What it’s like to go to summer camp in North Korea

CNN —

Even for locals, travel inside the isolated nation officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is heavily restricted.

But arranging a trip was much easier for Russian national Yuri Frolov, 25, who spent two weeks in the hermit kingdom as a high-school student in 2015 and 2016. Yuri’s fascination with North Korea began with a TV documentary that portrayed the country as besieged by capitalist neighbors. This curiosity led him to join a “Solidarity with North Korea” group on VKontakte, Russia’s Facebook equivalent.

Through this group, he found an opportunity to attend Songdowon International Children’s Camp in Wonsan, on North Korea’s east coast. About $500 covered all expenses for a 15-day trip. His parents consented, and he traveled alone from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, joining other children and Communist Party officials on the journey.

Earlier this year, 100 Russian nationals were the first tour group allowed to visit North Korea since the pandemic, a sign of Russia’s increasing popularity as Pyongyang deepens ties with Moscow. Before the pandemic, the largest source of inbound tourists to North Korea wasn’t Russia – it was China.

Upon his arrival at Songdowon International Children’s Camp in summer 2015, the camp staff greeted Frolov and his group warmly. The camp hosted children from various countries, including Laos, Nigeria, Tanzania and China. However, interactions with North Korean kids were limited to the final day, a deliberate move to prevent any exchange of real experiences.

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