BDA shorts

Almost none. Along with our group of 19 we had two guides, a driver, and some guy who just sat in the back keeping an eye out on us. Any time someone tried to wander off we would be stopped. The one place we could walk around in relative freedom was our hotel in Pyongyang, which was on an island in the middle of the river running through the city.

At one hotel with a courtyard and a surrounding wall, the doors to the outside were actually padlocked shut at night.

This of course makes the tour different from other tours--it leaves huge parts of the country, or even the locality you're in that day, off-limits. So I can definitely respect people who manage to travel around without a guide, such as this guy who arrived in Pyongyang by train via Vladivostok (supposedly not open to foreigners) instead of by flight or the regular train via Dandong.

If you look at North Korea travelogues on the internet, you'll notice most of the pictures are of the same sites. Pretty much everyone takes the same itinerary, even on a private trip, unless you have something you're specifically interested in (for example, Buddhist temples).

I agree completely that it's a safe place. Most locals are afraid to even look you in the eye so there's absolutely nothing to worry about in terms of pickpockets, touts, scammers, or other typical travel hassles. Made the trip very pleasant in that regard.