[Travel] Fancy a holiday in a 'socialist utopia' ?

[Is it PotG?]

North Korea is reopening its international border.

North Korea to reopen border for international tourists

Nearly all tourists have been shut out of the country since 2020 due to strict COVID restrictions. But tour companies now say the border into the city of Samjiyon, and possibly the rest of the country, is set to open again.

news.sky.com

 

[Bakero]

I thought this was going to be about North Stand Chat camping trips in the People's Republic of Brighton and Hove.

 

[sydney]

Palin went there , very interesting , i'd go .

 

[jonny.rainbow]

I can’t afford it because I live in a capitalist utopia.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Not enough champagne.

 

[rippleman]

Whoops! I think the OP has got his politics in a muddle. North Korea is a fascist dictatorship, which is a teeny bit different from a "socialist utopia".

Fascism: authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictarorial leader, centralised autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy

Yup. That's North Korea!

You're welcome

 

[Is it PotG?]

Whoops! I think the OP has got his politics in a muddle. North Korea is a fascist dictatorship, which is a teeny bit different from a "socialist utopia".

Fascism: authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictarorial leader, centralised autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy

Yup. That's North Korea!

You're welcome

Read the article

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Yes.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Not enough champagne.

I know the right places. Come with me.

 

[Is it PotG?]

I know the right places. Come with me.

Pictures?

 

[Han Solo]

Think I've said it before, but I actually went there with a socialist study group back in 2010.

Wasn't bad. Lots of frustrating hours at the (very fancy schmancy) hotel because we were not allowed to wander off without supervision. Every day they would come and pick us up in a bus and drive us to some "tourist destination" or another. During the actual tours we sometimes had a bit of freedom, which was maybe the most interesting part as I had handful of shallow conversations with the Koreans.

The two oldies I talked to spoke good English, the kids said "hello" in English but the two lads in my own age couldn't speak a word. Found that rather interesting.

Not a socialist country really - from the very few glances we saw of the lower classes, it was pretty far from the class free ideal that is the socialist core. It might have been socialist 30-40 years ago but today (well, 2010) Juche, with its love for militarianism, is the clear and obvious state ideology.

Its an extraordinarly clean (as in no littering) country and plenty would be rather jealous of their infrastructure and a couple of other things, so if you enjoy watching that from a bus, its a great holiday...

Tbf loved the nature, very wild and varied, and the beaches were AMAZING.

I've been thinking about going back, but not overly keen on possibly being taken to the exact same places as last time. It is a fascinating country though and anyone making a visit will feel a strange mix of "this is all very weird" and "...and "its all a lot more normal than I thought".

 

[WATFORD zero]

Read the article

View attachment 187255

Well if North Korea says it's a 'socialist utopia' then it must be, because they are nothing if not meticulously honest, like when they won the World cup

 

[Triggaaar]

Are they short of prisoners to exchange?

 

[studio150]

Ideal place for the next Albion pre-season tour.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Any tourist riding the Pyongyang Underground and also familiar with the Berlin U-Bahn might recognise the trains. The Berlin Transport Association sold their old rolling stock to Dear Leader and Co some years back. They are still going strong on the Pyongyang Kim-Bahn.

A good deal for all concerned with the North Koreans getting the trains at a knock down price and Germans some cash for potential scrap.
I guess it makes the Pyongyang Regime shrewder capitalist wheeler dealers than Boris Johnson when it comes to trading with the Germans, after he got rinsed for over 300k on those useless water cannons that eventually went for scrap.

 

[Swegulls]

I’ll go there and try to get ”our” money back! They got 1000 Volvo 144 in the 1970’s and have’nt paid yet. Bastards!

North Korea Ordered 1,000 Volvo Cars From Sweden And Never Paid. Read The Viral Story

In the 1970s, North Korea ordered 1,000 Volvo cars from Sweden as part of its economic development plan.

www.ndtv.com

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Pictures?

I would love to post them but Kim would not approve.

 

[BNthree]

Would love to go visit for the total culture shock but hardly seems socialist from the dictionary definition of the word.

 

[zefarelly]

Palin went there , very interesting , i'd go .

I'd have thought her political views were quite similar, although I'd be suprised if she's even got a passport.

 

[Bakero]

When I was living in Hanoi, I taught a young North Korean guy English for a year or so. He was a lovely kid, really inquisitive and kind-hearted. Although his ambition was to be a fishmonger, he was destined (under orders of the regime) to be a businessman.