North Korea has captured the imagination of many Singaporeans ever since the June 2018 Trump-Kim summit, with tour packages to visit the hermit nation becoming more commonplace.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken notice and is asking Singaporeans to reconsider their trips to the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea.

What are the laws?

In an advisory issued on Sept. 3, MFA said non-essential travel to the country should be avoided.

This was so as the ministry said it has come to their attention that "some Singapore-based tour operators are offering holiday tour packages to North Korea".

MFA stated that the situation in North Korea "remains unpredictable", and that Singaporeans who visit North Korea should "be aware of the risks of inadvertently violating the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions and Singapore’s corresponding laws, which remain in place".

Still can visit North Korea

Fret not -- you or your parents won't be made to cancel that trip to North Korea any time soon, as Singaporeans are not barred from travelling to the country.

However, travellers should be advised that Singapore is also one of the countries upholding international sanctions against North Korea, and should be careful of violating any of the laws or sanctions in place.

These sanctions are in the form of Resolutions from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), as a way dissuade North Korea from weaponising itself after the first nuclear test in 2006.

Singapore has been having a total trade ban with North Korea since 2017.

However, it was previously reported that Pokka Singapore was suspected of illegally exporting products to North Korea, such as coffee, flavoured milk and juices.

How do Singaporeans go to North Korea?

There are no direct flights from Singapore to North Korea.

However, several tour agencies offer tours to North Korea, such as:

• Chan Brothers Travel with a 10-day tour starting from S$2,388.
• Universal Travel Corporation with a nine-day tour starting from S$2,499
• Country Holidays with a four-day or a five-day tour from S$3,050 and S$3,395 respectively

Most of the tour agencies will bring you to Pyongyang via a city in China.

One of the most common routes is to fly to Beijing before flying into the North Korean city of Pyongyang.

These are not exactly new tour packages, having been around for several years, and marketed via newspapers, and television programmes.

The Chan Brothers Travel package has also been endorsed in Mediacorp travel series My Star Guide, where Mediacorp artiste Chen Han Wei brought people on the tour.

Should I still go to North Korea?

The exotic nature of North Korea makes the hermit kingdom an attractive place for many people.

However, there are still some ethical issues when it comes to visiting North Korea.

Tourism has been criticised as helping to prop up the regime, contributing not only to the economy, but its nuclear programme.

Non-essential travel should, therefore, be avoided.

This is partly due to the fact that Singapore does not have diplomatic representation in North Korea, which constrains MFA's ability to extend consular assistance to Singaporeans who travel there.

Still, if you are headed to North Korea any time soon, remember to always follow the local guides and their instructions closely, to prevent any issues or risk flouting any local rules or customs.

Singaporeans in need of advice or urgent consular assistance may contact the MFA Duty Office at 6379 8800/ 6379 8855 or their email at [email protected].

You may also read more on Singapore's Regulation of Imports and Exports Regulations here and Singapore's UN Regulations regarding the sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea here.

Top image via peteranta on Pixabay