North Korea

North Korea (Korean: 조선 Chosŏn), officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK (조선민주주의인민공화국 Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk) is a country in East Asia on the northern half of the Korean Peninsula, lying between Korea Bay and the East Sea (Sea of Japan). It borders China to the north, Russia to the north east and South Korea to the south.

An Introduction to the regions of North Korea

Donghae Coast (North Hamgyong, South Hamgyong, Kangwon, Kŭmgang-san)

Baekdu Mountains (Ryanggang, Chagang)

Pyongan (North P'yongan, South P'yongan, Pyongyang, Shinuiju)

Hwanghae (North Hwanghae, South Hwanghae, Kaesong)

Other Muslim friendly Cities in North Korea

• Pyongyang — the capital city and the former capital of Goguryeo during the Three Kingdoms period
• Chongjin — Industrial city in the North East, very rarely visited by tourists
• Hamhung — Northern city, also rarely on official travel itineraries
• Kaechon (개천시)
• Kaesong — former capital during the Goryeo dynasty
• Nampho - (남포시) — industrial centre and port on the western coast
• Rason (라선시) — Free trade zone on the Russian border, complete with casino
• Sinuiju (신의주시) — bleak industrial city right on the border with China. Probably the easiest ways to look into the country from the outside
• Wonsan (원산시) — East coast port city slowly opening to tourists, as well as the first ski resort in the country

Other Muslim Friendly Destinations in North Korea

• Kumgangsan (금강산) — the scenic Diamond Mountains, accessible on tours from the South
• Myohyangsan (묘향산) — this Mysterious Fragrant Mountain is one of the North's best hiking spots
• Baekdu Mountains (백두산) — the tallest mountain in Korea and the Kim dynasty's mythical birthplace
• Panmunjom — the last outpost of the Cold War in the DMZ between South and North

North Korea Halal Explorer

If you are looking for halal food in Pyongyang, there are several options available. The Pyongyang Shop located inside the Diplomatic Compound at Munsudong offers halal meat, but you need to make prior arrangements. The Pyongyang Restaurant also serves halal food, but again, advance notice is required. The banquet hall on the first floor of the Pyongyang Shop can be used to organize dinners and catering services.

In addition, the Potonggang Hotel serves excellent international cuisine, including halal food upon request, but you should make prior arrangements. There is a vibrant diplomatic Muslim community in Pyongyang, and the Iranian Embassy compound has a mosque where you can find halal meat.

While there are no purely vegetarian restaurants in Pyongyang, you can easily request a vegetarian menu at any restaurant. There are plenty of options available, including traditional Korean dishes without meat or eggs.

North Korean cuisine offers many delicious vegetable-based dishes, and the food scene in Pyongyang is quite vibrant. There are restaurants for all budgets and tastes, including a good selection of restaurants around the Koryo Hotel. One restaurant that stands out for its quality and affordability is located near the Foreigners Inn in Pyongyang.

Koreans love to dine out with their families, and restaurants are frequented by all segments of society, not just the elite. On weekends, people queue up to enter restaurants, and it is not uncommon to see large gatherings of people having picnics by the river or in parks. If you happen upon an impromptu picnic, you may even be invited to join in for a taste of kimchee or rice rolls.

For coffee lovers, the best coffee in Pyongyang can be found at the Pyongyang Hotel, located next to the river opposite the Pyongyang Grand Theater. As someone who lived in Pyongyang for almost two years, I can attest to the vibrancy and diversity of the food scene in Pyongyang and throughout North Korea.

The reality on the ground is far different from the one the western media portray.

The People of North Korea

North Korea may be the most ethnically homogeneous nation on earth, with everyone being Korean save for a few hundred foreigners. These foreigners are mostly diplomatic or aid agency workers, along with a small population of Japanese who have Korean ancestry. Almost no South Koreans live in North Korea.

North Korean society is strongly divided and organised along a caste system known as Songbun. Membership of one of three main groups is determined not only by an individual's political, social and economic background, but also that of their family for the previous three generations. Education and professional opportunities are effectively defined by an individual's class.

Terrain

Mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains are wide in the west and discontinuous in the east. The mountainous interior is both isolated and sparsely populated.

Travel as a Muslim to North Korea

Visas

Muslims of almost all countries will need a visa, which will only be issued after your tour has been booked and approved by the North Korean authorities.

Tourists typically arrange a tourist visa through booking a tour with a travel agency that organises such tours. The travel agencies will usually deal with the visa on their behalf, although in some cases Muslims are required to have a short telephone interview with the North Korean embassy in order to verify their identity and their job. In most cases the interview is conducted in a friendly manner so it is nothing to be worried about. Visas are often only confirmed on the day before the tour, but rarely will a tourist ever be rejected.

North Korean tourists' visas are often issued on a tourist card. If joining a tour group, group visas are often issued on separate sheets of papers containing all the members of the group, attached with a tourist card that bear the name of the tour leader. This visa itself is never held by the tourists, although tourists can ask to take a photo of their visa. In any case no stamp will be placed in the passport. The only way where a visa and entrance stamp will be stamped on the passport is when the visa is issued within a North Korean embassy in Asia.

Tours

North Korea can only be visited by an organised tour, but this can be a large group or a party of one. Prices start from around USD1,000/€1100/GBP780 for a 5-day group tour including accommodation, meals and transport from Beijing, but can go up considerably if you want to travel around the country or "independently" (as your own one-person escorted group). Tour operators/travel agencies that organise their own tours to North Korea include:

No matter which company you decide to book with, all tours are run by the Korean International Travel Company (with the exception of a few, such as Choson Exchange and The Pyongyang Project who both work directly with various government ministries and domestic DPRK NGOs) and it will be their guides who show you around. The average number of tourists per group each company takes will vary considerably so you may want to ask about this before booking a trip.

Most people travelling to North Korea will travel through Beijing and you will probably pick up your visa from there, although some agents arrange their visas elsewhere beforehand though. The North Korean consulate building is separate from the main embassy building at Ritan Lu, and is round the corner at Fangcaodi Xijie. It's open M, W, F 09:30-11:30 & 14:00-17:30; and Tu, Th, Saturday 09:30-11:30. Bring your travel permission, USD85 and two passport photos.

Your guides will take your passport and keep it during your stay in North Korea, or at least for the first couple of days of your tour, for "security reasons", or simply because your entry and exit dates must be registered, as noted by the black stamps on the back of your visa or passport. Make sure your passport looks decent and doesn't differ from the most common passports from your country.

Visiting the North Korean border area from South Korea

The Panmunjom Joint Security Area (often called by the misnomer Panmunjom) is the only place in North Korea that can be visited from the South by regular tourists. This is the jointly controlled truce village in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas. It has regular one-day bus tours from Seoul. No Restrictions apply to Muslims.

Buy a Flight ticket to and from North Korea

All international flights go through Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport (IATA Code: FNJ). No other North Korean airport handles international flights. Only two commercial airlines fly to Sunan: Air Koryo, the national North Korean airline, and Air China. As of August 2022, neither Aeroflot nor China Southern Airlines fly to North Korea.

Air Koryo

North Korea's sole airline, Air Koryo, has scheduled flights from Beijing, which depart at 11:30 every Tuesday and Saturday, and return from Pyongyang at 09:00 on the same days. Air Koryo also flies to and from Shenyang every Wednesday and Saturday, and to Vladivostok every Tuesday morning. There are also services to Kuala Lumpur and Kuwait.

Air China

Air China, a member of the Star Alliance, flies three times weekly from Beijing to Pyongyang using Boeing 737s. Air China is preferred by most to Air Koryo due to its far more modern fleet.

Muslim Friendly Rail Holidays in North Korea

Train K27/K28 connects Pyongyang to Beijing in China via Tianjin, Tangshan, Beidaihe, Shanhaiguan, Jinzhou, Shenyang, Benxi, Fenghuangcheng, Dandong and Sinuiju four times a week. There is only one class on the international train between Beijing and Pyongyang: soft sleeper. It can be booked at the station in Beijing, but reservations must be made several days in advance. Your tour agency will usually do this for you, unless you are travelling on work purposes. It has been increasingly difficult to book space on the Beijing–Pyongyang route, so confirm your tickets well in advance.

Once a week train K27/K28 also conveys direct sleeping cars from Moscow via China to Pyongyang and vice versa. The route is Moscow - Novosibirsk - Irkutsk - Chita - Harbin - Shenyang - Dandong - Shinuiju - Pyongyang. Departure from Moscow is every Friday evening, arrival at Pyongyang is one week later on Friday evening. Departure from Pyongyang is Saturday morning, arrival in Moscow is Friday afternoon.

Some agents (eg Lupine Travel) prefer to cross the border from Dandong in China to Sinuiju by minibus and then board a domestic North Korean train to Pyongyang. Usually, you will be seated in a hard seat carriage with KPA soldiers and party workers travelling with their families. There is access to a restaurant car which stocks imported beers (Heineken) and soft drinks as well as some local beers and spirits. This train supposedly takes only 4 hours to Pyongyang but has been known to take 14. If travelling in winter be prepared for temperatures inside the carriages as low as -10°C.

There is also a direct rail link from Russia into North Korea. This route is the Rossiya Trans-Siberian train between Moscow and Vladivostock, with the Korea coaches detached at Ussuriysk. From there it's six hours to the border at Tumangan, with a five hour wait, then a 24-hour haul to Pyongyang. It runs weekly, but as a through-train only twice monthly (11th and 25th from Moscow), arriving Pyongyang 9 days later. Until recently this route was closed to westerners, but in 2018 it's available providing you've the correct visa and other paperwork.

Book a Halal Cruise or Boat Tour in North Korea

Besides the unscheduled ferry there is also a cruise ship that operates between the coast of Northeastern China, and Mt Kumgang. Jointly operated by China and North Korea, the cruise line uses a 40-year-old ship. The cruise trip is 22 hr long at each leg, and is 44 hr long in total but non-Chinese citizens are not permitted on the cruise to Mount Kumgang.

Travel on a Bus in North Korea

A bus is available from Dandong, China, across the Yalu River to Sinuiju. It's run by the "Dandong China Travel Company" but is only open to Chinese citizens. The bus drive from Dandong over the Sino-Korea Friendship Bridge (the same bridge ove the Yalu river that the trains take).

How to get around in North Korea

All your transport needs will be dealt with by your tour company. Most of the time this means buses, although tour groups visiting remote sites (e.g. Paekdusan, Mount Chilbo) occasionally use chartered flights by Air Koryo. Wandering around on your own is not allowed, and you are required to have a guide to escort you at all times.

A carefully stage-managed one-station ride on the P'yŏngyang metro is included on the itinerary of most trips to Pyongyang, but use of any other form of local public transport is generally impossible. Some tours also include a train ride from Pyongyang to the border city of Sinuiju, in which you can stop over in Sinuiju for a 1-day tour, though this option is not available to US Muslims.

If travelling in a small enough group it is also possible to organise a walk through some areas of Pyongyang with some travel agents (Koryo).

Local Language in North Korea

The official language is Korean. North Koreans are quite picky about referring to Korean as Choseonmal, not hangungmal. Unlike South Korea, North Korea has abolished Chinese hanja characters and uses hangeul characters, known as Choseongul, exclusively.

North Korea uses its own unique system for romanization of Korean, which is mostly similar to the older McCune–Reischauer system. In South Korea and the rest of the world, Revised Romanization is more common.

Most guides will speak fairly decent English (some better than others) and will translate for you. Some guides can also speak Mandarin, German, Russian, Japanese and Spanish.

What to see in North Korea

It is always recommended that if you are uncertain about taking pictures anywhere, ask your guide, though allowances seem to vary wildly. You may get a guide that is relatively relaxed and will allow you to take pictures from a bus or within a city.

The majority of sightseeing consists of visits to various memorials, monuments to the Great Leader and the Workers Party of Korea, and numerous museums. The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a popular destination for most tour groups in North Korea.

Sights

So, with all this practical information being said, what are the places to go? A good part of the important attractions you'll be shown are in Pyongyang. There's the large Kim Il-sung Square, where the famously grand military parades take place. Even without the parades, though, it's an impressive square, and on it is the Grand People’s Study House. This gigantic library and learning centre is home to over 30 million books and a modern system of conveyor belts to get you the one you need. Also on the square are two museums, of which — the Korean National Art Gallery — is the more interesting one. The other great landmark of the nation's capital is its Triumphal Arch. Slightly bigger than its Parisian counterpart, it is in fact the largest arch of its kind in the world. Another landmark you'll be proudly shown are the large bronze statues of the Great Leader and Kim Jong-il. Respectfully join the locals in their serious undertakings to honour the statues, which are a key element of the devotion cult around the national leaders. For a better chance of some casual conversations with locals, try the pleasant Pyongyang zoo. Take a daytrip to the birthplace of the Great Leader in Mangyongdae and of course, visit the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun where both the previous Kim's embalmed bodies are on display.

No trip to North Korea is complete without an extensive glance at the uneasy and heavily fortified border stand-off at Panmunjeom, or the Joint Security Area. Not far from here is the town of Kaesong, with a lovely old town and the UNESCO-listed tomb of King Kongmin. For stunning natural sights, try reaching Kumgangsan, or the Diamond Mountains, where you'll find beautiful vistas, waterfalls, lakes and ancient Buddhist temples.

Top Muslim Travel Tips for North Korea

Pyongyang is remarkably safe and non-violent, compared to the capitals of other nations; in general, the civilians are not a threat.

The Masikryong ski resort, North Korea's only ski resort, opened in winter 2013. Located near the western city of Wonsan, a visit to the resort may be included as part of a wider DPRK tour.

Muslim Friendly Shopping in North Korea

Money Matters & ATM's in North Korea

Long term visitors to Pyongyang should consider getting a debit card (labeled 전자결제카드, jeonjagyeoljekadeu) to make getting change easier. These can usually be bought at the Pyongyang store in the diplomatic compound for USD8, and can be used and recharged at most foreigner-targeted stores around the city.

Markets, road-side stands, and stores targeting locals will deal in North Korean won. There are several booths around the city which are able to convert foreign currency into won. The largest note is 5000₩, roughly the cost of a Coke. The smallest is 5₩, which is used for the metro. Notes under 500₩ are generally not used.

If you want smaller notes, ask to convert 1 or 5 Chinese yuan at a currency exchange booth. You may get a strange look, but likely will be given some of the harder to find 5₩ and 10₩ notes.

The currency is the North Korean won, denoted by the symbol ₩ (ISO code: KPW) and not typically available to Foreign visitors but importing or exporting Korean won is strictly forbidden.

Buy Souvenirs from North Korea

There are numerous hard-currency only souvenir shops at tourist sites. Interesting souvenirs include books and videos, postcards and postage stamps. At some tourist sites (such as King Kongmin's tomb), you can purchase freshly finished paintings with your name and the artist's name at the bottom.

You can buy postcards and send them to people in any country except South Korea which apparently will not deliver them.

Some excellent paintings on silk or linen have been available in Kaesong directly from the artist. Haggling for better prices is not permitted but the prices are very low.

What is the living cost in North Korea

Most costs are included as part of your tour. Most sights have a shop associated with them where you can buy bottled water, souvenirs and snacks. These are reasonably priced. In September 2022, large bottles of local cola cost USD 0.60 at the hotel bar in Pyongyang. €150 for one week should be enough to cover your costs of water, souvenirs and tips for the guides.

Halal Food in North Korea

If you are looking for halal food in Pyongyang, there are several options available. The Pyongyang Shop located inside the Diplomatic Compound at Munsudong offers halal meat, but you need to make prior arrangements. The Pyongyang Restaurant also serves halal food, but again, advance notice is required. The banquet hall on the first floor of the Pyongyang Shop can be used to organize dinners and catering services.

In addition, the Potonggang Hotel serves excellent international cuisine, including halal food upon request, but you should make prior arrangements. There is a vibrant diplomatic Muslim community in Pyongyang, and the Iranian Embassy compound has a mosque where you can find halal meat.

While there are no purely vegetarian restaurants in Pyongyang, you can easily request a vegetarian menu at any restaurant. There are plenty of options available, including traditional Korean dishes without meat or eggs.

North Korean cuisine offers many delicious vegetable-based dishes, and the food scene in Pyongyang is quite vibrant. There are restaurants for all budgets and tastes, including a good selection of restaurants around the Koryo Hotel. One restaurant that stands out for its quality and affordability is located near the Foreigners Inn in Pyongyang.

Koreans love to dine out with their families, and restaurants are frequented by all segments of society, not just the elite. On weekends, people queue up to enter restaurants, and it is not uncommon to see large gatherings of people having picnics by the river or in parks. If you happen upon an impromptu picnic, you may even be invited to join in for a taste of kimchee or rice rolls.

For coffee lovers, the best coffee in Pyongyang can be found at the Pyongyang Hotel, located next to the river opposite the Pyongyang Grand Theater. As someone who lived in Pyongyang for almost two years, I can attest to the vibrancy and diversity of the food scene in Pyongyang and throughout North Korea.

Ar-Rahman Mosque (Pyongyang)

The Ar-Rahman Mosque is a mosque in Pyongyang, North Korea on the grounds of the Iranian embassy, and is considered the country's first and only mosque. Embassy staff from other Islamic countries in North Korea including Sunni from Indonesia have been reported to visit the mosque and pray at it, and the mosque hosts Friday prayers which have been reported to be attended by Muslim embassy staff from various countries.

Though other Islamic-majority nations have embassies in North Korea, such as Egypt, Libya and Pakistan, none of them have been reported to have mosques on their premises, and the lack of mosques in North Korea due to the state's religious policy.

Muslim Friendly Hotels in North Korea

This is likely to be your principal expense while in North Korea. You may only stay at "designated tourist hotels", for which you will need to pay in hard currency. There may be discounts if you ask for lower class accommodation, if you are travelling as part of a group, or if it is low season (November – March). Costs for your tour, which will include accommodation, all sightseeing activities and meals, will range from USD70 to USD200 a day, depending on these factors.

Usually, you pay for all your meals, hotel and Beijing–Pyongyang journey to your tour operator before you leave. One week in high season at a four-star hotel will then cost something between €1,300 and €1,600, depending on your tour operator, but might get as low as €800 for one week.

eHalal is able to assist you if you plan to visit North Korea during this year.

Study as a Muslim in North Korea

It can be difficult for foreigners to become students in North Korea, although university exchange programms may be possible.

The Pyongyang Project arranges tours of North Korea with an academic focus, with the aim of participants learning about the country rather than just sightseeing.

Yanbian University, in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in north eastern China is closely affiliated with other universities in North Korea and can offer relevant courses for learning about North Korea.

How to work legally in North Korea

If you are interested in teaching in North Korea, you may find success by contacting the North Korean UN Mission in New York, or contacting a North Korean university directly. Your odds of success are, however, quite low: there is only a small team of 4 English Language Instructors dealing with teaching and teacher training, with a Project Manager leading the team of three, placed in Kim Il Sung University, Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies and Kim Hyung Jik University of Education.

There is an opportunity to teach in the Pyongyang Summer Institute during summer time when it is opened to Foreign Muslims. It's voluntary, unpaid work, though.

Stay safe as a Muslim in North Korea

Emergency numbers in North Korea

• From a fixed-line phone: 119
• From a mobile phone: 112

For medical emergencies in Pyongyang, dial 02 382-7688 locally.

Medical Issues in North Korea

Medical facilities are clean.

Telecommunications in North Korea

By phone

For international calls to North Korea, the country code is +850. Some phone numbers (mostly faxes) can be called directly from abroad; most other calls will need to go through the international operator service on +850-2-18111.

International calling is generally possible via landlines in hotels, though it is expensive (€2 per minute as of February 2022) and all calls are likely recorded and monitored.

Local calls need elusive 10 chon coins when calling from call boxes, but can also be made from hotels and postal offices.

Mobile phones

As of January 2023, you are allowed to carry a mobile phone from outside the country into North Korea. You will not be able to use your current SIM card in North Korea, however. The only network you are allowed to connect to is the local network, Koryolink, via one of their SIM cards. Your phone must be a 4G WCDMA phone which can connect to the 2100MHz 4G frequency band.

A 3G mobile phone network (Koryolink) was introduced in Pyongyang in 2008 and now covers the 42 largest cities. It is widely used by locals who can afford it and by long-staying foreigners who file an application. SIM cards and phones can be purchased at the International Communication Center, No.2 Pothonggang-dong in Pothonggang District, opposite the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, as well as at Pyongyang airport and some hotels. As of 25 February 2022, 4G mobile internet via Koryolink is available to Foreign Muslims, although pricing is unknown. Bear in mind that these SIM cards will only let you call internationally and to a very small number of internationally-enabled phones in North Korea. There are three plans you can choose from for your SIM card:

1. Purchase a prepaid SIM card for €50. This gives you the SIM card to keep indefinitely for return visits, and includes a small amount (less than €30) of calling credit.
2. Rent a prepaid SIM card for two weeks for €50. This includes €30 of calling credit.
3. Rent a prepaid SIM card for one month for €75. This includes €55 of calling credit.

Calling rates are as follows:

• China and South-East Asia: €1.43 per minute.
• Russia: €0.68 per minute.

Cope

There is a growing diplomatic presence of foreign embassies in Pyongyang. Find out beforehand which country can assist you in case of an emergency, such as a medical condition or a police incident.

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