I Went to North Korea. Here's the Shocking Truth 🇰🇵

In today's video, I share my honest thoughts with you about North Korea after 4 years since my visit... I didn't mention in the video that I am one of the very last Americans to step foot in the country because a few months after I left, all Americans were banned from visiting (which is still in effect today).

I often think about North Korea and I wanted to take this time to re-tell my story, share my thoughts, and also get some feedback from you. What are your opinions about North Korea? Would you ever visit North Korea?

Special thanks to my friends Hjalmer and Wander Wilbury for sharing some extra footage from your trips!

#NorthKorea #DrewBinsky #Travel

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👨🏻‍🦰 WHO AM I?
I'm Drew Binsky and I have been to EVERY country in the world (197/197). I make documentaries about interesting people and cultures in faraway places. My ultimate goal is to inspire you to travel because I think it's the best education that you can get. And our planet is beautiful!

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[sepmoblifard]

the way your old video was is the exact reason why it went viral. It was original, raw, no crazy edits, no order. The moral, it's all good my friend. Keep the content real. The imperfections are all part of the plan

[Dennenmusics]

8:04 The precious nod and smile from the girl there. We’re all humans and able to connect. No matter where your are from! ❤️

[yuchan]

2:22 As a South Korean, it is very sad for me to say that it was “One family chain”. My grandfather hadn't seen his family in North Korea since the Korean War, and he always looked at pictures and missed them, but he eventually passed away. Many of my friends have grandparents from separated families, and most of them never saw their faces again until they died.

[happy]

How is no one talking about how cute this little girl is at 8:03 when she was about to eat her ice cream but took it out to bow towards the camera

[arhamfarizchowdhury]

Thank you for your beautiful and interesting knowledges of North Korea. Much love and God bless you from Dhaka Bangladesh.

[craigfithustle]

I was in the DPRK in 2014 for about a week, same tour group as yours, Koryo as well. We flew into Pyongyang from Beijing and saw a few of the sights there, then did an overland train across the country and spent nights in Wonsan, Hamhung, and Chongjin in the far northeast. I extended my tour too to Sinuiju and Dandong. My big highlight: shaking hands and saying “hello” in Korean to a little boy in Hamhung, probably his first time seeing a foreigner let alone connecting with one!

[brunod]

7:43 loved the way how the girl greeted you...shows how they respect people..

[jimowen]

Thank you Drew. You are a Godsend. I am 75 years old with lots of physical maladies. I depend on brave young guys like you to keep me informed. I am very gratful for you. Godspeed

[kevinswiecki]

Drew, you deserve the greatest credit for your channel.

I usually don't comment many YT videos but after watching dozens of yours, I cannot refrain from leaving at least one comment.
In my view, you display a naturally curious, unbiased and yet critical attitude, making your films truly authentic, fun and instructive.
By encountering local people with humility and on eye level, you set an example for any (Western) traveller.
I do believe that if schools began using your videos as material in geography classes, the world would indeed become a better place.

P.S. I travelled to North Korea, too and could identify with your emotions in most situations.

Buen viaje, gute Reise, goede reis, szerokiej drogi, bon voyage, boa viagem, 一路平安, safe journey!

[OpoOnTheGo]

I swear, this is the only channel where the comments section is decidedly wholesome, regardless of the video's content. I think it's because you set the foundation for a lot of comradary with your humble nature. It's so nice to scroll through a section so filled with appreciation for people of different cultures. Really puts faith in humanity back into my sorry old soul.

[aera]

8:03 The way the lil girl bowed warmed my heart 😍😭💜

[Beatrice.Ndungu]

Did I hear KENYA 🇰🇪 continues to win as athletes. We run faster than antelopes.
Great video Drew!

[theguy.]

Amazing video drew. I am a 13 year old boy from Pakistan you have motivated me to travel. So when I grow up I will visit every country in the world

[danyalplaceyoutube]

Im so early there isn't random people blessing my family.

[princestevenii.]

7:40 That is the first shot of a North Korean child smiling I have seen that doesn't look staged.

[sarahthornley]

Please don't cringe when you watch your old work. Growth is never embarassing ❤️

[breveth]

When he said the winner of the marathon was Kenyan I wasn't even surprised.

[coldturkey]

When I saw “paid promotion” I genuinely thought he is getting sponsored by Kim himself LMAO

[andreasknogler]

I went 2 times to North Korea, first time as tourist, I spent a 5 days tour there and as you mentioned in the video, its also for me the most interesting country in the world. After this 1st trip I had more questions then before and these brought me to write my master thesis about tourism in north korea. Basically about the motivation to travel there and how the perception is changing. At the beginning I wanted to collaborate with tour operators doing tours there but didnt get any positive response so I decided to do a tour again in order to get to know more people who travelled there and afterwards was conducting an online questionnaire. Summarising, I am glad to have done this so I was on my own trying to get to know more about this isolated country. Thank you for creating this content about NK, it always amazes me how other people experienced this country.

[hunnamkung]

Thanks Drew just for talking about Korea so that ppl around the world can have an idea what's going with these countries. Im from Seoul and my granpa was also refugee from north Korea. He almost got killed if he couldnt find a hide spot luckily somewhere in toilet while escaping. I'm now studying in US as graduate student and sometime I just got surprised by this significantly big contrast between the two same but different countries... We don't have a clue when this will end like how Germany did, and maybe it might not happen until I die. As a Korean this is emotional and very sad :(