‘TherearenoATMs, your creditcarddoesn’twork, andthere’snowifi’
He also got to see North Korean social life. ‘ They go to the circus, bars, bowling alleys,’ he said. ‘People live their lives and go out and enjoy themselves.’
‘You generally got the impression of apersonality cult, and a country that is cut off from the rest of the world,’ he said.
His trip also included a few days in Beijing where he met Gorey-native Tim Harrington, deputy chief of mission in Beijing, who told him that if he did end up being detained in North Korea, he would have to deal with the Irish Embassy in Seoul.
Before he entered North Korea, Malcolm was given a list of ‘dos and don’ts.’ ‘ There were some bizarre rules,’ he said. ‘If you were taking a photograph of a statue of the Supreme leader, you had to take the full body,’ he said. ‘And you had to stand respectfully when you were near the statues or posters.’
‘It’s probably not a holiday destination for everyone, but if someone has an interest in global affairs, it’s certainly interesting to see life there firsthand, rather than relying on the media,’ he added. ‘I’d like to go back some time in the future to see how much it has changed. It was in some ways bizarre, but in most ways, fascinating.’
‘I asked locals if they would like to see North Korea going the way of China, which has become more capitalist, and they said no, but as we have seen before, change can happen overnight,’ he said.