Discover North Korea

With special Fragkiska Megaloudi, author of 'In The Land of Kim'. I am joined by Fragkiska Megaloudi who spent two years living in North Korea under the UN, an organisation with a surprising amount of freedom to roam around the country. Or, so it used to be. Fragkiska is a fascinating individual with an incredible background. We couldn't help but chat for 2 hours, so this episode will be in two pa...

I am joined by Fragkiska Megaloudi who spent two years living in North Korea under the UN, an organisation with a surprising amount of freedom to roam around the country. Or, so it used to be. Fragkiska is a fascinating individual with an incredible background. We couldn't help but chat for 2 hours, so this episode will be in two parts. More from Fragkiska - The Book (In the Land of Kim: Two years...

I chat to North Korea film expert Nick Bonner, who's attended every PIFF since 2002, for some insider knowledge on everything from how to process works to cute anecdotes like how acting can lead to getting yourself a husband. Koryo Tours will be attending PIFF 2026 and will be posting on their Instagram and YouTube accounts. Make sure to follow along! North Korean Films produced with Nick Bonner K...

Just me on the show today as I get a bit passionate about a topic close to home; content creation on North Korea. As much as I have my qualms with some of the content that has come out from Rason and the Pyongyang Marathon - I don't believe it was 'influencers that closed North Korea'. One big argument I forget to mention here is.... North Korea closed after just *one* group of tourists went in. A...

Anna and I talk about some of the interesting content that has come out online since the marathon and what it's like to produce 'normal' or 'mundane' nuanced content on North Korea, away from the sensationalist headlines. Follow Anna Pelova's work - TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@visiteverycountry/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/annapelova/ Contact me: zoediscovers@gmail.com / @zoediscovers /...

I get together with Greg at the Beijing office for an impromptu meet-up and discuss all things behind the scenes at the Pyongyang Marathon. Links mentioned: Eastern Bhutan 2026 (with Greg) https://koryogroup.com/tours/offbeat-eastern-bhutan Bangladesh & Bhutan Combo (December 2025, with Greg & Zoe!) https://koryogroup.com/tours/koryo-bhutan-and-bangladesh-adventure International tours...

A here there and everywhere episode as I take you into Pyongyang and for a bit of the behind the scenes of the Pyongyang Marathon. Pyongyang Marathon 2026 Updates PYM 2026 Early Bird (closes 1st Sept 2025) Pyongyang Marathon Vlog Koryo Tours & Afghanistan Michael Palin in North Korea Contact me: zoediscovers@gmail.com / @zoediscovers /@zoediscoversnk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

On this episode of Discover North Korea, I take you on a much-awaited AIR KORYO flight back to Pyongyang for the Pyongyang Marathon. We start in Beijing Airport and finish with some conversations with North Korean colleagues at Pyongyang Airport. The next couple of episodes will be covering my time in Pyongyang & the Pyongyang Marathon!  The Pyongyang Marathon 2026 has not yet been announ...

The final episode of our Rason trip! We enjoy our last few sights on the tour as well as have a little interview with our young guide Miss Kim. Tune in next time when I TAKE YOU TO PYONGYANG. Thank you to my Patrons and to the Koryo Tours gang for your constant support. NOTE: North Korea borders are once again CLOSED indefinitely. Rason tours are now suspended. I will be posting updates on my Inst...

In the second of this 3-part episode, I take you on a tour around Rason in North Korea. Thank you to my Patrons and to the Koryo Tours gang for your constant support. NOTE: North Korea borders are once again CLOSED indefinitely. Rason tours are now suspended. I will be posting updates on my Instagram & all other platforms. (@zoediscovers / @zoediscoversnk). 🔗 North Korea Tours - https://koryo...

I am so excited to finally be able to take you on a trip to North Korea. In this 3-part episode, I take you on a tour to North Korea so you can experience yourselves what a North Korea tour is like - plus some extra insights from me throughout, too! Thank you to my Patrons and to the Koryo Tours gang for your constant support. NOTE: North Korea borders are once again CLOSED indefinitely. Rason tou...

On this episode of Discover North Korea I catch up with you all on what on earth has been going on, as well as giving you a bit of an inside scoop on life working in North Korea tourism. Hint: it’s been a bit crazy. Tours to Rason - https://koryogroup.com/tours/dprk-north-korea/group Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

North Korea has been closed for 5+ years. And we all waited for it to open. Finally, now the day has come. Well, is coming. Rason will open on the 20th Feb and maybe Pyongyang soon after, let's hope. For now, I chat to special guest, friend, and colleague Greg who just got back from Rason in North Korea after being invited there on a special delegation. Tours start on the 20th Febuary, tours open...

I chat with Veronika who was one of the Russians to visit North Korea recently and who posted her trip on social media. She tells us all about her trip to North Korea! NOTE: The North Korean borders are NOT yet open. Some limited Russian tourist groups are currently permitted to go in only. Sign up to this newsletter or WhatsApp group for border opening updates. My biggest thanks to Veronika for s...

The podcast is back after a non-deliberate break! A little update from me and about the podcast in the future. Next full episode coming out next week. North Korean borders are not yet open to tourism. Sign up to this newsletter or WhatsApp group for border opening updates. Can't wait any longer? Check out the North Korea From a Near Distance tour and get $150 USD discount with code ZoeDMZ! Hosted...

The last in this series* and we go out with a bang! I chat with Greg, Lesley, and Peter about a very unique trip to South Korea - one truly like no other. That you can be part of this year, too! *Don't worry, I'm just taking a break and will be back in mid-September time :). I'll be back after a trip and also with another podcast in the making... watch this space! -------------------- Follow me on...

The second part in the 2-part episode "Inside the North Korean Countryside". In this episode, we head to a few key spots in the North Korean countryside known for their beauty or indeed because they're hardly known at all and worth a mention... More details of each of these in the Travel Guides section on koryogroup.com (links below). Places we cover; Pakyon Falls Ryongmun Caves Ulim Waterfall Sam...

In this 2-part episode, I delve into the North Korean countryside to give an overview on what the North Korean countryside has to offer. This first episode is all about mountains; North Korea's most famous mountain ranges. Indeed, of the 6 famous mountains on the Korean Peninsula - 5 of them lie in the northern half. So, there's a lot to cover! A lot of this information was taken from Koryo Tours'...

I chat with Nick Bonner, Koryo Studio director and producer/director of several movies & documentaries inside North Korea. He's the go-to man for facilitating these kinds of projects (and much more) in North Korea, and a film he co-directed also won an award a the Pyongyang International Film Festival. He's also the associate producer of Aim High in Creation, a film by an Australian movie prod...

What makes the North East so special? I chat with my colleague and friend Pete who works as a freelance tour guide for Koryo Tours (pre-pandemic..!) and visited the DPRK 6 times alone in 2019. He first visited North Korea on a simple trip to Pyongyang but decided that he needed to go back to explore more. Pete also gave a really interesting insight into an SEZ that came up as a topic in the Rason...

From shooting pheasants (chickens?) and taking them home for dinner to having a soak completely naked with the locals at the spa. In this episode, I chat about some things you probably never knew you could do in North Korea. This is a list mainly inspired by everyone's reactions when I tell them what I've been up to on tour. Sure, some of these actually surprised me too - but it's mainly the thing...

I decided to get on the ChatGPT bandwagon and use it to see the best, most popular, and most ridiculous myths on North Korea and I discuss their origins and the truth behind them. Contact me with your questions & guest recommendations on zoediscovers@gmail.com. Follow me on; -> Instagram @zoediscoversnk for pictures, videos, and live sessions (when it's possible) from inside North Korea -&g...

On this episode, I chat about North Korea's Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Rason, in the very northeast of North Korea. It's also the first place I ever visited in North Korea! Get a North Korean bank account, visit a casino, go to the local market, and say hi to the seals! Contact me with your questions & guest recommendations on zoediscovers@gmail.com. Follow me on; -> Instagram @zoediscover...

Today I'm joined by three special guests to discuss the US travel ban to North Korea, the impacts this has on North Korea, on a global scale, and indeed on American citizens themselves. We discuss everything from North Korean tourism to cultural exchanges in North Korea, and why even the US travel ban to North Korea exists. And finally, what you can do to help... A more political conversation toda...

Do you either really want the North Korean passport stamp, or really don't want it? Whichever one you are, I let you know how to avoid the North Korean passport stamp as well as two ways (the only ways) to get it... ------------------ Contact me with your questions & guest recommendations on zoediscovers@gmail.com. Follow me on; - Instagram @zoediscoversnk for pictures, videos, and live sessio...