The following article is the fifth in a multipart series by Gareth Johnson of Young Pioneer Tours about being a North Korea tour guide. Views expressed in columns are exclusively the author’s own and do not represent those of NK News.

North Korea is among the most sanctioned countries in the world and that makes it difficult or outright illegal for the country to explore innovative tourism projects. But ten years ago — when things were less restrictive — the DPRK briefly attempted to promote cruises as part of tourism in the country.

The impetus for North Korea’s first-ever cruise