The MOST AMAZING VIDEO ~ Sneaking into NORTH KOREA

[AsahinaKimi]

Two Americans manage to sneak into DANGEROUS North Korea and become tourists.. exposing what North Korea is really like.

Getting into North Korea was one of the hardest and weirdest processes VBS has ever dealt with. After we went back and forth with their representatives for months, they finally said they were going to allow 16 journalists into the country to cover the Arirang Mass Games in Pyongyang. Then, ten days before we were supposed to go, they said, “No, nobody can come.” Then they said, “OK, OK, you can come. But only as tourists.” We had no idea what that was supposed to mean. They already knew we were journalists, and over there if you get caught being a journalist when you’re supposed to be a tourist you go to jail. We don’t like jail. And we’re willing to bet we’d hate jail in North Korea. But we went for it. The first leg of the trip was a flight into northern China. At the airport, the North Korean consulate took our passports and all of our money, then brought us to a restaurant. We were sitting there with our tour group, and suddenly all the other diners left and these women came out and started singing North Korean nationalist songs. We were thinking, “Look, we were just on a plane for 20 hours. We’re jet-lagged. Can we just go to bed?” but this guy with our group who was from the LA Times told us, “Everyone in here besides us is secret police. If you don’t act excited then you’re not going to get your visa. So we got drunk and jumped up onstage and sang songs with the girls. The next day we got our visas. A lot of people we had gone with didn’t get theirs. That was our first hint at just what a freaky, freaky trip we were embarking on…
— VBS Founder Shane Smith

Part one
http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-1-of-3
part two
http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-2-of-3
part three
http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-3-of-3


***Note there are pauses in the film, just let it play through and then you will see when the parts end.

[Drunken Irishman]

1. That was insane...

North Korea is an entirely different level of weird. That whole country is 70 years behind the rest of the world.

I mean, I hear China is bad - but they seem down right progressive compared to NK. Scary stuff.

[Systematic Chaos]

2. I feel sorry for them.

Not the leaders, but the common folk. That is one SHITTY way to go through life.

:kick:

[Heidi]

3. Kick for the day crew!

This is fascinating, AsahinaKimi. Thank you for posting it! :thumbsup:

[AsahinaKimi]

6. You are most welcome

I really like documentaries!

[never cry wolf]

4. Thanks for posting

Very interesting watch,

[XemaSab]

5. How interesting!

Thanks for sharing this.

[Drunken Irishman]

7. Here is another one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ6E3cShcVU

I find it interesting that residents are not allowed on the streets by themselves (well I don't think they're banned, just highly discouraged). The elderly are also shipped out to the far-flung regions of the country and every morning, at 7 a.m., the city awakes to loud music blaring from speakers.

I couldn't imagine living in a nation like that. So depressing. But I guess if you don't know any better, it wouldn't be horrible.

Could you imagine taking an average North Korean and dropping them in New York for a week?

That would make an interesting reality show.

[fishwax]

8. fascinating video

thanks for posting it :kick:

[trof]

9. Riveting. This belongs in GD.

Seriously.
The nation of North Korea is insane.
Totally batshit crazy.

[Tripper11]

10. I feel sorry for the people obviously

We used to live in South Korea back in the early 80's and it was just coming into it's own.
Good shopping, good people and lots of freedom.
I was 15-18 when I lived there. We used to hitchhike all over the country, take buses(very cheap) everywhere, it was amazing.
But on the flip side, every month on the 15th, they would have air raid drills because it was and still is technically in a state of war.
So the sirens would go off all over the country and you'd go into a store, bar restaurant or whatever for the half hour or hour it was, then go about your day.
At that time as well, there was a curfew on the beach. You were not allowed on the beach after dark. There's other things that I am sure were part of life there for us that time has erased, but the one thing that always remains high in my memory was the people.
Hands down the most welcoming, friendly enjoyable people I have ever met. No matter how meager their lives might be, they always had something to give to us when or if we needed it.
Again, it has been 30years, but I am sure that the south yearns for the North to join them in this century and reunite, not only the 2 countries but families.
HOpefully time will take care of that very soon.

[nytemare]

11. Thanks very much for posting, very interesting.