Comments on: Faces From Afar: A Frightening and Fascinating Journey Through North Korea

By: Larissa and Michael

Larissa and Michael — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:56:25 +0000

Thanks for all the comments. Although we visited 30 countries on our global journey, North Korea stands out for generating the most questions. If you are interested in visiting a place like no other on Earth, we highly recommend a visit to North Korea. Along the way, perhaps a few barriers will be broken down.

Cheers,

Larissa and Michael

By: wandering educators

wandering educators — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 02:34:33 +0000

I think it’s interesting to learn about new places – and I love the statue!

By: LeX @ LeX Paradise

LeX @ LeX Paradise — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 16:16:25 +0000

I always want to go to North Korea for a visit. Your sharing is great and I wouldnt get so shock if i take a visit there :D

By: gabi klaf

gabi klaf — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 09:09:10 +0000

you guys kill me with that statue everywhere. you’re pics are divine. stay safe in your adventures friends. merry christmas… gabi

By: Micki

Micki — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 21:44:18 +0000

What an interesting story! Very interesting to hear a first hand account of a tourist’s expreience in the DPRK…

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 17:17:15 +0000

Wow amazing story! I’m from Philly as well and I love the little Rocky statue you guys bring around. At first glance I thought they actually had a Rocky statue in N. Korea and I instantly thought, “these people can’t be so bad”.

By: CAROLYN BROWDWELL

CAROLYN BROWDWELL — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 23:31:43 +0000

Lots of us have mixed feelings about going to the DPRK, but as Hannah says, they get very little income from tourism. And for those of us who have been, we have lasting impressions of the lack of freedom, in spite of efforts to give us a more positive view. Absolutely every move we made was supervised, and our local tour leader appeared to have a minder as well. We had an American girl with an English boyfriend, and he wasn’t allowed to go with our group; he had to stay with the other Europeans. I also visited the USSR before the breakup, and “Red China” among the first foreigners allowed to visit, and they were both considerably more hospitable than was the DPRK.

By: Hannah

Hannah — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:04:19 +0000

Michael and Larissa, great to see this post – we really enjoyed taking you to the DPRK and hope that you will come back again some day!
In response to the 2nd comment, the actual income from tourism for the DPRK government is pretty low and we believe that more good than bad comes out of foreigners travelling to the country and facilitating exchange with the locals there.

By: Ray Uzanas

Ray Uzanas — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 20:30:25 +0000

Michael,

Congratulations on making it to the big time…Smithsonian. Well written and very interesting.

By: Alastair Bland

Alastair Bland — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 14:47:16 +0000

Hi Kelvin. Good thought. Please note that, to the Milnes’ credit, they have written a blog post that addresses exactly that issue, asking whether it is morally correct to visit North Korea.