It seems that a foreigner's life in North Korea: “If you break the rules, the consequences can be serious, sometimes fatal! ”

But as foreign media write, no one knows why he was there.

It's about a 29-year-old who reportedly avoided political criticism at the expense of North Korea and spoke of small things that make up everyday life there.

Now another question arises how did Alek reach North Korea, and how do foreigners live in this isolated country?

And according to the media, foreigners in North Korea can be divided into two groups of Western and Chinese, sent in to Telegrafi.

“Kina is the closest and most powerful ally of genan and has increased the number of Chinese tourists in the country”, a professor from the University of South Korea, Kyungnam, was quoted as saying.

He estimated that 120,000 Chinese tourists visited North Korea last year. For the sake of comparison, there were 5,000 Western tourists in the same year.

Otherwise, the Chinese government reportedly offers full scholarships to 60 students at North Korean universities every year, while another 70 simply finance their studies in that country.

While a North Korean researcher, Andrey Ibrahiman, a frequent visitor to the country, estimates there are only about 200 Westerners, and almost all of them settled in the Pyongyang and are mainly linked to diplomatic missions, humanitarian organisations and universities.

Special Circumstances

The majority of Westerners living in North Korea are there because of particular circumstances. This is relatively unusual for people to spend some time in North Korea and are usually linked to a government program at a time, and their number is generally very small”, Dr. John Neilson Wright, Cambridge University.

Outside these areas, even receiving a visa for workers of nongovernmental organizations is a problem.

As South Korean University professor explains, organizations should provide a North Korean partner or sponsor who will guarantee them.

“The investigation can be detailed and will probably include the state security ministry for all who try to stay longer in the country”, he adds.

Otherwise, Alek Sigley reportedly went to North Korea for the first time as a tourist in 2012, before establishing his own tour company.

He led dozens of travel groups, building his network that had to be applied to Kim Il Sung University, the best in the country.

There is no open application process, and accession is often a matter of contact you have at your place”, he was quoted as saying on the blog. “I have some friends who are willing to guarantee me and help me”.

Alek started a two-year Korean study last April. He was one of three Western students at his university two were from Canada and Sweden.

Life in North Korea

Alek also wrote about the freedom she enjoyed in comparison with tourists who should stay on their guide and visit only the landmarks.

“Like a foreigner who lives in the country for a long time because of a student vision, I have almost unlimited access to jinn. I'm free to wander into town without any escort”, he wrote.

While Andrey Ibrahiman said that even as residents, Westerners cannot access “kudo”. According to him, they also live in accordance with the restrictions ʹ mixed with the local population is not desirable and public photography is dangerous.

Wright, meanwhile, recalls the case of American student Otto Warmbier, who spent 17 months in prison in North Korea after being charged with stealing a propaganda sign during a five-day promotional tour. He died a few days after returning to America in a coma. After that, the American authorities stopped their citizens from going there.

“Sic you can see in the Warmbier case, Westerners can break local rules and the consequences can be serious and sometimes fatal”, Wright says.

Although difficult, it's worth trying to build a relationship with that society. We believe that contact is the best way to lower doubts and open ground”, concludes Andray Abrahamian