North Korea prohibits the use of large suitcases, a model to be replicated?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The effect of monetary policy on the travel industry can be profound in any economy, but in North Korea, it’s usually more complicated. In a developed market, for example, a monetary policy that leads to inflation can make travel more expensive (duh, right). Well, in North Korea, you have to look past the implications of monetary policy to the underlying political drivers … because the root cause can result in more than financial constraints. The end result will blow your mind.

Take Kim Jong Il‘s latest move to revalue the North Korean currency. On its face, it isn’t terribly exciting. Then, you add to it a wealth cap — the people swapping old currency for new could only receive a certain amount back, rendering the unexchanged cash worthless. Though the regime loosened the restrictions from the $40 limit, the policy has still been unpopular. There was some rioting, even some fatalities, but Kim Jong Il and his machine appear to be committed to the measure.

At the same time, the government has announced it would shut down some of the larger private markets, which is how many people survive — the UN estimates that half the calories consumed in North Korea come from these markets. This foray into capitalism has been a pain in the regime’s ass for years, and as the current ruler explores ways to facilitate a handoff to his son, Kim Jong Eun, it’s a good idea to sort all this out. It’s unlikely that the latest Kim will receive a clean Communist state from which to rule, but that won’t stop the current boss from trying.

It’s in these markets that you’ll find the implications of monetary policy for the travel market.The markets are fueled with goods from across the border in China, smuggled in by enterprising and daring North Koreans who are looking for anything from profit to the alleviation of hunger. To make these operations a bit harder, the government has increased border controls, not to mention restrictions on lodging. But, in a manner likely to draw praise from the TSA cause some head-scratching in the rest of the world, the regime has banned big suitcases. Ostensibly, this is to make it harder to smuggle goods into the country for sale in the markets.

You know … if you apply this measure to air travel in the United States, the outcomes would be pretty interesting. Let’s take a look.

The decision of whether to check your luggage or carry it onto the plane disappears. This is one of the most difficult challenges a passenger faces, and thanks to a decision rooted in North Korean monetary policy, it disappears. And, as an added bonus, it also renders any discussion about extra bag fees moot, since the carry-on/check-in decision isn’t relevant.

Have you ever watched with anger as a small person struggles with several big bags, holding up the line at check-in kiosks, security or even the damned Sbarro? With this policy, that wouldn’t happen any more. People would only be able to carry … well … what they can actually carry.

Look, I’m not a fan of the regime in North Korea, and the currency revaluation has had severe consequences — it’s no laughing matter. But, as with any serious situation north of the DMZ, some of the unintended consequences are absurd. A ban on big bags? How the hell do you get from a money swap to luggage? However twisted the road and unfortunate the consequences, it’s hard to hate an idea that would make air travel easier.

Latest U.S. traveler to North Korea has been detained

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The inevitable has happened. Robert Park, who had announced his plans to enter North Korea illegally, has been detained. The U.S. citizen crossed from China in order to bring attention to human rights abuses in the isolated nation and said before his departure that he doesn’t want the U.S. authorities to come rescue him. Park told Reuters last week that he sees this mission as his Christian duty and is carrying a letter calling for Kim Jong Il to relinquish power.

The Korea Central News Agency reports, “A U.S. citizen illegally entered the country across the North Korea-China border and has been detained. The person is currently undergoing questioning by a related agency.” No other details have been released, and nothing has been said about Park’s traveling companions.

The U.S. State Department says, “We’ve seen the reports but have no positive confirmation that he’s been detained.”

It’s not certain what will happen next. The North Korean authorities typically imprison those who enter the country illegally, though this is obviously a touchy political situation. Critics of the regime say that human rights abuses, public executions and a network of prison camps are common within its borders. Corroborating anything out of North Korea – as the State Department implies in its statement – is extremely difficult, at best.

Meanwhile, the top story on the KCNA’s website: Kim Jong Il enjoys art performance given by KPA Navy Ensemble.

[Photo by yeowatzup via Flickr]

Which way is up? The travails of travel writing on North Korea

by Tom Johansmeyer on


It’s easy to be attracted to news about North Korea- for travel writers and every other type of journalist. So little comes out that even the appearance of information makes it noteworthy. This is why those of us interested in covering the most unusual place on Earth will run with press releases or other announcements that would make us groan if they came from anywhere else (I hope this answers an earlier commenter’s question). But, we have to be careful. So much of what is reported on North Korea comes with a clear bias that it’s impossible to get at the truth – even if you go there.

The issue of blogger and journalistic ethics regarding North Korea has been on my mind for a while, but a recent story I wrote for Gadling – which included a U.S State Department-supplied laundry list of human rights abuses – made me stop and think: can any of this be verified? I then thought back to a remark made in Bradley K. Martin’s Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader – the author explained that he was unable to publish some of the fruits of his labor because he couldn’t get corroboration.Now, State Department reports are probably tops for reliability, but an interview that U.S. defector Charles Robert Jenkins gave after he escaped from North Korea indicates that he supplied the feds with “immeasurable” intelligence. Yet, Jenkins doesn’t have unassailable credibility. A defector from the U.S. Army, he’d been a deserter for close to 40 years and was facing prison time (ultimately serving 25 days of a 30-day sentence). Was it clemency for an old and sick man who had been punished enough already? Or, did the sentence reflect a reward for the information he provided?


In the documentary Crossing the Line, James Joseph Dresnock, the last known U.S. defector still living in North Korea, notes Jenkins’ tendency to abuse alcohol, which existed prior to his defection. And, he admits to having hit Jenkins (though not to the extent that Jenkins claimed). Yet, Dresnock doesn’t come across as a genius either, and he’s still in North Korea. Yet again, there’s a credibility problem.

Finally, we have the claims of defectors. Chol-hwan Kang wrote The Aquariums of Pyongyang, Soon Ok Lee wrote Eyes of the Tailless Animals, and Hyun Hee Kim, a former spy involved in the 1987 bombing of Korean Air Flight 858, wrote Tears of My Soul. All three adopted forms of extreme religious worship upon defecting (or, in Hyun Hee Kim’s case, being apprehended). The wild swing can leave room for questions of credibility without assuming a bigoted stance on more intensive faiths.


Other defectors have voiced their views in a variety of settings, the most famous of which, perhaps, is Ahn Myong Chol (not his real name). He used to be a prison guard at Hoeryong Prison No. 22 and defected after he had become a truck driver for the prison and had better access to the means of escape. Now a freelance journalist, he dashes secretly across the border and shoots footage that would be impossible to secure otherwise. His most prominent clip is of an open market in North Korea in which human flesh was alleged to have been sold.

Yet, do you believe a guy who has been a part of the system? Maybe he’s legitimate … or he’s trying to justify any of his actions in the camp. It’s impossible to say without the sort of close look that simply will not happen. I have no reason to doubt Ahn Chol and the other guards who have defected, but there are too many ways their views may have been influenced, whether they realize it or not.

Of course, that leaves the government … the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Have you visited the Korea Central News Agency‘s website? Wow. Clearly, it’s neither unbiased nor, frankly, informative. Among yesterday’s headlines were “Kim Jong Il Sends Spread to Centenarian,” “Important Day of DPRK Marked” and “Korean People’s Just Cause Supported by Brazilian Figure.” Head over to the Korea Friendship Association‘s message boards for a more extreme version, if you can believe it. And, all of the contributors, it seems, are both non-North Korean and have opted in.

I can only speak for myself, but I suspect I’m not alone: we do what we can. North Korea provides interesting subject matter for bloggers and journalists, but there are limits to what he can do. I, for one, encourage a bit more skepticism – in general – regardless of the sources used. It’s the historians, not the journalists, who will sort out the details of live and struggle above the 38 Parallel.

[Photo by Yeowatzup via Flickr]

Five major changes to North Korean tourism in 2009

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Fewer than 1,500 Americans have been to North Korea on vacation, according to Koryo Tours, making it one of the truly remote destinations in a world that’s becoming increasingly interconnected. So, if you’re looking for an unusual stamp in your passport or bragging rights when the conversation turns to “most unusual destination,” a trip above the DMZ remains one of the top alternatives.

If you have set expectations of what a trip to North Korea entails, prepare to have them shattered. Sure, they tend to include the basics that you’ve seen in countless travelogues and news stories, but new sites do open up. Look for a few surprises in 2010, though as one would expect, there are no guarantees.

Below, look for five ways that tourism has changed in North Korea this year. Some of them will surprise you.

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1. Cell phones, cell phones everywhere
Cell phone use is on the rise in North Korea, according to Koryo Tours, which says, “tens of thousands of units have been sold to local residents in the past 12 months.” But, if you’re heading over to Pyongyang this year, you won’t be among the people chatting away. Visitors still aren’t allowed to take their own phones into the country.

2. Foreign grub is now on the menu
Pyongyang is now home to two new pizza joints and a fast food burger place. These come on top of a fried chicken restaurant that opened in 2008.

3. Americans played soccer
A match between the Beijing Chaoyang Park Rangers and a local DPRK club was the first amateur contest in which Americans participated.

4. The movies found romance
Filmmaker (and tour guide) Nick Bonner is trying something new. Following three documentaries on North Korean life and culture (one of which involved American defectors), he’s now working on a romantic comedy. When the film comes out, you may be able to remember visiting some of what you see in the background (just a guess — few details have been released).

5. Short tours were available
Koryo Tours ran a series of short tours to Pyongyang for Arirang this year, which made the destination more accessible to westerners gripped by a global financial crisis.

So, if you’re thinking about a return trip, the scene might look a little different in Pyongyang this time around. Whether you’re going to dig into some kimchi or some pizza and beer, you’ll find something exciting in this corner of the world. Keep an eye on Arirang in September; hopefully Koryo Tours will repeat the deals it ran this year!

If you’re worried about your safety, don’t. You could have a considerable amount of trouble if you enter North Korea illegally, but according to Koryo Tours, organized tours are quite safe, and the company hasn’t had any problems.

North Korean departure leaves five detained in Thailand

by Tom Johansmeyer on

A cargo plane loaded with heavy weapons left Pyongyang, North Korea and had not a care in the world … until the crew needed to land for more fuel at Don Mueang airport in Thailand. This emergency stop, according to Thailand’s deputy prime minister, Suthep Thaungsuban, led to an inspection which unveiled missiles, firearms and other implements of mayhem and destruction — 40 tons in all. Apparently, there were plenty of rocket-propelled grenades on board.

According to AFP, Suthep said, “They declared that the goods on board the flight were oil drilling equipment but when we examined we found it was all weaponry.” Four passengers from Kazakhstan and one from Belarus have been detained.

Captain Montol Suchookhorn, a spokesman for the Thai Air Force, explained, “According to my information, the flight originated from North Korea. It was a cargo flight that requested to land at the civilian side of the airport.”

Prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was careful to note that this incident doesn’t have an impact on the country’s internal security: “This is a joint collaboration of intelligence. We received a tip-off.”

Don Mueang airport hasn’t closed over this incident.

[Photo by yeowatzup via Flickr]