Is Rason boring? My unwavering answer to this is that no, it is not boring. In fact, if you have any interest in the DPRK, then it is an essential place to visit. It is, though, not Pyongyang, not for everyone, and somewhere that you have to seriously manage your expectations.
And I am writing this after being one of the first tourists in the zone for about five years. This was part of YPT’s attempts at reopening the country to tourism. North Korea has been almost completely closed for five years due to the pandemic.
What the Rason?
Rason, North Korea’s enigmatic special economic zone, is a place that defies expectations. A curious blend of Soviet-era nostalgia, Chinese business influence, and classic North Korean control, it’s the country’s only real attempt at free-market economics. Here, Chinese yuan and US dollars flow more freely than the North Korean won, and seafood markets overflow with fresh catches destined for export. Street food? Think dried squid, local seafood, and even a surprising amount of imported Chinese snacks.
Is it worth visiting? Or is it so boring that you should just wait for Pyongyang to open? Well, just like a Facebook relationship status—it’s complicated.
Is Rason Boring? – The Bad
OK, so let’s make this a bit of a shit sandwich! Due to its unique status, Rason has a kind of mixed economy. From a touristic point of view, this means that it is not as “revolutionary” as other places you can visit and, to an extent, has fewer places to see. And despite its slight economic liberalism and so-called mixed economy, alas, the Perestroika has not been followed by any Glasnost. This means that things such as taking photos and even visiting certain places are often stricter here than in Pyongyang. Although, with Pyongyang currently closed, honestly, who knows?
And sadly, due to the pandemic and other issues, many of the foreign businesses are gone, and thus, there is less to see here. This means that we at least run 4-night, 5-day tours, which might even be shorter were it not for border opening times. This is, though, something that changes massively in the summer.
Is Rason Boring? – The Good
As explained, Rason has a mixed economy, which leads to you being able to do some interesting things, such as open a bank account, or rather, buy a charge card. You can also change money at black market rates and, previously at least, visit a private market. This has since been replicated to a degree by Kwanbok Department Store in Pyongyang, although if this is still the case, no one knows.
You do, though, still have a lot more freedom in certain ways, with there being street food you can try, as well as even having the ability to run a stall at their trade fair. What really gets me every time, though, is the epic seafood. Honestly, Rason has the best and indeed cheapest seafood that I have ever seen in the world. Therefore, I gotta say—I like the place!
It is also essential viewing if you are fascinated by North Korea, hence why I refer to it as the other North Korea. And alongside Yanji and Sakhalin, they are simply a must if you have a bit of a DPRK obsession—an illness I am very much afflicted with. Should you visit Rason instead of Pyongyang? Probably not, with the ideal tour taking you to both. But is Rason boring? No, not at all.
Click to see my Rason Tours.
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