Today, April 15, 2022, is a massive day in North Korea, marking the 110th birthday anniversary of President Kim Il Sung. Known locally as ‘Day of the Sun’ it’s a big celebration annually, but jubilee dates like this are a particularly big deal. President Kim Il Sung is the founding father of North Korea and its guiding ideology, Juche. He’s an extremely revered figure in North Korea, his efforts credited locally for the liberation of Korea from Japanese rule, victory in the Korean War and the subsequent building of an independent state of self-reliance that we see today. President Kim Il Sung ..read more

Pyongsong is a satellite city of Pyongyang, located 30km northeast, and the capital of South Pyongan Province. Opened for tourism in 2012, Pyongsong is often referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley’ of North Korea, functioning as a research hub for science and technology. Pyongsong is fast developing in recent years, with modernised apartment blocks and educational institutions characterising the city. Pyongsong is renowned for its cultural and industrial sites, revolutionary sites dating back to the Korean War, and factories of household North Korean names. Why is Pyongsong important? Well-connect ..read more

October 10 is an important date in North Korea, marking the anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) back in 1945. The day is known as Party Foundation Day. What is the Workers’ Party of Korea? Founded by President Kim Il Sung, the WPK has been North Korea’s ruling party since the country’s inception and is tasked with implementing the ideologies and cause of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il to build a thriving independent socialist nation. The WPK guides all political, economic, military, and cultural matters in North Korea. North Korea’s Supreme Leader ..read more

National Day on September 9 is North Korea’s birthday and formally known as the Day of the Foundation of the Republic. It’s a public holiday and celebrated annually with massive festivities. This year marks the 72nd anniversary of National Day in North Korea. History North Korea, officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, was established on September 9, 1948. Korea has an extensive history of struggles against imperialism, having been occupied by the Japanese Empire between 1910 and 1945. During this time, the Korean people were repressed and endured cruel atrocities as Japanisation ..read more

You’re on holiday in Seoul, South Korea and the idea of visiting North Korea has crossed your mind. Being within such proximity, roughly 50km to the border, the idea of even a day trip to North Korea from Seoul may not immediately strike you as a farfetched idea. Is it possible? Here’s the deal! Can you cross the border into North Korea from South Korea? No, unfortunately. The border between South Korea and North Korea is closed to civilians. South Korea and North Korea are divided by the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a buffer zone cutting across the peninsula which is 4km in width (2km in ..read more

Today marks the 75th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule on August 15, 1945. This is the only national holiday shared between both North and South Korea. This is a major calendar date in North Korea, and key anniversaries every 5 or 10 years are particularly distinguished by important ceremonies and massive festivities. Liberation Day is one of celebration, commemorating the rebirth of the country from dark times of imperialist occupation and its prosperous future of independence and national unity ahead. We run tours to Liberation Day festivities in North Korea annua ..read more

The gist of this myth, appearing often in online discussions about North Korean tourism, is that every traveler visiting North Korea must be on the same state-sanctioned tour and will be shuttled between the same sites, eat at the same restaurants and stay in the same (singular) hotel. This is certainly not the case, and we’ve laid out the facts here! You can visit all corners of North Korea This pretty much dispels the myth immediately. Over twenty cities and regions spanning all nine provinces of North Korea are open to tourism. You’ll traverse urban hubs, rural towns and farming villages, s ..read more

Understanding Victory Day July 27th is known as Victory Day in North Korea, this year marking the 67th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement which ceased the hostilities of the Korean War. While the armistice ended the armed aggression between North and South Korea, no peace treaty was signed and both Koreas remain technically at war today. The Korean War continues to shape geopolitical affairs on the Korean peninsula as a result. Victory Day is a major national holiday in North Korea, locals have the day off to enjoy the summer weather in local parks and public squares, visit fr ..read more

Air Koryo is the flag carrier of North Korea and its only airline. Over the years, Air Koryo has been branded by media as the ‘worst airline in the world’ and labelled a ‘one-star airline’, a stigma that’s proven tough to shake. But is Air Koryo really a one-star airline? Is this rating deserved? What’s it like to fly Air Koryo? As a North Korea tour operator with over 15 years of flying Air Koryo, we’re in a great position to share our experience! Who gave Air Koryo the one-star rating? The ‘one-star’ badge was given to Air Koryo by a privately owned airline and airport review website named S ..read more

If you thought it was 2020, think again! In North Korea, and year system is different from what you may be used to. North Korea implement their own calendar named the Juche calendar. We explain it below! What is the Juche calendar? The Juche calendar is an alternative dating system used in North Korea where the years are based on the Juche era. Unlike the Gregorian calendar which begins at year 1 according to the birth of Jesus Christ, the Juche calendar begins from 1912, the year of Kim Il Sung’s birth. Kim Il Sung is the founder and the Eternal President of North Korea. Using the Juche calen ..read more