Discover North Korea

So much to unpack with this episode as I sit with Rob Thomas - a Christian American who lived in North Korea with his wife and baby (and Bible?!) - who tells me all about his experience working in the DPRK. Only scratched the surface on this one as there are so many angles to go from! But we start with the basics... how does an American end up working and living in North Korea? And... what was it...

Wonsan is North Korea's most popular place for a holiday. Domestic tourism is on the rise in North Korea and Wonsan is at the forefront of it. You may have heard of North Korea's Kalma resort before? We discuss where the Kalma Resort is up to now and why North Korea tourism as me know it may be about to change. ------------------ Contact me with your questions & guest recommendations on zoedis...

How do you prepare for a trip like no other? I run through all the things you need to consider for your North Korea tour. From packing essentials to how to mentally prepare yourself for this trip of a lifetime... ------------------ 17 things to know before you go; https://koryogroup.com/blog/north-korea-travel-16-things-you-need-to-know-before-you-go ------------------ Contact me with your questio...

What's it like getting a local train in North Korea? Greg and his expertise on all things North Korea travel is back for another episode of Discover North Korea. Whilst the theme this week was supposed to be transport, but again we got stuck flitting between different topics on the DPRK including touring the South Korean - North Korean border from west to east as well as why Greg has been spending...

The second part of a two-part episode that is a bit different... I take you on a journey from Beijing in China to the North Korean border in China's northeast. I hope you enjoy the train experience in podcast form as much as I did in reality (probably a lot nicer in podcast form, to be honest!). If you're after some visuals to accompany you on your journey, head over to Instagram where I have the...

This episode is a bit different as I take you on a journey from Beijing in China to the North Korean border in China's northeast. This is a two-part episode. I hope you enjoy the train experience in podcast form as much as I did in reality (probably a lot nicer in podcast form, to be honest!). If you're after some visuals to accompany you on your journey, head over to Instagram where I have the jo...

I take you on an audio-guided tour through what some have said to be one of the most dangerous places on earth; the DMZ, the border dividing North and South Korea. Visiting from the northern side, it's actually a lot more chilled out than you might expect. But nevertheless, a visit here should not be taken lightly and you should understand the context of where you're visiting in order to get the m...

Which Korea makes the best soju? What would you recommend to visit in North Korea that’s mostly not part of the standard tourist tours? North Korean documentary recommendations? What kind of souvenirs do tourists usually buy? Were you scared the first time you visited vs now? North Korean beer; what's it like? And many, many more of your questions; answered! In this episode, I asked for...

On this episode, I welcome special guest and comrade Xiang Yu - an American Taiwanese musician who made a music video in Pyongyang some years back. We chat about his time in North Korea, making music there, how he got into the world of North Korea and how his family also has ties to the Korean Peninsula - including in the North. We end up just having a good ol' chat and I hope you enjoy it as much...

In this episode, the interviewer becomes interviewee as I feature on Safety Last Podcast. Stanley has some well-thought-through and well-researched questions that challenged me, too! Hope you enjoy this episode which you can also find at Safety Last. Thanks to Stanley for having me on the show & producing this podcast! Tune in next week to discover North Korea some more! Contact me with your q...

Ever wondered what business class on a North Korean flight is like? Or wanted to know if Air Koryo really is THAT bad? Aviation geek (and good friend) Greg talks us through what it's like to fly on a North Korean airline; the differences you might find at a North Korean airport (including smoking openly in the coffee shops) and how you go about actually buying a ticket to North Korea... Thanks Gre...

Heading out of Pyongyang down North Korea's west coast to Nampo, home to North Korea's most impressive engineering feat at the West Sea Barrage, as well as the infamous petrol clam BBQ at the hot spring resort... Tune in next week to discover North Korea some more! ---------------------- Contact me with your questions & guest recommendations on zoediscovers@gmail.com. Follow me on; -> Insta...

In this episode, I tell you where and how you can access internet in North Korea... but by the time I'm done, you probably won't want to even try. There are also a few (very few) spots you can find WiFi in North Korea that I go over in this episode, as well as exploring how the locals access internet - or rather intranet - in North Korea. The two systems are called Koryolink (the foreign internet...

In this episode, I discuss life in North Korea OUTSIDE Pyongyang, going through all the areas (north, east, south, and west) in North Korea you can visit, and also what's on offer there if you do! This episode is an overview of ALL the places you can visit in North Korea. Over the next few months, I'll do individual episodes for each of the areas in North Korea discussed in this episode. If you ha...

In this episode, I chat about what it's like entering North Korea - including the passport and customs check you can expect. I talk about the 24hr train to North Korea experience, as well as briefly touch on Air Koryo and the flight into North Korea. I also weigh up the positives (and negatives) of the train and plane to North Korea to help you choose which one is the right one for you. Do you dar...

In this episode, I have some extra special guests joining me; the pioneers and experts in North Korea tourism, my good friends, my co-workers, and indeed my bosses and superiors. We have a great chat reminiscing about our years spent working in the North Korea tourism industry, and also get pretty deep as we get more personal and reflect on the hardships COVID-19 has brought for the North Koreans....

This episode of Discover North Korea gets a bit deep (and I get a bit passionate) as I talk about a topic that is dear to me but also one that is full of controversy, scepticism, and sensitive topics. I attempt to lay out why I think tourism to North Korea CAN be ethical, and also take a look at why it is often seen as unethical and how it sometimes isn't. I tackle this topic by first busting some...

In this episode, I base it around one of your questions 'Can you bring your iPhone into North Korea'. I cover three main things; myth-busting what ISN'T banned in North Korea, and going over what IS banned, I then talk about the rules you have to follow on a tour to North Korea, before discussing the topic is it safe to visit North Korea... If you think you know all the rules and what's banned and...

So... this episode is all about me. I wanted to get this over and done with! There are so many questions you all seem to have and I repeat this story / parts of it all the time. So here it is; why I first went to North Korea, what my first experience in North Korea was like, how I decided to start working there, how my journey was working there, what I've been doing since the borders have been clo...

In this episode, I invite past tourists to North Korea to give you an honest insight into what a tour to North Korea is really like. What you can expect and... what you might not expect at all! Thanks to my guests James, Lok, and Tjasa. Contact me with your questions & guest recommendations on zoediscovers@gmail.com. Follow me on; -> Instagram @zoediscoversnk for pictures, videos, and live...

Join me (and sometimes my guests) every Thursday when I'll select one question or topic on North Korea based on a question from you, the listeners. You won't find anything political here as this podcast aims to expand the North Korea narrative and rehumanise the issue. Discussions on nuclear weapons, leadership, and human rights issues can be found elsewhere. I aim to educate on North Korea as I k...