung, Revolutionary Museum, local school and park, and so much more!!!

Koryo Tours has 20 years’ experience in operating tours to North Korea and is the recognised market leader and only true specialist in the field. For any media enquiries or interest in tours to Sinuiju please contact info@koryogroup.com or visit www.koryogroup.com for general information of all the tours we offer

Running With Koryo – Fun Run 2013

Posted May 15, 2013 by Hannah & filed under DPRK news, Events, Friendship, Humanitarian Work, Tourism, Uncategorized.

May First – a holiday for workers in many countries and the DPRK is no exception. May Day is a national holiday and possibly one of the few holidays in the DPRK with no social obligations for the citizens – it is simply a day off for them to do as they want. Parks are full of people out having picnics with family and friends, singing, dancing, playing games and so on. It is one of the best times of year for interaction with locals and each May Day we take tourists to the different parks in Pyongyang where they can take part in the celebrations – sometimes the tourists do this willingly, sometimes they need a little coercion – the Koreans are always enthusiastic for us to join in! As it is such a relaxed holiday we thought it would be the perfect day to do another Koryo First and so held the inaugural Koryo Tours Fun Run.

Preparing to start

As ever at Koryo, we try to push the boundaries and develop new activities for tourists and try to open up new destinations. With football, volleyball, cricket, cycling and even Ultimate Frisbee under our belts, a run seemed like the next logical step. Pyongyang has an annual marathon so the DPRK is no stranger to competitive running, however, they had never heard of the Fun Run concept before and this would be the first one to take place.

The original route that was agreed on was to be a 5km run from the Ryanggang Hotel on the outskirts of the city, through Sports Street (a collection of stadiums built for the 1989 World Festival of Youth and Students) and along Kwangbok Street, past the circus and finishing up opposite the huge Kwangbok Street supermarket (incidentally, one of the last places to be visited by the North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il before his death). When I was on a tour there last November, I actually got a chance to test out the route with two of our Korean guides.

Arrangements were all in place and excitement was building for the run. Some tourists had written to say they were in training and we at Koryo were worried about letting the side down so we scheduled in some last minute training in Beijing with HeyRunning! A few days before the run, however, our partners discovered that a huge renovation project of the Sports Street had just started and, regardless of the fact that we thought it sounded like an adventure, according to the Koreans, a group of tourists running through Army Construction Workers’ Barracks was not going to happen!

So the route was duly changed and at 7am on a bright and sunny May Day morning, a group approximately 50 tourists assembled at the old site of the US Spyship Pueblo ready to start the run along the Taedong River. We were over the moon about this new route as it is a much more central location and passes some iconic spots in Pyongyang such as the Juche Tower.

Construction workers on their way to the building site

There was a nice mix of those who ran seriously – completing the run in just over 20 minutes – and those who preferred to take a more leisurely pace, walking along the riverside, relishing in the relative freedom that this event afforded! Many locals were out at that time – some cyclists, some early morning exercisers, a few groups of labourers off to the construction site (you don’t get a holiday if you’re a builder it seems!) – all were rather bemused to see groups of foreigners running/walking at various different paces in the beautiful morning sunshine.

Bringing up the rear!

The end of the route was Kim Il Sung Square and once everybody had reached the finish line we did a group lap of honour around the Square. The event was a success and all – the participants and the organizers – were pleased with how it turned out and we hope to do more events like this in the future.

The participants

The Fun Run also had a fundraising aspect. Each participant was asked to donate EUR 20 and this will be used to buy powdered milk – a very precious and necessary commodity – for an orphanage in Nampo. Through the participants and some additional sponsorship from non-participating groups, the Fun Run has raised just over EUR 2000 which is an incredible sum. We, and the orphanage, are very grateful to all who contributed.

The end of the run

Mangyongdae Prize Cup – Sport in Pyongyang

Posted May 8, 2013 by Koryo Tours & filed under Cultural Exchange, Culture, DPRK news, Events, Exhibitions, Football, Friendship, People, Tourism.

By Simon Cockerell

April 15^th 2013 marked the 101^st anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, eternal President of North Korea. Every year around this time the Mangyongdae Prize Cup takes place in Pyongyang – not a single sports tournament but rather a kind of local mini-Olympics, this sporting event includes various disciplines in various tournaments over several days. In 2010 Koryo Tours became the first company to be able to take tourists to local football matches and we have continued to do this ever since.

This year on Sunday April 14^th our groups gathered at the Kim Il Sung stadium in the centre of town to attend the Pyongyang Marathon and a couple of football matches that were happening at the same time. We listened to the Minister of Sports’ opening speech and the marathon began with the 200+ local Korean runners as well as 15 or so foreigners (from places such as Ukraine, Ethiopia, Taiwan, Egypt) heading out of the stadium for a fast race around Pyongyang’s streets, much to the delight of the capacity crowd in this chilly morning.

As soon as the runners departed the stadium, the first football match kicked off: Pyongyang FC vs Amnokgang FC (also based in Pyongyang, as are almost all of the top teams in the country). It was a tight game with the two sides exchanging penalties as the game went to 90 mins at 1-1 when deep into injury time (despite the lack of many injuries, a phenomenon familiar to any Manchester United fans as ‘Fergie Time’) Pyongyang’s tireless winger sent over a cross that was bundled home by their striker, end result 2-1 to Pyongyang. Joyful celebrations from the winning team, despair from the opposition – especially as they are the higher ranked team.

Soon after the match ended the front runners for the marathon emerged back into the stadium, with Ethiopia’s Ketema Bekele Negassa leading the Ukrainian Aleksandr Matviychuk (who won the 2012 race in a phtoo finish, a rare thing in a 26 mile race!) by just a couple of hundred metres. Negassa hung on for the victory (much to the amusement of the crowd who broke into laughter whenever his name -very very long by Korean standards – was read over the public address system) in a time of just over 2:13, very respectable indeed.

Koryo Tours staff went down to the track to see the end of the race (while a women’s football match kicked off at the same time) and we were lucky enough to speak with Jong Song Ok , former marathon world champion (Seville 1992) and now head of the track racing committee who I had given a ride to on a charter flight a few years ago so that her team could train altitude at Mt. Paekdu, Korea’s highest mountain) who was very pleased with the outcome of the race. The South African coach of a female Ethiopian runner was overheard telling the Taiwanese coach that his runner (who came 3^rd) was handicapped by not being able to tell the difference between the Korean men and women from behind (all short hair, no crop tops) so kept wasting energy overtaking men by mistake! I also spoke with the oldest participant, a 73 year old man who had started earlier than everyone else but still made it all the way around. I caught him smoking after the race was over and when I asked him how many he smoked a day in order to prepare for a marathon he replied with a lengthy take of how his sons were in the army at the front line, were ready for any aggression against the country, etc – and then said it was 6 or 7 a day. Aspiring marathoners take note!

It was a fascinating look at a widely ignored part of North Korea – the sports scene, and we were very glad once again to be permitted to continue to take our groups and individual tourists into the stadium to see the ceremonies and matches instead of having to wait outside for a glimpse of the athletes as others were. If anyone would like to attend a local football match with the only company that knows the teams, knows the (very unusual) league format, and can get you into the games then please get in contact. And if anyone wants to run in the Pyongyang Marathon next year then we can help apply, men need to have a recorded time of less than 2:40 in the last few years, women nearly as fast too though, it’s a fast-paced race!

Koryo Canada – Buffalo, USA: City of No Illusions

Posted April 26, 2013 by Koryo Tours & filed under Uncategorized.

Our representative in Canada – Christopher Graper – has put together an amazing urban exploration tour to Buffalo, USA this July. While you are likely aware of Detroit’s infamous, otherworldly urban landscapes and abandoned majesty, Detroit is by no means unique. The legacy of America’s unprecedented 19th century development and the roots of “American Exceptionalism” are found throughout the post-industrial “rust-belt” cities of the United States, and Buffalo is one of the best places to safely awe at the grandeur, splendour and decay.

Formerly one of the largest cities in the US at the end of the 19th century, Buffalo’s population has been in steep decline since 1950. Since that time, the city has haemorrhaged more than half its population. Vast tracts of the city are abandoned or blighted, including the majority of the city’s once massive industrial base. For the earnest residents trying to stem the tide of economic contraction, the problems are enormous, unprecedented and simply overwhelming. Once a beacon of hope and optimism, today those who remain strive uphill to secure a stable future for the city and it’s infrastructural treasures. With each day that passes, another building falls.

You will experience the rise and fall of a great American city as it happens, and by doing so understand more about the unique ideas and historical circumstances that produced the American Experience of the 19th and 20th century. Buffalo has some relatively strong prospects for stability, and we will introduce you to some of those interesting entrepreneurs and their projects as well, including urban farms, micro-breweries — and indeed tourism! Read on or email christophergraper@gmail.com to find out more details:

City of No Illusions — Buffalo, NY USA Exceptional America Tours 2013

5 Nights in Buffalo, East Aurora and Niagara Falls, USA

Thursday 11th – Tuesday 16th July, 2013, Tour cost USD 1499

Highlights:

- Inside Buffalo’s Abandoned Grain Silos

- Buffalo Central Railway Terminal

- Robert R. Moses Power Plant

- Love Canal

- HH Richardson State Psychiatric Hospital

- Roycroft Utopian Community

- Largest collection of Frank L Wright Houses in the US

TOUR ITINERARY

DAY 1 — THURSDAY 11 JULY 2013

TRAVEL DAY: Guests arrive and make their own transfers to hotel. Taxis are safe, fare approx $40 from airport to hotel. Transfers for large groups can be arranged.

HOTEL: HYATT HOTEL, BUFFALO NY

Pre-Tour Briefing and Cocktails (Optional) — Meet your hosts and fellow urban explorers in the hotel lounge, further details TBD. Get excited as we begin our Buffalo exploration the next morning!

DAY 2 — FRIDAY 12 JULY 2013

AM: THE LIVING ARCHITECTURAL MUSEUM

DOWNTOWN WALKING TOUR INSIDE and OUT. Today we will explore Buffalo’s living architectural museum. City Hall, Ellicott Square (Burnham), Guaranty Building (Sullivan), Old Post Office, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Old County Hall, Rand Building, Hotel Lafayette.

LUNCH: Swannie’s House for excellent fish fry lunch.

PM: WORKING CLASS AMERICA

Driving tour of Buffalo’s once massive industrial waterfront. Abandoned grain silos and remains of Bethlehem Steel Plant*, Wind Turbines*, Pumping Station*. (*Bethlehem Steel is decommissioned and in the process of demolition. Legal challenges from preservationists have delayed the process, however at time of press access inside cannot be guaranteed, and by the time we arrive, it simply may no longer exist! Please understand, we will go as deep inside as safely, legally and physically possible.) Beth Steel Museum. Our Lady of Victory Church. Lift a pint and talk shop talk with the South Buffalo locals or complain to your Shop Steward at Cheesy’s Little Vegas OR Talty’s.

EVENING REFRESHMENT: FORGOTTEN BUFFALO — PRIVATE CLUBS & ETHNIC ENCLAVES

Tour of the Corpus Christi Church and a relaxed evening of bowling and shuffleboard at the Corpus Christi Athletic Club. Daren’s AND P&K OR Saddle Up.

HOTEL: HYATT HOTEL, BUFFALO NY

DAY 3 — SATURDAY 13 JULY 2013

AM: BUFFALO IS A POLKA TOWN

Tour of abandoned 13-story Buffalo Central Railway Terminal inside and out. Tour the formerly thriving core of Buffalo’s Polania District, once the largest Polish population in North America with our local guides who share their pride in the neighbourhood, their experience of decline and indeed hope for the future. Worker’s Cottages. Urban blight. Wilson Street Urban Farm. Extraordinary St. Stanislaus Bishop and Marytr Church. Broadway Market. Chance to try homemade sponge candy and other local treats.

LUNCH: Ted’s Red Hot’s for Buffalo 85-year long tradition of excellent charbroiled hot dogs.

PM: ATOMIC AGE TOUR

50′s and 60′s Futurism and Kitsch. Suburban tract homes, strip malls and post-war American architecture (with insights from Robert Venturi’s Learning from Las Vegas and Venturi and Scott-Brown’s Learning from Levittown) HQ of Pearce & Pearce developers and meet grandson of master builder Bill Pearce. We’ll see hundreds of these houses, and inside if possible.

EVENING REFRESHMENT: FORGOTTEN BUFFALO — PRIDE OF POLONIA TAVERNS.

POLISH CHURCH SUPPER and LIVE POLKA BAND. R&L Lounge AND St Stan’s OR Mickey’s aka Adam Mickiewicz Library & Dramatic Circle Club.

HOTEL: HYATT HOTEL, BUFFALO NY

DAY 4 — SUNDAY 14 JULY 2013

AM: NIAGARA TRIUMPH and TRAGEDY TOUR

Robert R. Moses Power Plant and Niagara Power Project Power Vista. Perched atop the hydro project’s main power plant, we will learn about the hydroelectric history of Niagara Falls, set amidst the spectacular scenery of the Niagara River Gorge. See and hear the functions of huge gantry cranes and weather permitting, the presentation may include an outdoor visit to the forebay area and a spare turbine. Diorama-rama! Spectacular views in the comfortable environment of a glass enclosed walkway or on the outdoor observation deck. THE ECHO CLUB. 125 year old registered landmark visited by Presidents and Popes, with amazing architecture built using Glacier Rocks. Features 5 trap doors used during Prohibition for the on-site speakeasy. Incredible collections of retro memorabilia, bricolage, gee-gaws, knick-knacks and doo-dads. Should be great fun! William T Love and the Tragedy of the Love Canal, one of America’s most toxic environmental disasters and site tour. Hydro towers, exurbia landscape, Niagara Falls blight contrast with falls.

LUNCH: ANCHOR BAR. Legendary Home of the Buffalo Chicken Wing.

PM: RUINS OF THE GILDED AGE

HARD HAT TOUR: Deep inside the ruins of the Gilded Age. HH Richardson State Psychiatric Hospital TREMENDOUS abandoned insane asylum. Inside the Grain Elevators and elevator alley.

EVENING REFRESHMENT: SCHWABL’S – Classic 30′s German resto, chance to try Beef on Weck (proper hand-carved beef on kummelweck roll sprinkled with caraway seeds and pretzel salt — au jus and a helping of horseradish. Delicious! Exceptional service, decor and quality and a charmingly nostalgic dining experience. After supper we will drive in the country to the ROYCROFT CAMPUS in East Aurora NY, home of Elbert Hubbard’s utopian Arts and Crafts movement. 19th Century enclave for artists, bohemians, eccentrics joined by the ideal of craftsmanship over mass-production and the philosophy of “head, heart and hands.”

HOTEL: ROYCROFT INN, East Aurora NY

DAY 5 — MONDAY 15 JULY 2013

AM: FRANK L WRIGHT TOUR: Drive in the country to Greycliffe House, overlooking Lake Erie.

LUNCH: Ted’s Red Hot’s for Buffalo 85-year long tradition of excellent charbroiled hot dogs OR Nick Charlap’s Homemade Ice Cream

PM: FRANK L WRIGHT TOUR — Largest collection of FLW buildings in USA! Larkin Building, Inside tour of Darwin Martin House, Davidson House, Heath House Blue Sky Mausoleum Rowing Boathouse, Shingle-style Houses and Arts & Crafts cottages.

EVENING REFRESHMENT: END-OF -TOUR EVENT TBD

HOTEL: HYATT HOTEL, BUFFALO NY

DAY 6 — TUESDAY 16 JULY 2013

Hotel check-out and airport transfers.

END OF TOUR — Bid adieu to Buffalo, NY — City of No Illusions. Return home and tell all your friends of your Buffalo adventures!

TOUR COST: USD 1499

TOUR FEE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:

- Twin-occupancy hotel accommodation

- All entry fees

- Local guides, transportation and driver to complete tour itinerary

- Continental breakfast each day

- All applicable taxes

- Certified PPE Hard-Hat

- Group donation to help re-tile the Central Terminal Restoration Corp

NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOUR FEE:

- Optional single supplement of USD 75 per night

- Optional single supplement at Roycroft of USD 100 per night

- Spending money for drinks and souvenirs

- Lunch and supper (all restaurants are VERY reasonably priced between USD 8 and USD 15 per meal with LARGE portions)

- Tips for driver and local guides (Please Note: In the USA, tipping is customary for bartenders, taxi drivers, restaurant servers, etc.)

To Apply for this tour send an email to: christophergraper@gmail.com

- All applications and payments must be received by June 15th, 2013

- Room upgrades are available — please ask for more information

- This tour requires a minimum of 10 persons to run

- Tour includes all sites listed below, however the schedule may be adjusted

- Every effort has been made to ensure that we will see the sites as listed. However, it is possible that closure, demolition, safety concerns or other factors beyond our control may make it impossible to visit particular sites. We ask that clients understand these unique circumstances, and trust that we will make every effort to find a suitable replacement.

Kim Il Sung 101st Birthday Tour

Posted April 16, 2013 by Vicky & filed under DPRK news, Friendship, Journalists, Press articles, Tourism.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock this past week you can’t have failed to notice that, yet again, tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been dominating headlines. This week, however, has seen the political developments coinciding with the April 15th holiday – the 101st birthday of North Korean leader Kim Il Sung, aka: one of the most popular times of the year for tourists to visit DPRK.

Kimilsunglia Flower Show
Image Credit ©Hannah Barraclough

We had over 40 tourists booked to travel to Pyongyang in four groups accompanied by Daniel, Hannah, Sarah and Simon – understandably with the tone of media reporting of the situation many of our tourists (and their relatives) were anxious and in fact uncertain the tours would even be able to go ahead. We even had two tourists who were undecided about whether to go right up until the tour briefing ended – the afternoon before departure!

Koryo Tours celebrates its 20th anniversary this year – that’s 20 years of experience taking film crews, sports teams, musicians – and of course tourists – into North Korea, in these past 20 years we have been no stranger to periods of increased rhetoric. We have an excellent relationship with the British Embassy in Pyongyang, who at no point over the previous month have advised us to cancel any tours. All four tours went in to Pyongyang and experienced no sign of preparation for war.

The newest addition to the Air Koryo fleet, the Antonov-148
Image Credit ©Hannah Barraclough

Tourists boarding the new Antonov-148 after a successful tour Image Credit ©Hannah Barraclough

Tourists boarding the Tupolev-204 after a successful tour
Image Credit ©Hannah Barraclough

Hannah has just come back from Pyongyang with her tourists who opted for the three day tour – and we’re pleased to report everyone had a marvellous time in a jam-packed itinerary that included catching the beginning and end of the Pyongyang Marathon, a football match and a performance by the Symphony Orchestra – not to mention visiting the Kimilsungia Flower Show and joining in celebrations to mark the 101st birthday of Kim Il Sung. To see more of Hannah’s fantastic photos follow her on instagram at hannahkoryo. Below you’ll find a round-up of some of this week’s press coverage of Koryo’s work and a testimonial from one of our tourists.

KORYO TOURS IN THE PRESS:

VIDEO: Hannah on Sky News: http://news.sky.com/story/1078219/north-korea-brands-us-an-enemy-of-the-state

VIDEO: Hannah again, this time featured in The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9995221/British-tour-guide-describes-mood-inside-North-Koreas-Pyongyang.html

Amanda talking to the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/15/north-korea-bbc-panorama_n_3083538.html?utm_hp_ref=uk?ncid=GEP

Simon debunking myths about ‘real’ North Koreans on CNN “These people are humans too”: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/12/world/asia/north-korea-we-rarely-see/index.html

NOTES FROM A TOURIST:

My name is Trevor and I have just returned from a Koryo Tours organised tour of Pyongyang, North Korea.

Before leaving I had mentioned that I was going on the tour to some of my friends and family: they all thought I was crazy to go due to the current tensions between the North and South. To be honest, so was I. We were briefed at the tour office before departure to the DPRK, this briefing was extremely well organised and informative but I still felt a little anxious.

The next we day we landed in Pyongyang, after getting through immigration I still felt nervous but we were met by our guides and started the tour immediately. This was also very well organised and ran smoothly.

As the tour progressed my feelings changed dramatically. During the tour we were often in public places surrounded by Korean people. You wouldn’t know there were any tensions at all. Everyone smiled and waved to us. This made (and I think I speak for our whole group) me feel much less tense.

Monday was the birthday of Kim Il Sung, we ended up in a public park. What I saw amazed me. There was dancing, laughing, singing and eating. Everyone was happy. We were invited to dance, sing and share their food. Again, you would never think that there is a problem right now.

Dancing with locals in Moranbong Park
Image Credit ©Hannah Barraclough

Picnic with locals in Moranbong Park
Image Credit ©Hannah Barraclough

Lastly, this was a life time opportunity and wouldn’t hesitate to go again or advise people not to go there. Thank you Koryo Tours!! See you on the next tour!

Trevor Hanes, April 16th 2013

As ever, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any further questions, and if you come across a newspaper article, or video we’ve missed do let us know! You can find us on Facebook, Twitter or drop us a line: info@koryogroup.com

Qing Ming Tour – DPRK April 4-6

Posted April 11, 2013 by Vicky & filed under DPRK news, Friendship, Press articles, Tourism, Uncategorized.

Amanda and Rich talk about their experience leading two group tours during this period of heightened rhetoric.

The tour coincided with the Qing Ming holiday in China, also marked in DPRK on April 5^th, whereby citizens are given the day off work to pay respects at their ancestors’ graves – mostly located outside of the cities – and spend the day with family.

Not only did we have our group of 26, but we also had arranged two international school tours – one of 25 students and the other of 15, the latter focusing on musical collaboration with local students. Of course there were many concerned parents waiting at home for their children to return, and according to the reports in South China Morning Post and feedback from the students and teachers, it seems they had the time of their lives on what was an invaluable experience promoting engagement and tolerance during this particularly troubled time. We hope to have their accounts up on here very soon.

As with all our visits over the past couple of months since the nuclear test in February, upon arrival at Pyongyang Airport everything likewise seemed to be as normal – no increased security measures, customs checks as chaotic as usual. On our drive into the city, we did not see marching drills or camouflaged vehicles as was seen last month but instead military personnel and civilians engaged in tree-planting activities (as is usual at this time of year) and construction work.

Annyonghasimnikka Kim Il Sung Square

Kim Il Sung square, April 4th 2013. Image ©Patrick Thornquist

Members of the group ask, “Is this where they hold the big military parades?” Yes – Nick had even attended a rally just days before – but not today as it seems the youth of Pyongyang have claimed it for themselves kitted out in their roller blades (having been the craze for these new kids on the block for the last year.) We stroll across to view the Grand People’s Study House standing for a few minutes whilst the kids whistle by. From a safe distance we hear the occasional ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’. Rich tries a half-hearted high-five and a brave skater breaks from the group and hits. I think he’s taken aback as Rich laughs more than him. More follow suit, smiles emerge and a few shouts and waves ensue. One tourist comments on the need for tourism if this is the difference it makes in such a misunderstood place. We’ve only been in Pyongyang less than an hour.

Our first (and only) full day – the holiday – was spent visiting the major monuments and sights of Pyongyang significant to DPRK history, as well as places of entertainment and leisure popular with the Pyongyang citizenry on Sundays and holidays, including the legendary Golden Lane Bowling Alley (a favourite with many of our group also!) and the new top-floor bar of the Taedonggang No 3 Micro-brewery opposite the Juche Tower.

The most noticeable thing about the whole day was the complete – obvious – lack ‘readying for war’ and instead that relaxed feel that you get in Pyongyang on days off when people and kids are out and about enjoying a few hours of fun – be it shooting pool at the bowling alley, knocking each other over whizzing around on Kim Il Sung Square, or knocking back a couple of beers at the bar – which was totally incongruous with the media reports we had read before visiting – about the cutting of the military hotlines between North and South, the barring of South Korean workers from the Kaesong Industrial Complex and the DPRK’s strong responses to US-ROK military exercises and B-52s – and something that struck the members of our group the most.

Was it noticeable because we were visiting on a holiday and only Pyongyang and if we had stayed longer and visited other parts of the country we would have had different impressions, or is the country now turning its attention to the period leading up to the April 15^th festivities with the Mangyongdae Prize Cup and the Pyongyang Marathon, and ultimately the grand-scale celebrations planned for July 27th? One can only speculate but it will be interesting to hear what Hannah, Simon, Dan and Sarah have to say when they return from the birthday tours in a week or so.

Conversation and the Media

I say a total lack of readying for war , which is not entirely true. As is often the case with these things, you think the world is a lovely place until you turn on the TV or radio – same in Pyongyang. The local news was being broadcast on the TV in the bowling alley. “They’re reporting on Marshall Kim Jong Un’s visits to front-line islands to give support to the citizens there,” our guide explained. “It was an unexpected visit.” The deeply emotional response from the islanders and the reaction to the report from the people standing around watching certainly gave the impression that the population would follow their leader along the path to a ‘strong and prosperous nation’ whatever the cost.

“Of course we do not want war but we must defend ourselves against imperialist aggression and develop economically. For this we need to carry out nuclear tests. France did it, the US does it. Why then when our country does it, does it provoke this kind of reaction? So we must be ready to defend ourselves.” “The damned South Korean government has threatened to blow up the statues of our leaders. That is the ultimate provocation and we will react” were the nature of the comments we heard from our guides and other Koreans we met who wanted to discuss the situation and who were very curious to know what was being reported in Western media – even more so on the morning of our departure when the BBC reported that the DPRK warns foreign embassies that their safety cannot be guaranteed after April 10^th.Understandably this created a lot of buzz on the way to the airport. “This is a very serious, tense time. Not to be taken lightly. One mistake from either side will have devastating effects” was the general concluding remark from both visitors and hosts.

So after somewhat sad goodbyes at Sunan airport, life carries on with relative normality. Our guides go back to their office to prep for their next tour. Our tourists return home or travel onward to other exciting destinations, and we return to a flurry of media interviews about our trip and questions from concerned tourists about the risks of visiting.

In the days since our return, The DPRK has withdrawn all 53,000 of its workers from the Kaesong Industrial Park, saying that it “gets few economic benefits from the zone while the South side largely benefits from it.” A number of Embassies in Pyongyang have evacuated their staff and as a result some tour operators have cancelled their tours. KITC are still arranging tours and issuing visas and the British Embassy is not advising us to cancel these tours, which after having spent a couple of days there in the middle of it all, I do not think is an irresponsible decision and I would say the majority of the people who visited with us would agree. - Amanda Carr and Rich Beal, April 2013

You can see Amanda being interviewed on CNN here and also hear tourist Patrick Thornquist speak on NPR here - for the most up to date information do follow us on twitter and like our facebook page.

Koryo Cinema / April 11th 2013 / O, Youth

Posted April 4, 2013 by Simo & filed under DPRK films, Events, Film Screenings, Films, Koryo Tours films.

O, Youth! (1995) – Film Synopsis:

Ki Ho, a researcher majoring in history, is totally engrossed in the research for Taekwon-do, forgetting to marry though he is 30. His mother is anxious to get him married as soon as possible. Each of his five sisters, all athletes, introduces him a girl. But mother does not warm to their ideas as the girls are all athletes. One day Ki Ho makes friends with a girl. She is Un Gyong, a Taekwon-do player. But Ki Ho and his mother think that she is an embroiderer. But seeing Un Gyong display the honour of the fatherland to the world in the International Taekwon-do Championship, Ki Ho’s mother is more than happy to have her as her daughter-in-law.

(From the book: Korean Film published in 2008 by Korea Film Export & Import Corporation)

———————————————————

Screening Details:

Where: Koryo Tours Office

(Next to Yashow Clothing Market/The Village in San Li Tun)

Date: Thursday April 11th, 2013
Time: Starts at 7:30PM (19:30)
Film running time: 95min
Entrance: Free

To book: vicky@koryogroup.com

Koryo Cinema is brought you by Koryo Tours and Electric Shadows.

North Eastern Adventure – New Tours

Posted March 28, 2013 by Simo & filed under Destinations, Tour Dates, Tourism.

Following on from Hannah’s recent trip to Hoeryong, we are very pleased to announce the newest addition to our exciting DPRK tour portfolio. This unique trip centres around the rarely-visited north-east part of the DPRK. With two land border crossings we take in Hoeryong – a city which only opened to western tourists at the end of 2012, Chongjin (the 3rd largest city in the DPRK), the beautiful Mt Chilbo scenic area and finally the free trade and economic zone of Rason.

The far northern city of Hoeryong is famous in North Korea as the birthplace of Kim Jong Suk (the wife of President Kim Il Sung and mother of Kim Jong Il). This fascinating small city has been closed to western tourists since the founding of the country, so here’s something very unique for anyone who wants to make the journey.

From Hoeryong there is a land route to the large coastal city of Chongjin – the DPRK’s 3rd largest city, a place many have heard of but few have ever been to. It was opened to tourists by Koryo Tours in the 1990s but still sees only a handful of groups per year. From Chongjin you can also visit the stunning and remote Mount Chilbo range – one of the sacred mountain areas of Korea and a place of outstanding natural beauty as well as hidden temples and colourful legends – also the only place in the country that foreign visitors can sleep in a homestay village. The tour ends in Rason in the very far north-east of the DPRK.
What’s so special about this new tour we are offering is that it offers an entirely new way to enter the country – crossing by land from the Chinese city of Tumen (named for the river that it stands on) to the North Korean town of Namyang – a crossing previously only open to local Chinese and Korean traders.

This tour begins and ends in the north eastern Chinese city of Yanji, a fascinating small (by Chinese standards!) city where ethnic Koreans and Han Chinese mix. A great place to wander around, go for an evening out, sightsee, or just relax in advance of the tour. You can fly here from Beijing, Shanghai, and other destinations in China as well as South Korea.

We are offering 2 tours this year:

North Eastern Adventure 1 (JUNE) – if you combine this with the Spring Tour you will get a EUR 100 discount and no flight exit surcharge

North Eastern Adventure 2 (OCTOBER) – if you combine this with the Party Foundation Day Long or Short Tour you will get a EUR 100 discount and no flight exit surcharge

March Madness Tour

Posted March 22, 2013 by Hannah & filed under DPRK news, Events, Football, Tourism.

This trip was always going to be an interesting one. Following the nuclear test on 12th Feb, the UN imposed even tougher sanctions which this time were supported by China. This also coincided with the announcement that the annual military exercises between the US and ROK would soon be carried out. The reaction in the north was to try to end the armistice agreement which had been signed on 27th July 1953 and to announce retaliation with all-out war should even a single bullet stray onto DPRK territory. As expected, for Koryo, this resulted in many emails and calls from people booked on tours and prospective tourists concerned about the safety aspects of travelling to the DPRK at this time. As always, we were in close contact with our partners in Pyongyang and the British Embassy in the DPRK, and we asserted that despite the heightened rhetoric, tourism could continue as usual – as it had been known to in similar periods of heightened rhetoric in the past.

Bus with camouflage – note the orange USS Pueblo behind in its new location on the Potong River

The tour this time consisted of 3 groups of 16 so quite a large number – all very keen to go in and see for themselves how the DPRK was – particularly at this time. Upon arrival at Pyongyang Airport all seemed to be as normal – no increased security measures etc. Driving into the city though, there were definitely more signs of ‘readying for possible war’. These included groups of civilians doing military training in public areas (mainly marching practise), more anti-US slogans and propaganda posters up and even some vehicles with camouflage netting draped over them.

“Severe, merciless punishment to the US Imperialists and all who follow them.”

Life seemed to be continuing as usual however. Lots of signs up acknowledging that this year is the 60th anniversary of the end of the war (July 27th) and the 65th anniversary of the founding of the DPRK (Sep 9th). Construction was still going on with various projects – the new war museum (where we caught a glimpse of the Pueblo’s new location) and a new park and underground shopping centre is being constructed between the Fountain Park and Mansudae Assembly Hall. The Mangyongdae Prize Cup was also being held and we were able to go and see a football match in Kim Il Sung Stadium – April 25th (military team) vs Light Industry Team. This was the equivalent of seeing Manchester United vs Chelsea. April 25th are known to be the better team but they always lose against Light Industry and this time was no exception – the final score was 1:0 to Light Industry.

April 25th vs Light Industry

The visit to the DMZ was a highlight for many – especially considering the current situation. The only difference with the visit though was that we were not allowed to enter into the blue hut which we usually do where we are able to ‘cross over’ to South Korea. American soldiers were spotted walking on the south side. The military guards who accompany the groups were jovial as ever but they did talk about the cutting of the military hotline between DPRK and ROK and said that tensions were running very high.

DMZ – no access allowed into the blue hut anymore

There was a decent amount of footage on the local television about the situation and one night there was a long programme showing Kim Jong Un giving on the spot guidance to the military as they practiced shelling an island that lies off the west coast near to Nampo.

Civilians practising military exercises

The Koreans we spoke to were all very curious to learn about what we had been hearing in our western media, how the situation was being described and what was being said about the DPRK. Comments heard from locals about the situation included:

Why do the US want to kill us?
Why is the UK involved?
We need to protect our national honour.
We are ready for war, we have nothing to lose.
The US has promised us food in exchange for giving up our nuclear weapons but we cannot trust them. Look what happened in Libya and Iraq.
The soldiers at the DMZ are all ready to attack whenever they get the call.
This is no longer the DMZ – this is now the front line.
More than 2000 nuclear tests have been conducted throughout the world – why shouldn’t we be allowed to do it?
Guides were particularly worried about the effects of the new sanctions on daily life they mentioned in particular worries about the electricity supply and heating and remarked that it is coming at a time when they feel life was just starting to get easier again. There seemed to be a large amount of fear that hardship for many may return.
At the DMZ the local guides said they definitely felt that the situation was more tense there and asked if we felt the same.

Bowling at Golden Lane

In other news from the trip – the 3G access for foreigners has now been restricted to long term visitors/residents of Pyongyang only and tourists are not permitted to use this service. They can still buy simcards to make calls but no internet access available.

Pictures by Hannah on Instagram – follow her on: hannahkoryo

The Koryo Tours Blog

Koryo Tours first to visit North Korean border city of Sinuiju

North Korea’s largest border city opening for tourists

Mangyongdae Prize Cup – Sport in Pyongyang

Koryo Canada – Buffalo, USA: City of No Illusions

Qing Ming Tour – DPRK April 4-6

Koryo Cinema / April 11th 2013 / O, Youth

March Madness Tour

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