On Location August 2007 – North Korea

This was my third trip. I first visited in the late 1980s and was curious to see what changes I would find. Talk is always of the regime collapsing especially after the demise of Communism around the world however as its neighbours slowly embraced capitalism this hermit kingdom stood its ground and continues to do so.

There are chinks in the armour: there are now free markets, for locals only; there are slightly less political messages adorning the streets; there is certainly more traffic. Yet it is still very tightly controlled: as a visitor you may not leave your hotel unescorted, enter shops, go to bars, people's homes or take taxis; you cannot just apply for a visa and book a train or air ticket. The state tourist company does everything for you.

I flew into the capital, Pyongyang, from Beijing and was met by our two guides. All meals, sightseeing, transportation and even the daily itinerary was organised/controlled by them. There was a small amount of flexibility in the itinerary but this was wholly at the guides' discretion and dependent on how much they trusted us - the more they trust us the more flexible they generally became.

This was evidenced when we were allowed to attend an Olympic football qualifier. Believe it or not it was my first ever football match! I expected the scarves, shirts, shouting and support that I has seen on television, but not here. There were cheers when the DPRK got close to the goal area otherwise almost nothing.

I was visiting during the time of Kim Il Sung's birthday, 14 April. The country celebrates in style - well at least the capital does- and the streets are filled with people, a complete contrast to other periods in the year. The main event is the Mass Games, gymnastics on a phenomenal scale. 20,000 participants perform in the May Day stadium with a seating capacity of over 100,000, the largest in the world.

In addition to the gymnasts participants in seats on the opposite side of the stadium to the spectators create a mosaic of pictures with large cards that they change at the command of flag waving choreographers. Scenes in the picture can move as well meaning that fish can wink and their tails can swish. Seeing the Mass Games alone warrants a visit to this unique country.

The second major event was an evening soiree opened with a flurry of fireworks. Performed in Kim Il Sung square people dance with each other and around maypoles with all the women dressed in traditional costume. Foreigners are then encouraged to join in.

As with most tours to the DPRK, I went to Kaesong. It is here that I saw the politics of the region at first hand. As well as seeing the museum in Kaesong there are two other visits that are usually made in the DMZ (de-militarised zone). One to the "concrete wall", an area of no man's land about 5km wide. You can see American fortifications through the periscopes that line the balcony of the briefing room.

The second visit is to Panmunjom. Here the armistice talks were held when Korea was separated. At the border a number of huts, all painted blue, straddle the two countries. You are permitted to enter one of the huts and walk around inside. This allows you to enter South Korea. You are stopped from opening the door to the other country by a burly soldier. The border here is a mere 4 inches high, again guarded by the soldiers of the country whose visitors are in the building at the time. The road to Kaesong is 200km from Pyongyang and is almost dead straight with almost no traffic. It is further to Pyongyang from Panmunjom than it is to Seoul which is a mere 70km away.

I was lucky enough to go to the Mt Peakdu area that borders China in the north. The only way to get there is to charter a plane which is why so few visit. This is a sacred mountain to the North Koreans since it was here that Kim Il Sung and his son, the present leader Kim Jong Il fought the Japanese occupation.

We have a tour departing in April 2008 that also takes in Dandong, the Chinese border town which we enter by train from Pyongyang, to get the Chinese perspective in the war and the present situation. Visits here include the "one metre gap" the narrowest point between the two countries and Tiger Mountain the most easterly point on the Great Wall. This is a unique country and is well worth the effort.