During nine days in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) also known as North Korea (8 to 17 April), I encountered surprises upon surprises in this mysterious and strange nation.

It was a trip led by the Vietnamese Union of Friendship Organizations with eight members to visit this nation for the historic 100th birthday celebrations of the late state's founder Kim Il-sung.

We arrived at Beijing airport three hours ahead of the flight but the booth of DPRK’s state-owned flag carrier Air Koryo was empty. However, just 30 minutes later, a large group started to gather. Most were international visitors.

There are few flights to DPRK. On 11 April for example, there were four flights from Beijing to Pyongyang, the capital of DPRK.

Currently you can only fly to Pyongyang from China or Russia.

There are many posters like this (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

Old plane, colorless buildings, abundant flowers

Aboard the flight TU-154, I suddenly found my seat (as written on the ticket) occupied by a strange passenger. After I complained to a beautiful Korean stewardess, she calmly and politely took me to find a new… unoccupied seat.

The plane is quite small and old. There are ashtrays left on the plane; most knobs are old but I enjoy the food and drinks very much.

Drinks include alcoholic beverage, soft drinks, and freshwater. All are made in DPRK.

After two hours of flight, the TU-154 softly landed in Pyongyang airport.

A strict requirement from DPRK security is that you must leave all your mobile phones at the airport. Even if you could sneak one in, you would not be able to use it because there is no international roaming service there.

Yet, there is an Egyptian telecom company supplying mobile service for around 1 million subscribers. However, only Korean people inside DPRK call each other. Foreigners must use a different network and can only call foreigners.

It started to get dark as we were being transported from the airport to the hotel. However, on the streets, there were many people present, tending to large flower pots to prepare for the upcoming historic event – April 15, the centenary birthday of the eternal president.

We stayed at 4-star Yanggakdo International Hotel located in a small island in the capital. It has 47 floors and on the top floor there is a revolving restaurant. There are also massage, karaoke, disco services and even a small casino in the basement.

Pyongyang has some very wide streets with thin traffic. In the evening, it is quite dark as there are no street lights. Both sides of the street boast low, colorless apartment blocks under 8 floors so that there will be no need for elevators. They mostly bear a tint of white or grey.

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Pyongyang people love flowers. Nearly all balconies on the apartment blocks have flower pots. Near my hotel, there is also a large area reserved for flowers.

My first dinner is at a restaurant inside the hotel. There is kimchi, fried fish, minced meat, white rice (Korean rice with long grains), and taedong-gang beer (brewed by a state-owned company in Pyongyang). The beer is a pride of DPRK since it has been exported to the US.

Listed in DPRK won, payment in USD

I came to a telephone booth at the hotel to call home. Fee for a 4-minute call to Vietnam is US$5. There is also an email service here but you must send it from the official email of the hotel.

Stores inside the hotel sell DPRK specialties like bear gall, ginseng, Korean rice, DPRK skirts together with tobacco imported from Vietnam, Heineken beer, cakes…

All prices are listed in the DPRK won although payments must be made in USD, euro or in Chinese yuan.

During my nine days in this strange country, I did not see the DPRK won. You can also not use your Visa or MasterCard here.

An interesting thing I learn is that even Vietnamese diplomats at the Vietnamese embassy in Pyongyang have to fly to Beijing to receive their regular salary. In DPRK, besides 11 Vietnamese embassy officials and their 17 relatives, there are no other Vietnamese citizens. However, the Vietnamese embassy there has a full-time official in charge of consular affairs.

At the hotel, besides DPRK and Chinese channels, there are two others: NHK English and BBC News. But locals are not allowed to watch the latter two.

A Korean guide talks about the life of eternal president Kim Il-sung (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

Nameless buildings, no address

I notice that many very spacious streets in Pyongyang have no name while apartment buildings bear no address number. Even a building I am sure is an official government building has no name. When I asked, I got the reply that was “due to security reasons”.

There are many trams on the street, just like Hanoi in the old days. Still, there are luxury cars like Lexus, Mercedes, BMW side by side with tractors, buses and trucks that are stuffed to the full with passengers.

Pyongyang has taxis whose prices are quite soft, according to a Vietnamese diplomat stationed there. Taxis bear the brand Volkswagen Passat.

Bicycles only travel back and forth on the pavements.

Then, there’s a crowded metro station in Pyongyang. According to a Korean translator by the name of Kim who was once educated in Hanoi, this was built in the 1960s. There are 17 stations. The total length of this public system is around 24 km under a depth of 100-200m.

This is the deepest metro station in the world, Kim (the translator) explained. It can also be used as a shelter in case of war.

The metro system is quite clean (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

During my trip, I met with representatives from three state-owned DPRK companies in gold mining, restaurant and jewelry industries. We discussed opening a DPRK restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City and launching guided tours from Vietnam to Pyongyang in the near future.

Leaving DPRK, I believe this country’s economy and tourism will further develop in the future. The 105-floor Koryo hotel, built since 1978, is about to be finished and waiting to welcome visitors.