Inside a Russian tourist trip to North Korea: Accordions, snowmobiles and an ‘old’ plane which ‘smelled of mothballs’
Not many people can say they’ve been to North Korea, but this month’s private Russian tour offered a glimpse into a secretive country largely shut off from the rest of the world.
A group of around 100 Russians were among the first to visit the country since the pandemic on a four-day trip and the North Koreans put on a show – from a flight on the country’s only airline, to empty ski resorts and accordion performances.
But the images and videos from the tourists paint a picture of what it’s like inside North Korea that contradicts the official version. They offer snapshots of a country that’s faced serious food shortages in recent decades and is under a range of international sanctions.
Image taken by Russian tourist inside Pyongyang. Pic: Elena Bychkova
The tour began with an Air Koryo flight from the Russian city of Vladivostok to the capital Pyongyang. The airline is operated by North Korea and is made up of an ageing fleet of mostly Russian-made aircraft.
Route tourists took to North Korea
According to one of the visitors, the group was comprised of influencers, tourists, journalists and 13 school-aged children.
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‘Everything falling apart’ on flight out
Complaints began from the tourists as soon as they boarded the plane – contrasting with the smooth version of the trip presented by Russian media outlets.
“The plane is old and smells of mothballs,” one traveller wrote on Telegram, saying that the 41-year-old aircraft “is reminiscent of ‘something that was stored in a closet for a long, long time, and then brought out into the light’.”
Another traveller, posting on Instagram, complained: “It was even difficult to fasten the belt.”
The same tourist concluded simply: “Everything is falling apart.”
‘Don’t look at the tourists’ – accordions and crafts on arrival
Once in Pyongyang, the group was taken to Mangyongdae Children’s Palace on the Western outskirts of the city, where they watched uniformed children recite accordion music, engage in crafts and perform a concert.
Video footage posted by tourist Elena Bychkova shows that as the children played for the tourists, a giant screen behind them alternated between footage of a mountain and North Korean soldiers.
Posting a video of the children weaving in a classroom, one tourist commented on the apparently restricted nature of the scene, claiming: “The children were apparently told to sit calmly and in general, don’t look at the tourists.”
The group were also taken to see two giant statues of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il – as well as the Juche Tower and a monument commemorating Soviet contributions to the Second World War.
In Pyongyang, the group was housed at the Yanggakdo International Hotel.
Claiming that they were not allowed to leave the site, travel influencer Ilya Voskresensky wrote on Instagram that when he inquired as to why, he says he was told “because we don’t know Korean and we may have problems”.
While it is unclear exactly how the visit and itinerary were organised, tickets cost $750 and were booked through the Russian travel company Vostok Intour.
Yulia poses on tour inside North Korea. Pic from @yuliameshkova
Pic: @yuliameshkova
‘Patriotic music’ and ‘personal escorts’ on the slopes
After spending a night in Pyongyang, the tourists were flown to Wonsan and taken to Masikryong ski resort, a facility completed in 2014 as part of the country’s bid to encourage foreign tourism.
Once there, Mr Voskresensky noted the distinctly North Korean features of the ski facilities, saying: “Patriotic music is playing on the slope, various propaganda videos are shown on the big screen.”
Even while skiing, the group appears to have been accompanied by minders. Sharing a video showing a man skiing behind him and his companion, Mr Voskresensky wrote: “This is our personal escort and it’s not paranoia.”
In an indication of North Korea’s continuing ability to source goods from the West, Sasha Danilenko posted a photograph taken at the resort, showing her atop a Canadian Ski-Doo snowmobile.
After two days at the ski resort, the group returned to Vladivostok.
Pic: @sandpa_official
Visitors left unimpressed but alliance is growing
On the prospect of a repeat trip, tourist Yulia Meshkova told her followers: “I will no longer go for moral and ethical reasons.”
In another post, she characterised the state as a “totalitarian dictatorship” concluding that as a country it “does not represent tourist value”.
The tour came at a time when ties between Russia and North Korea, and their respective leaders, seem to be strengthening fast in a growing pariah alliance.
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Putin offers Kim a limo ride
Kim Jong Un paid a visit to Mr Putin in Russia last September.
On Tuesday, Vladimir Putin gifted Kim Jong Un a luxury Russian limousine which Kim said he “liked” on his recent Russia trip, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described North Korea as a “close neighbour”.
In January, the US accused Russia of using North Korean-sourced weapons in Ukraine. Although both Moscow and Pyongyang denied conducting arms deals, last year they vowed to deepen military relations.
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The government is warning people not to travel to Israel under any circumstances, as the country’s missile exchange with Iran shows no sign of abating.
On Friday, the Foreign Office warned against “all but essential travel” to most of Israel.
The areas around Gaza, the West Bank and the Golan Heights were already classed as red zones, with warnings to avoid travel to these areas.
But the government has now updated the warning for the remainder of the country to red.
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This puts Israel on the same level as Iran, and the change of advice is also likely to impact travel insurance.
However, with Israel’s airspace closed, it is unlikely many people will be attempting the journey, and Israel’s national airline El Al has announced it is cancelling flights to and from many European cities, as well as Tokyo and Moscow, until 23 June.
The change in travel advice comes after a second night of ballistic missile barrages from Iran following Israel’s attack in the early hours of Friday morning.
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An eight-storey residential building in Tel Aviv was hit by a missile last night.
On Sunday morning, Israel’s health ministry said 12 people had been killed over the past day, taking the total since Friday to 15. It also said 385 people had arrived at hospital with injuries overnight.
Iran has not provided a total number of deaths or overall casualties, but has claimed dozens have been killed.
Iran’s health minister has said most of those injured and killed in Israeli strikes were civilians. According to comments carried by news agency IRNA, he said the majority were women and children.
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The chancellor said UK forces could “potentially” be used to help defend Israel.
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The UK government is sending military assets, including fighter jets, to the Middle East.
While the prime minister would not confirm to reporters that UK forces could be used to defend Israel from future Iranian attacks, the chancellor told Sky News earlier that the government is “not ruling anything out”.
Speaking to Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Rachel Reeves said sending military assets to the Middle East “does not mean that we are at war”, and emphasised that “we have not been involved in these strikes or this conflict”.
“But we do have important assets in the region,” she continued. “And it is right that we send jets to protect them. And that’s what we’ve done. It’s a precautionary move, and at the same time, we are urging de-escalation.”
Pushed on the question of what the UK would do if Israel asked for support with its operations, the chancellor replied: “I’m not going to rule anything out at this stage. It’s a fast-moving situation, a very volatile situation. But we don’t want to see escalation.”
A helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims has crashed in India, killing seven people on board.
The accident happened within minutes of the helicopter taking off, officials said, on what should have been a 10-minute flight.
The helicopter was flying to Guptkashi, a prominent Hindu pilgrimage site in the Himalayas, from Kedarnath temple town in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.
It comes three days after an Air India flight crashed less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport in northwestern India, killing at least 270 people.
The helicopter, which was operated by private helicopter service Aryan Aviation, went down in a forested area several miles from the Kedarnath pilgrimage route at around 5.30am local time.
Officials said the crash was believed to have been caused by poor weather conditions.
Authorities say they have launched a search and rescue operation and are expected to review operational protocols for flights in the region.
The dead include the pilot and pilgrims from the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh and western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, according to officials. The bodies were badly burned in a fire that followed the crash, they said.
Smoke and debris at the site. Pic: Reuters
Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit Kedarnath, which is home to one of the four most sacred Hindu temple shrines, each summer. Many use helicopter services due to the difficult mountainous terrain.
Helicopter mishaps are not uncommon in the region, where sudden weather changes and high-altitude flying conditions can pose risks.
Earlier this month, a helicopter operating in the Kedarnath Valley made an emergency landing shortly after taking off on a highway due to a technical fault. The pilot was injured but all five passengers on board were unharmed.
In May, a helicopter crashed in Uttarkashi district, killing six people, including the pilot. One person survived.
An Irish politician who was detained in Egypt trying to cross into Gaza says the police were violent towards the group after seizing his phone.
People Before Profit-Solidarity TD (MP) Paul Murphy was part of a large demonstration attempting to march to the Rafah crossing in a bid to get aid into the region.
The opposition politician said his phone and passport were confiscated on Friday before he was put on a bus to Cairo airport for deportation.
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Footage of the seconds before his phone was seized shows authorities forcibly dragging protesters away from the sit-down demonstration.
Ireland’s deputy premier said several Irish citizens who were detained have now been released. Mr Murphy confirmed he was among the released protesters, posting a photo on his Facebook page saying he was back in Cairo and “meeting shortly to decide next steps”.
In a message from Mr Murphy after he was detained, posted online by his social media team, he said: “I’m ok, but they still have my phone.
“Egyptian police say we’re going to airport but this isn’t the road we came on because there are 1000s of marchers on the streets. They’re taking us south past a lake, then west towards Cairo.
“Violence got worse after they seized my phone.
“One American woman in my group was badly kicked & beaten, and had her hijab torn off.”
Sky News has contacted Egypt’s police regarding Mr Murphy’s claims of violence towards the group.
Mr Murphy previously said other Irish citizen were among those who had been stopped from entering Gaza.
“The world has watched a horrific genocide for the past 20 months. Since March, a total attempt of starvation,” he added.
“And that this is a peaceful march to demand that it be ended and demand that western governments stop their complicity.”
Appeal to foreign affairs minister
Mr Murphy’s partner, Councillor Jess Spear, had previously appealed to Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister and deputy premier Simon Harris to make a public statement on Mr Murphy’s detention.
She expressed “relief” that the group had been released from detention.
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The deadly road to Gaza aid point
She said: “However, they still want to reach Rafah to try and get humanitarian aid into Gaza. That has been the sole purpose of being in Egypt.
“Paul has appealed to Tanaiste Simon Harris to put pressure on the Egyptian authorities to let the marchers reach Rafah. The situation of the people of Gaza worsens by the day as they suffer starvation imposed by Israel.”
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