In North Korea, you cannot photograph the military/soldiers, military installations, checkpoints, construction sites, infrastructure (bridges, docks, telecoms), or anything that shows the country negatively (poverty, unfinished projects). Specific rules also apply to statues (full-frame only, no cropping feet), people without permission, and even unfinished murals, with guides enforcing restrictions closely.
Taking photos or videos
Ask permission from your tour guide before taking any photographs. Avoid pointing cameras at North Korean officials or guarded buildings.
North Korea's government did not report the death for more than 34 hours after it occurred. An official mourning period was declared from 8–17 July, during which the national flag was flown at half mast throughout the country, and all forms of amusement and dancing were prohibited.
Cameras with zoom lenses over 150mm are banned, and drones are confiscated upon arrival. “Journalists are not allowed to enter North Korea as tourists, so carrying large camera setups might raise concerns, even if you're not a journalist,” the guide stated.
While some countries may have threatened to ban the sale of Coca-Cola, and in certain countries this has actually been enforced for certain periods of time, today there are just two countries in the world where the soda cannot be bought or sold – Cuba and North Korea.
North Korea has strict laws about what you can bring into the country. It's illegal to bring in South Korean content, religious, pornographic or political items.
Beer is available to tourists without limitation. Mass-produced beer can be found everywhere in the country, and microbreweries are also common. North Koreans need to expend food coupons when buying beer, which will diminish their grain rations.
Netflix is not available in: China. Crimea. North Korea.
North Korea has officially banned blue jeans and restricted citizens to only 28 state-approved hairstyles — 18 for women and 10 for men.
In North Korea, e-cigarettes are banned by law. As a result, the sale and importation of vaping products are prohibited.
One Western travel agency specialising in tours of North Korea has described the fifth floor as "actually just a service level much like would be found in any hotel, and strictly off limits to tourists."
Another one of the classic urban myths about North Korea is that tattoos are illegal, this is completely not that case, tattoos are legal and you will see many North Koreans with ink.
According to the United States Department of State, no provisions exist in North Korean law to prohibit discrimination on sexual orientation or identity; the concepts do not appear. As of 2026, there is no North Korean law that recognizes same-sex marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships.
The ban on K-pop is part of a campaign to shield North Koreans from the “malign” influence of western culture that began under the former leader, Kim Jong-il and intensified under his son Kim Jong-un.
Introduction. While McDonald's is a global icon, the fast-food giant does not have a presence in many countries worldwide. There are 123 countries where McDonald's has not set up a restaurant yet, including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, and North Korea, among many others.
However, even that got the streaming giant nowhere. "The content had to clear the censorship board to make it to air, and in three years, not a single episode of a Netflix show cleared the censorship board. Not one," Mr Sarandos said. "They had no interest in us being in China.
Technically it is not permitted to take North Korean currency out of the country. If it is found on your person or in your luggage by the DPRK immigration, the officers will politely inform you it's not allowed and you will need to forfeit the cash.
Average Wages
Official Salary: This is typically between 5,000 and 10,000 North Korean won (KPW) per month, which translates to roughly $1-3 USD based on black market exchange rates [source for North Korea average salary].
Tobacco smoking is popular in North Korea and culturally acceptable among men, but not for women. As of 2019, some 43.6% of men are reported to smoke daily, whilst in contrast only 4.5% of women smoke daily, with most of these being older women from rural areas.
Russia and Australia have the highest prevalence of alcohol dependence overall, with 2.61 per cent and 2.58 per cent, respectively. According to the WHO, US has the lowest rate of alcohol dependence with only 1.92 per cent.
The simple answer to this is no – at least not in the traditional sense. It has a few karaoke rooms (where most of the partying takes place), some restaurants, a pool room, and a 1990s-style arcade room with virtual golf.