A traveller who has been to North Korea twice has claimed that everything you are told in the country is a lie.
Gunnar Garfors, a 48-year-old journalist from Oslo, described his trips as “surreal,” sharing how tightly controlled the experience was and how everything he saw seemed curated.
He said: “Visiting North Korea was one of the most surreal experiences of my life.
“Before you go, you always have to plan your itinerary to the last detail – you won’t see anything you’re not supposed to see, and there’s little room for impulsivity.”
Garfors first visited Pyongyang in 2009 and he shared how he and his travel companions were accompanied by two local guides at all times.
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“Even if you’re alone, you still need two guides with you at all times. They’re fine; they’re mostly there to look after you – but also want to keep you in line,” he said.
Garfors also explained that guides would not allow conversations with locals about life outside North Korea.
He said: “The government doesn’t want people to break from their groups and start telling local people what the rest of the world is like.”
Interestingly, he claimed that the same guides would ask questions about life abroad whenever they were away from the group.
On his tour, he saw places like the captured American warship USS Pueblo, which North Korea displays as a symbol of “heroic resistance” against the United States.
“It was the clearest example of propaganda I’d ever seen,” Garfors said.
The journalist visited again eight years later and saw some changes such as tourists being allowed to keep their phones, though only for photos.
On top of that, he claimed there was a huge difference between Pyongyang and the countryside, saying: “It really hits you in the countryside.
“You get a feeling the city is for all the ‘important’ people. There’s no agriculture – local farmers have to use their hands for digging. There aren’t any tools or tractors.”
However, there was one constant reminder that he was in North Korea during both of trips.
And somewhat unsurprisingly it was the fact that there were statues and photos of the country’s “great leader” everywhere.
Garfors said: “Statues, paintings, stamps, newspapers – he’s like a sort of demi-god. He’s absolutely everywhere.”
Commenting on the propaganda, he added: “It wears you out quite quickly, being told propaganda all the bloody time. It’s a truly bizarre country.”
And, despite North Korea keeping its borders open, Garfors said he has no plans to visit again.
