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Leslie DeBusk
Professor Reider
ENG 101
25 November 2016
An American in North Korea
Otto Frederick Warmbier is currently serving a 15 year sentence of hard labor in the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea for stealing a propaganda poster while on a tour there in
January 2016 (Pearson par 2). His theft was considered by the DPRK as a hostile act against
their strict socialist government (Pearson par 3). Warmbier, an American citizen, has zero
diplomatic avenues to escape this punishment (Alter par 2). Political relations are tense between
North Korea and the rest of the world, any tourist caught in the middle may share in Warmbiers
fate. Thousands of tourists from western countries and China visit the hermit country every
year and make it home safely without incident. The DPRK actually encourages tourism with a
state owned agency called the Korea International Travel Company. KITC has been working
with international tour groups with excellent safety track records for over 20 years (Koryo)
despite North Koreas strict conduct code for tourists while there. On an international stage,
tourism to the DPRK is controversial considering the country's history of human rights abuses,
reported famine and food insecurity, and militaristic culture under the Kim regime. Tourism to
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea helps fund a tyrannical government that has nuclear
weapon manufacturing capabilities. Tourism to the DPRK may also aid in the spread of the
regimes propaganda, and could provide political leverage in the form of detained citizens such
as Warmbier.

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DPRK or North Korea is a country in East Asia, bordered to the north by China and
Russia, and to the south by South Korea. Kim Il-sung, patriarch of the current ruling dynasty,
assumed power in 1953 after the Korean War (1950-1953). Kim Il-sung fashioned his
government on Stalin influenced communism, with one unified political party in the country
called The Workers Party of Korea (WPK), of which he and later his son and grandson would
head (Worden pg 191). A cult like worship of the late Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il exists within
the country. Propaganda exalting the WPK and the Kims is ubiquitous. Warmbier was arrested
just for taking a propaganda poster off of his hotel room wall. The DPRK interpreted it as a
hostile act against their government.
North Korea economically depended upon food and trade opportunities with other
communist countries, primarily U.S.S.R. and China until the 1990s when the soviet block
collapsed (Worden pg 153). The Arduous March followed, a time period in the 1990s when
food insecurity and mid decade floods yielded mass famine throughout the country (Worden pg
155). Post soviet collapse, North Korea found itself courting western economic opportunities
and humanitarian aid (Worden pg 156). Thanks to the Sunshine Policy instituted by the South
Korean government in 1998, other countries began engaging with the DPRK. Unfortunately, this
uneasy peace did not last.
In the early 2000s, policies of economic and humanitarian sanctions against North Korea
were implemented to deter further development of a nuclear weapons program in the country.
Despite international pressure to dismantle the nuclear program, North Korea reported that it
launched its first successful test on 9 October 2006, with its most recent test on 9 September
2016 (BBC). It is safe to assume, that there will be an escalation of capability. Neighboring

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China, Russia, South Korea and Japan as well as the U.S. have a great incentive to continue to
levy sanctions against an unpredictable North Korea.
There are reportedly 3 million members of the party out of approximately 24 million
inhabitants (Worden pg 191). DPRK, according to their own documents and reports from former
citizens, has a ranking system called Songbun which contains 51 classifications of
trustworthiness to the totalitarian Kim regime (Collins pg. III). This classification is alleged to
have far reaching consequences relating to employment opportunities or even food availability to
the average DPRK citizen. Over 200,000 people are thought to be held in one of six large
political prison complexes or camps. The conditions have been reported to rival slavery
(Amnesty International). Many of the prisons inhabitants are reported as guilty by association.
They are in prison because a family member is in prison (Amnesty International pg 5). Torture is
regularly practiced in these camps, and numerous executions are met out. In 2014 The United
Nations Commission of Inquiry determined that policies established at the highest level of
State begat the DPRKs crimes against humanity (United Nations Report par 1). Hazel Smith in
CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY: Unpacking the North Korean Human Rights Debate casts
some doubt on findings within the UN report. She questions the methodology with which this
social science study on human rights was conducted. Accurate and extensive information on the
DPRK is hard to acquire for rigorous study. Pieces of truthful information do come forth, but are
over applied to generalize the sociological, economic and political situation in North Korea
(Smith pg 129).
Though freedom of religion is guaranteed in its constitution, in practice the state owned
and run churches are thought to be for appearances for the benefit of tourists. In the movie The
Propaganda Game, director lvaro Longoria during the course of a guided tour of Pyongyang

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demands to attend a mass and his request is obliged. There is a church in Pyongyang, there were
members in the pews, there was a priest leading the mass, but the standard rite of communion
was not given. Spanish Catholic Longoria suspected that the service and church was in fact,
faked. His suspicions deepen when he questions his guides, and they (one of which is also a
native spaniard), cannot offer a reasonable explanation about Longoria's observations during the
service.
The tourism industry in North Korea exists with the support of the government and for
the support of the government. The DPRK, through the state owned Korea International Travel
Company (KITC), even has a website (in english) that is targeted to potential tourists. Kim
Jong-un is reportedly encouraging tourism as well, with desired projections in 2017 topping out
at 1 million visitors (Alter par 3). It seems that the bolstering of the tourism industry in North
Korea is an attempt to bring in international hard currency to the country. Despite the desire for
this revenue stream, the DPRK has strict guidelines for those that do decide to visit.
It is thought that western tourism is used in propaganda within the DPRK, tourists are
seen as paying homage or respect to the deified Kim regime (Dennis Rodmans Big Bang in
Pyongyang). All tours in North Korea are guided tours, and are conducted under the watchful eye
of a state appointed minder. Tourists usually are not allowed to deviate from the approved tourist
destinations like the Capital Pyongyang or ski resort in Masikryong. Photos of the statues of
Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il must contain the entire figure. Photos while traveling are not
permitted. Photos of military members on duty or at checkpoints are not allowed. Mundane
photos of everyday occurrences might be off limits. In all cases of tresspasses by tourists, the
state appointed guides are the ones that answer for it (Koryo rules). Compliance is stressed by
former tour participants as necessary to have a smooth trip (Derek, Becki). Navigating the red

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tape, Koryo Group has one of the most established and trusted relationships with KITC, reaching
back over 20 years.
Koryo advocates for tourism to North Korea as a way to facilitate trust and cultural
exchanges between western visitors and their Korean hosts. The best example of this occurred in
February of 2008 when the New York Philharmonic Orchestra played a concert in Pyongyang
(Koryo cultural exchanges). The list of songs performed included the national anthems of both
countries. Koryo provided information to assist the orchestra with navigating a trip to North
Korea. Dr. Daniel Pinkston, the North East Asia Deputy Director of the International Crisis
Group, in the movie Dennis Rodmans Big Bang in Pyongyang, makes a compelling point on the
power of person to person interaction. Dr. Pinkston believes that cultural exchanges and person
to person interaction is the only way that minds can begin to change in North Korea. These
minds can only change in the presence of new information and experiences. New policy is
crafted to reflect the change in attitudes. The only reliable way of accomplishing person to
person contact with DPRK is through the avenue of tourism and cultural exchange. Professor
Joe Terwilliger of Columbia University stated in the same film, I think science, music, culture,
sports are all things that are innocuous where you can build relationships between people.
(Dennis Rodmans Big Bang in Pyongyang). Cultural exchanges could build foundations of trust
and familiarity between the hermit kingdom and the rest of the western world, which may, one
day support diplomatic solutions.
Otto Warmbier is still incarcerated in North Korea for his crimes committed while on a
heavily curated tour. His trial came shortly after further condemnation from the international
community regarding the DPRK's nuclear weapons testing and capabilities (Pearson,North
Korea claims success in fifth nuclear test.). Most foreigners to North Korea are arrested under

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suspicion of spying or for political or religious reasons, which are important tenets of a free
society. The monies made from tourism to the DPRK cannot be accurately tracked and accounted
for with available information, coupled with North Koreas historical economic woes, it must be
assumed that this currency is being used by North Korea to fund humanitarian crimes against its
citizens as well as supporting its nuclear weapon production. Despite the benefit of person to
person interaction with North Koreans, money made in the tourist trade will continue support the
party responsible for their oppression.

Works Cited
Alter, Charlotte. What Its Like to Be a Western Tourist in North Korea. Time. Time Inc. 22
Jan. 2016. Web. 24 Nov. 2016
Amnesty International. North Korea: Political Prison Camps. London: International
Secretariat, Amnesty International, 3 May 2011. Web. 27 Nov 2016.

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Becki. Travelling to North Korea - Where Preconceptions and Reality Collide. Borders of
Adventure. Borders of Adventure, 12 Oct. 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2016.
Collins, Robert. Marked for Life: SONGBUN, North Koreas Social Classification System.
Washington DC: The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, 2012. Web. 21 Nov.
2016.
Dennis Rodmans Big Bang in Pyongyang. Colin Offland. Matt Cooper, Dennis Rodman. 2015.
Netflix.
Derek. What Its Like To Travel To North Koreaand Is Traveling to North Korea Ethical?
Wandering Earl. Wandering Earl LLC, 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2016.
Koryo Group. Koryo Group. Web. 25 Nov. 2016.
North Korea claims success in fifth nuclear test. BBC NEWS. BBC, 9 Sept. 2016. Web. 24
Nov. 2016.
North Korea: UN Commission documents wide-ranging and ongoing crimes against humanity,
urges referral to ICC. OHCHR. United Nations Office of the High Commissioner, 17
Feb. 2014. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.
New York Philharmonic in Pyongyang. Video Clip. Youtube. Youtube. 25 Oct. 2013. Web. 26
Nov. 2016.
Pearson, James and Ju-min Park. North Korea detains U.S. student on New Year trip for
hostile act. Reuters. Reuters. 22 Jan. 2016. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.
The Propaganda Game. lvaro Longoria. Rajiv Narayam. 2015. Netflix.
Smith, Hazel. "CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY?: Unpacking the North Korean Human Rights
Debate." Critical Asian Studies, vol. 46, no. 1, 2014., pp. 127143doi:10.1080/14672715.2014.863581.

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Worden, Robert L, and Library Of Congress. Federal Research Division. North Korea: a country
study. Washington, DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress: For sale by the
Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O, 2008. Online Text. Retrieved from the Library of Congress,
<https://www.loc.gov/item/2008028547/>.