North Korea

Quick Facts

Region: North & Central Asia



Both Koreas share a Buddhist and Confucian heritage and a recent history of Christian and Cheondoism ("religion of the Heavenly Way") movements. The North Korean constitution states that freedom of religion is permitted. According to the Western standards of religion, the majority of the North Korean population could be characterized as irreligious. However, the cultural influence of such traditional religions as Buddhism and Confucianism still have an effect on North Korean spiritual life. Nevertheless, Buddhists in North Korea reportedly fare better than other religious groups, particularly Christians, who are said to face persecution by the authorities. Buddhists are given limited funding by the government to promote the religion, because Buddhism played an integral role in traditional Korean culture



Area (sq. km):
120,540 square meters


Korea Time Zone (UTC+09:00)

When To Travel

North Korea has a continental climate with four distinct seasons.Long winters bring bitter cold and clear weather interspersed with snow storms as a result of northern and northwestern winds that blow from Siberia. Average snowfall is 37 days during the winter. The weather is likely to be particularly harsh in the northern, mountainous regions. Summer tends to be short, hot, humid, and rainy because of the southern and southeastern monsoon winds that bring moist air from the Pacific Ocean. Typhoons affect the peninsula on an average of at least once every summer. Spring and autumn are transitional seasons marked by mild temperatures and variable winds and bring the most pleasant weather. Natural hazards include late spring droughts which often are followed by severe flooding. There are occasional typhoons during the early fall. North Korea's climate is relatively temperate. Most of the country is classified as type Dwa in the Köppen climate classification scheme, with warm summers and cold, dry winters. In summer there is a short rainy season called changma.

Useful Travel Facts


Sunan International Airport, Pyongyang.


Mobile phones are now allowed to be brought into the country, however please remember that they won’t work.  Passengers will have the option of leaving their phones in China if they wish.







The DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) visa fee is 50 Euros.

Please provide the following Documents to your booking agent no later than 60 days prior to departure. Please note any forms listed below will be given to you by your booking agent for you to complete and return.

• Colour passport copy

• Colour passport photo x4

• Completed Application Form

• Completed Journalist Form

• Please make sure you have a double entry Chinese visa and valid insurance which can cover their trip to the DPRK.

• Unfortunately US citizens can not travel on our itinerary due to the fact that we depart North Korea via train and US citizens can only enter/exit North Korea via plane. It’s a 11 night itinerary and US citizens can only travel for 10 nights in North Korea.

• For Applicants based in Hong Kong, we need a reference letter from his/her company as well as a scan of the person’s HK ID card is required to process the application.

• For applicants based in France, please include an email address as the DPRK consulate in Paris will need to contact them.

Please understand that information and processes can change so for the most up to date information please check with your local Consulate or Embassy.

Useful Words & Phrases