[dominotw]

I don't think an average person can travel to DPRK on his/her own.

[EliRivers]

If you go as a tourist it must be a guided/accompanied tour (or rather, you arrange it through one of DPRK tourism bodies, and they only do guided/accompanied - you can't just turn up at Pyongyang airport and ask to come in), but there is nothing stopping you having a group size of one (i.e. just yourself).

People working there and diplomats and so forth come under different rules.

[steveklabnik]

You can...

For example, Merrill Newman (who has been in the news lately) was taking a 10 day vacation there when he was detained.

[dominotw]

He didn't go on his own. He was part of a tour group.

[mikeash]

But not individually. You have to sign up for a group tour.

[steveklabnik]

Ah, you mean that kind of individually. I thought you meant "I'm not a journalist or a diplomat" individually.

[mikeash]

Well, it wasn't me, but that's what I got from the "which is controlled by NK" comment. In short, I think he wanted to know if you could just go wander around without having government minders watching you all the time.

[steveklabnik]

Whoops, my apologies for not double checking usernames.

[mikeash]

No problem, I'm pretty sure you're not the first person to make that mistake.

[power2u]

Yes, that's what I meant.