Travelling to North Korea from any other country is no small feat, especially if you are travelling from the neighbouring Russian nation. North Korea has a notoriously tough visa policy which requires travelers to apply with a rigorous application process. In addition to this, Russia itself has strict laws in regards to travelling to North Korea. So the question remains, can you really enter North Korea from Russia?
Asking a tour operator or a Russian official on the possibility of crossing over to North Korea will get you a firm no as in general, crossing to North Korea from any country is strictly prohibited. But this doesn’t always have to be the case since there are a few exceptions and alternatives.
If you are an academically recognized student, journalist or aid worker, the North Korean government may grant you special permission but even then, it is not always guaranteed. North Korean visa regulations can be quite tricky and it’s not possible for everyone to gain access, even if you are travelling from Russia. Even from within Russia, people find it hard to track down a tour guide that is willing and able to take individuals to North Korea as most tour operators decline to provide such services.
Nevertheless, there are numerous companies that offer non-touristic trips to North Korea if you fulfil the required criteria. These include having a medical certificate, at least 7 days before your trip, which will prove to the North Korean government your intentions in order to be granted a visa. Therefore, the answer is yes, it is in fact possible to travel to North Korea from Russia but be prepared to face a lengthy, robust process.
The Status of Diplomatic Success Between United Nations & North Korea
For a long time, the United Nations have sought diplomatic success in establishing an agreement with North Korea on a nuclear disarmament for the region. North Korea and the UN Security Council had several negotiations regarding the North Korean government’s compliances with their non-nuclear weapon obligations. This saw some progress in recent times where the UN kept changing their sanctions in order to get a favourable agreement from North Korea’s leaders. But despite these global efforts, complete success on this issue is far from being achieved as North Korea is yet to reduce any of its nuclear weapons.
UN sanctions have taken form in numerous ways such as restricting trade, manufacturing and financial activities. These were done in hopes of pressuring North Korea to cease its pursuit of nuclear technology without the risk of UN intervention. But this strategy has been ineffective as the UN have nearly always failed to reach a verified agreement with North Korea and has not been able to influence the activities of the nation. As it stands, North Korea continues to conduct nuclear tests.
Escalating Tensions Between Russia and North Korea
More recently, tensions between Russia and North Korea have been looming. This was primarily due to the increasing trade imbalance between the two nations. In 2020, Russia refused to comply to tariffs imposed by North Korea, leading to a tenser atmosphere between the two nations. The proposed tariffs were heavily criticized by certain Russian political groups who went on to openly oppose it. This caused a significant decrease in their international trade, leading to negative consequences for North Korea.
This in turn led to a decrease in international influence for North Korea and now, many Russian policymakers are warning that the situation could get worse unless a mutually beneficial trade deal is reached. The process of agreement negotiation has been gruelling and so far, the two nations have not been able to reach a final decision.
The West-North Korean Standoff
The West has long fallen out of contention with North Korea due to their nuclear activities. North Korea’s nuclear endeavours have consistently posed great risk to the West’s international security and both sides have locked heads in order to negotiate. Although North Korea agreed to disarm in the early stages of negotiations, it soon went back on its agreement which only further worsened things.
The US, in an effort to impose global pressure, proposed a joint resolution with UN Security Council to prosecute North Korea for its nuclear infringements. This only led to yet more tension between the two nations with various teams such as US-South Korea conducting more aggressive military drills in the region.
The Impact of Russian-North Korean Relations
Relations between Russia and North Korea have been instrumental in the recent years as they have continually tried to negotiate various foreign policies and global security measures. It has been very difficult, if not impossible, for the West to breach these policies as the partnership between Russia and North Korea is very strong. For this reason, Russia’s influence in North Korea has only grown.
Russia continues to push for a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue and has been quite vocal about discouraging all forms of military intervention from the West. In contrast, the West regularly advocates for more severe forms of punishment, as well as placing more sanctions on North Korea.
Global Pressure As A Measure For Achieving Success With North Korea
Due to the uninterrupted nuclear activity of North Korea, world leaders will have to increase the pressure in order to see any positive momentum. This includes the imposition of stricter rules on any form of foreign influence, in particular economic influence. Certain countries have been accused of violating these regulations and have even been found guilty of laundering billions of dollars.
Economic sanctions have had a huge impact on North Korea as they have limited their financial activities,including their collaborations in various fields such as construction, tourism, banking and more. Furthermore, foreign investment into North Korea has also seen victim to these sanctions. For example, Russia-backed business, the russian Reconstruction Group, which had taken the initial step to invest in North Korea, had to pull out due to UN sanctions.
Russia & North Korea’s Connection Through Exploiting Internet Infrastructure
Although North Korea has notoriously shot down all Western attempts at connecting with its infrastructure, it has maintained its dialogue with Russia in regards to designing and infrastructure of its communications networks and infrastructure. A recent example of this is North Korea’s collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union to test the potential of new technologies. This collaboration included areas such as boundary crossing, gateways and exchanges, where the two countries will be open to exchanging technology and resources.
As the world becomes more closely connected and in need of integrating new technologies, Russia and North Korea are pushing forward in joining forces to develop new infrastructure and networks. This partnership is intended to build up North Korea’s technological prowess as well as break its dependence on the West-controlled internet.
Strained US Relations With North Korea
The US on the other hand, has had little to no success in successfully negotiating with North Korea. In the past, their attempts have been met with difficulty when it comes to the enforcement of agreements as North Korea often finds a way to bypass these agreements. US officials are starting to see the strain from constantly failing to accomplish any progress and it has even gone so far as to sow desperation in their plans.
This was recently seen with the US’ increasing threats of military action in North Korea, which sparked fear amongst international authorities. North Korean leaders have responded to these threats by saying that such military action would mean total repercussions for the United States and its citizens.
North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Programme & Its Impacts
The ever looming issue of North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme still stands to this day as the nation continues to advance its nuclear capabilities. This has posed a great risk to the global security as the possession of nuclear weapons means that North Korea can now threaten many nations with its destructive capabilities.
This has allowed North Korea to shape international relations as its presence has become a factor for many nations in their foreign policy tactics. North Korea also continues to pursue a development of intercontinental ballistic missiles and satellite launching vehicles as its next steps.
