Originally Posted by jiejie

North Korea: If this is a STRONG interest, then you must go with a tour and they will take care of the NK visa, as you cannot do that on your own. It all is done as a package. Most foreigners go with a Beijing-based agency such as Koryo tours (google for their website). These will not be cheap, likely almost as much as going to Tokyo or Seoul options. There are somewhat cheaper tours organized for Chinese visitors but without being a Mandarin speaker, it will not be a good choice for you. Again, if you don't have a strong burning desire to see North Korea, then skip this.