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In recent years, North Korea has kept its borders closed and imposed strict sanitary measures due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, American filmmaker Justin Martell managed to circumvent the restrictions and became the first citizen of the United States to visit the country since the onset of the global health crisis.
A North Korea Still Stuck in the Pandemic
While the world has returned to normalcy, North Korea continues to adopt extreme security protocols.
According to Martell, who had visited the country several times before the ban imposed by the U.S. in 2017, wearing masks is still mandatory, and there is constant temperature checking.
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Many tourist attractions remain closed due to fears of virus transmission.
The filmmaker reports that paranoia about Covid-19 continues to be deeply rooted in North Korea, with conspiracy theories being spread. “There’s a rumor that Covid-19 entered the country via balloons sent from South Korea,” Martell said.
The Gradual Reopening to Tourism
Martell was part of a delegation of tour operators that visited North Korea to plan the limited resumption of international travel to the country.
After five days exploring tourism possibilities, the group returned to China via the bridge over the Tumen River.
Now, the next step is to bring small groups of Western tourists to Rason, a remote region of the country that borders China and Russia.
According to Rowan Beard from Young Pioneer Tours and Gerg Vaczi from Koryo Tours, tourists from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Macau, and Jamaica have already booked their spots for this unprecedented experience after years of extreme isolation.
Despite the optimism regarding the reopening, some iconic experiences are still off the itinerary. Popular markets remain closed, and tourists cannot negotiate with local currency.
However, tour operators are in constant negotiation with North Korean authorities to gradually ease these restrictions.
Millionaire Passport: The Strategy to Bypass the U.S. Ban
Although the pandemic interrupted international travel to North Korea, Americans have already been prohibited from entering the country since 2017.
The U.S. government imposed a ban due to the death of student Otto Warmbier, who was imprisoned in North Korea and returned to the United States in a vegetative state.
Determined to continue visiting the country, Martell found a clever solution: he obtained citizenship from Saint Kitts and Nevis, a small Caribbean country that offers citizenship by investment.
By making a high-value donation to the island’s national fund, he secured a second passport, allowing him to enter North Korea legally without violating U.S. laws.
“The process took about a year and involved a rigorous background check and a detailed financial analysis,” explains Martell.
Since the war in Ukraine, the values of these citizenship programs have significantly increased, with some passports costing up to US$ 250,000.
Monitored Tourism and Geopolitical Restrictions
Despite the possibility of Western tourists returning, the capital Pyongyang remains closed to this audience.
Currently, only Russians are permitted to visit the city, reflecting the growing rapprochement between North Korea and Russia.
The political situation also impacts the type of interaction visitors can have with North Koreans.
Security personnel and guides are cautious when discussing international issues, especially the war in Ukraine. “We talked about geopolitics, but when it came to Ukraine, they listened more than they spoke,” Martell reports.
Experiences and Changes in North Korean Tourism
Even with many limitations, tour operators have noticed some positive changes. Previously strict photography restrictions are now more lenient. “I was only reprimanded once for filming a guide,” Vaczi shares.
Despite the government control over visitors’ activities, Martell did not perceive hostility toward Americans. “There were no anti-American comments,” he states.
In a curious moment, a joke among North Korean guides showed a more relaxed atmosphere: “As we walked in Hae’an Park, some children ran over when they saw us. One guide joked that maybe they knew we were American imperialists! I replied: ‘No, just one!’ and everyone laughed.”
Another noticeable change was the reduced presence of anti-U.S. posters in public places. “I had to specifically ask for anti-American postcards in a bookstore because they were no longer on display.”
Connection Through Culture
For Martell, the most remarkable aspect of the visit was the moments of human interaction. “The children didn’t care about politics,” he reflects. “They wanted to know about music, sports, and what life was like in the U.S. More than anything, they wanted connection.”
With the gradual reopening of North Korea to Western tourism, there are still many uncertainties. However, Martell’s visit marks a new chapter in travel to the country, where the desire to understand and connect with one of the world’s most closed nations remains alive.
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