Originally Posted by
ThomasSmrs
Back when Pan Am operated intra-German routes, I sat next to a North Korean passport holder flying from Frankfurt to West Berlin. It was either 1988 or 1989. He was in a business suit and thought he was just a normal Korean(i.e. South Korean). I mean, who would have thought that a North Korean would be flying on Pan Am, which was almost like an American flag carrier.
I thought he was kidding about being North Korean, until he showed me his DPRK passport. To this day, that guy remains the only North Korean I've seen in person. I mean, I've seen more pandas than North Koreans... that's just strikes me as odd.
Sure, but did the US ever have a law banning North Koreans from traveling? Not recognizing the country's government and banning its citizens from traveling are two different things. After all, thousands of Iranian citizens travel to the US on student or work visas every year. My understanding is that North Koreans cannot travel because of the policies of their own government, not foreign governments.
But regardless, that was an interesting episode. Thanks for sharing.