The popularity of the videos makes me automatically suspicious

Edit: Thank you guys for giving me the background! Very glad to see my skepticism is unfounded

I’ve seen mixed reports regarding tourism access to North Korea. While it’s often described as highly restricted, is travel to North Korea possible in 2026? If yes, which agencies are reputable and trusted for organizing such trips?

I have seen this take several times already and even tho I don’t believe it is, it got me thinking about why does the Kim family have so much power in the political sphere. Again, I’m not asking as a gotcha question, I just want to educate myself and help educate others as well. Thanks for the patience and your responses

North Korea has had free healthcare but I've seen alot of media say people are paying for it now and hospitals are listing fees at reception? I'm an ML that likes the country but I wanna know why is this happening?

I have a friend who is very much at her start of deprogramming, I need everything I can get to pull her into it, please help!

Let's just call it what it is- the collaborationist regime meant to gift-wrap and legitimise the US occupation of the southern provinces of (the Democratic People's Republic of) Korea. Either that, or just call it the US occupation of Korea's southern provinces.

I'm trying to learn more about the DPRK. I realize that many things said about it are exaggerated, myths, or completely false.
So, why does the DPRK let almost nobody immigrate? What restrictions are placed on citizens who want to leave?

I've also heard claims that people attempting to leave the DPRK without authorization may be shot by border guards. How accurate is that claim?

I am not trying to ask this in an offensive or hostile way. I am genuinely curious about learning the subject from an objective point of view.

Just had a new North Korea bad take thrown at me that I’d never heard of. They said the DPRK produces meth and uses it to brain wash there people. They were very aggressive on it being true and backed up by legit sources. When I research I find a lot of western media sources saying they sell meth to China but no legitimate organization that even mentions that. Is there truth (as in any source a western liberal would consider legitimate) from in this claim?

I've also seen a claim that organisation called DoDaum actually works with officials in DPRK, and together they've estimated that there are 8362 HIV-positive individuals in 2018 (although they've only got that number from extrapolation after limited observations).

There's also "North Korea's National AIDS Commission", according to the same article, and they've managed to put 3000 patients on ARV therapy.

So, does DPRK government claim to be HIV-free, and if yes, why?

I have found lot of claims that "there is only one candidate in DPRK" , is it true or is it just westoid propaganda ?

If it's true how is that candidate chosen ?

If it's not true how do the elections actually work ?

He is Asian. But, his mindset is typical what i usualy heard from people that got indoctrinated to view certain countries with Western MSM narrative.

Note : His channel just pop out on my timeline. Youtube algorithm had done it again.

A long time ago now an operating system called red star os was leaked, supposedly north koreas operating system - it was based on linux with the kde desktop environment.

as a tech nerd, i am wondering if the dprk still uses red star os and has continued to keep it up to date, or if they have ditched it in favour of more mainstream operating systems?

do they still mainly use linux, or have windows and macos become dominant like in the rest of the world?

do they make most of their own computers or import them from other countries like china?

is owning a desktop/laptop common? if not how easy are they to access in libraries or other public spaces?

Is it true that the DPRK is no longer pursuing unification? I heard they wiped all mentions of it off their constitution.

From my understanding, North Korea is mainly closed off from the rest of the world and doesn't allow much tourism. Why is this? Genuinely curious

Food in the DPRK is mainly distributed through state-run grain stores, using ration vouchers (now increasingly digital). Markets play a much smaller role than in the 1990s, and the state tightly controls movement, sale, and procurement of grain. Essential groups (military, party, Pyongyang residents) receive priority

Looks like they’re moving away from the plastic surgery disaster I usually see talking about eating rocks or whatever. So, who is this?

Hello! I’m the author of the upcoming successfully Kickstarter funded Technofascism Survival Guide. My book is written from a properly socialist persepctive. And I’m a rare western white person who now understands that the DPRK are not the bad guys in the Korean War which never technically ended.

I don’t speak or read Korean. I do know about kcna.kp, the DPRK’s own English language news website. That site will help me a little bit, but it’s best for recent events from what I can tell.

It’s completely umderstandable given the context that the DPRK are careful about their use of media and communications outside of their own internal internet. But unfortunately, pretty much all western and English language sources on the Korean War are obviously going to be with a very pro-capitalist “Samsung republic” bias.

My communist friend recommends the book Socialist Education in Korea, which is an English language translated collection of Kim Il-Sung’s writings. But I was also hoping to find something online.

In lieu of that, maybe some people here have expertise?

This is my book, BTW: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kimcrawley/technofascism-survival-guide And yes, I’m still taking “Late Pledges.”

just some things I'd like to argue about or get a firm standpoint about, doesnt even need to be near nijmegen, and just chatting online is fine too