Since 2017 the United States banned Americans from going to North Korea. No travel company will take you to North Korea if you only have a US passport. You would actually be charged with a felony if you visited the DPRK during the travel ban as an American! If you have another passport (non-US) then it is very easy to go on a trip there. This wouldn't be a problem for most Americans considering that going to North Korea is something that only 'extreme travelers' are interested in exploring.
This travel ban presented a huge barrier in my life because I was attempting to travel to every country and break the Guinness World Record for the Youngest Person to Travel to Every Country.
There is a process to apply for a special passport and an exemption to go to North Korea. According to the policy issues by State Department this is only for people engaged in journalism, humanitarian work and people acting in the national interest of the United States.
I tried absolutely everything that you can think of over the course of 2 years in an attempt to properly visit this country but I ran into dead ends at every turn. In the end, the last option was to visit the blue house conference rooms on the Joint Security Area on the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea which is considered one of the most dangerous borders in the world.
In no way at all do I feel satisfied with only being able to stand in North Korea for 5 minutes but I'm grateful to have been allowed to step foot in the country to break this Guinness World Record. It was also fascinating to have had such in-depth insight into the relationship between North and South Korea through the experience.
If you want to check out more of my adventures, check out my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexielimitless/