North Korea doesn't smile 1

Fossilized Heroes.

The undiscovered country

In 2011 the world is (still) full of hope. Globalization predicts a golden future for humanity in peace and interdependence, albeit with setbacks, for example when the Western democracies in their decadent arrogance faltered alarmingly for the first time after the Cold War due to the financial and banking crisis. Crisis after crisis follows crisis all over the world at ever shorter intervals.

"Where are you going? North Korea?! Are you tired of life?" is what I hear more than once from the stunned and disturbed faces of friends and acquaintances. North Korea is one of the most difficult countries for travelers. It is associated with considerable restrictions. There is no privacy there, not even for the tiny number of tourists there.

Not everything is as it seems.

It is very likely that the rooms are all bugged, possibly monitored by video, and the hotels are sealed off. A quick trip into town is not possible. They are partially locked at night. “Just for your safety!” they tell us. The political leadership wants to prevent the North Korean population from having contact with tourists at any cost. The countless police officers in uniform and plain clothes ensure this.

I receive the visa a few weeks after submitting my application. In fact, I have to apply for two visas, one for China and another for North Korea, which wasn't a problem. From South Korea we go directly to China, more precisely to Beijing. From there our journey will begin. But before that, a polite, smiling officer fishes me out and asks me a few questions.

In Beijing I meet the group: eight others who appear tired of life, plus our tour guide. Alternatively, there would have been the option of traveling the country alone. Alone means being with a North Korean tour guide who ensures compliance with the rules, who makes sure you stay busy, who specializes in ensuring that - in the unlikely event of spontaneous social contact - you meet the right people.

Tatütata

In Beijing we board an oversized plane: apart from us, there are only a few business people sitting there. The Air China plane, already showing its age, takes us safely to Sunan Airport, North Korea: a runway in a field and a small, lonely terminal. At first I think the pilot made an emergency landing for whatever reason. But he hasn't. Fortunately.

I search the area for houses in vain. But there are only fields and the Pothong-gang River. Nothing is left to chance here. We really landed. The airport is located almost 30 kilometers outside of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. The personality cult surrounding the ruling family is extremely pronounced here - as in the whole country - but especially here. Kim Jong-il has been in poor health for some time now. He has ruled the country with a hard hand since 1994 and will die of heart failure this year, on December 17th, 2011, at the age of 69.

Kim Jong-il, father of current leader Kim Jong-un.

Our bus takes us to the Yanggakdo International Hotel in Pyongyang. It is located at the eastern end of Yanggak Island, in the middle of the Taedong-gang River, and is therefore perfectly shielded from the city. Guests of the hotel cannot leave the island without permission. At 170 meters high, the hotel is the second largest building in North Korea. A visit to the revolving restaurant on the 47th floor is only reserved for a few visitors. Rumor has it that an entire floor is reserved for North Korean secret services. The perfect place for a James Bond film. But everything is real. Welcome to North Korea.