I've been to North Korea 180 times. How to avoid trouble.

These elements are definitely there, especially if you look for them, but in reality it is a place of its own.

In the two decades since then, I have visited North Korea over 180 times on various tours and trips – probably more than any other Westerner.

North Korea was closed to visitors for nearly five years, but will partially open to tourists at the end of 2024.

I've shown the country to hundreds of visitors over the years, and if you've ever thought about visiting, here's how to get the most out of a trip to North Korea.

Be careful what you talk about

Interacting with the country's locals and tour guides is not the same as meeting aliens – in fact, it's one of my favorite things to do. But the fact remains that you have to be careful about what you talk about when you're allowed to interact with them.

There is no need to constantly praise the North Korean leadership, but openly criticizing Kim Jong Un is definitely taboo.

Since I'm not North Korean, I'm technically allowed to talk about whatever I want, but I'm also aware that people there don't have that freedom.

So if I go there and say, “Oh, hey guys, I want to tell you the truth about your leaders. They're actually pretty terrible,” I'm putting them in a very, very dangerous position.

For some people there, tourism is important, but nothing is more important than the perception of national security.

You can find common ground, but you have to work at it because your cultural references are all completely different. So you can't say, “Oh my God, have you seen Deadpool & Wolverine?” because they're not going to have any idea what you're talking about.

Absolutely no religious talk

This is the most common reason for the detention of foreigners in North Korea.

Tourists in North Korea often get into trouble through deliberate actions, such as leaving behind a Bible, distributing religious materials or bringing in other contraband.

Do not take any contraband with you or leave it behind

South Korean cultural products such as Korean dramas or K-pop songs should definitely be left behind before entering North Korea.

The list also includes religious materials and any material about North Korea published abroad, including literature, travel guides and videos.

Then the usual applies: no weapons, no drugs. North Korea is actually very liberal when it comes to alcohol consumption, so that's fine.

Avoid comparisons with South Korea

Many tourists who come to North Korea also have experience in South Korea (it is not true that visiting South Korea makes it difficult to enter North Korea).

These people tend to think, “Okay, here we can socialize. I’ll tell you about my life in South Korea!”

The problem is that comparisons between North and South Korea tend to favor the South, and you can imagine that people don't like to hear that.

When we lead trips, we tell people, “If this is your only conversation, maybe you’ll learn to have a different conversation.”

About 90% of the country is locked down – so stay alert

My role as a tour operator also includes being a kind of guinea pig and visiting the areas of the country that the government wants to open to tourism.

I saw beautiful coastlines with basalt columns and other places that tourists are still not allowed to visit.

About 90 percent of the country is closed to tourists, both legally and logistically. Due to the terrible poverty, there is hardly any infrastructure conducive to tourism outside of the approved areas.

In addition, there are military bases and operations throughout the country to which access is prohibited for obvious reasons.

I strongly advise tourists to always stick with their guidebook and not to set out in search of personal adventures.

Ask for permission to take pictures

Everyone likes to take photos, and that's understandable. As a tour operator, we've seen everything you can imagine. Sometimes someone takes a photo when they shouldn't.

People seem to think that if you do something wrong you're going to the Gulag. The worst thing I've experienced is being told to delete it and not do it again – but it's always better not to try to take pictures secretly when you think no one is watching.

Ultimately, it's simple: you just have to not break the law. If you believe you can't enter a country without breaking its laws, you generally shouldn't be anywhere near that country – especially if it's North Korea.

It is the most difficult, complicated, ungrateful and infinitely fascinating country I have ever been to.