Latest news with #PyongyangInternationalMarathon
News18
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
YouTuber Visits North Korea, Here's What He Saw In World's Most Isolated Country
Last Updated: Harry Jaggard was allowed to shoot for five days in April. North Korea is one of the most isolated and secretive countries in the world. Now, a YouTuber has shared rare glimpses of the country in his new video. Harry Jaggard used the Pyongyang International Marathon as a chance to enter North Korea and film a travel video. The marathon was the first opportunity for many international tourists to visit North Korea. The YouTuber, in a chat, said that North Korea had been on his radar for years and the international marathon afforded him a loophole to enter the country. In an interview with The New York Post, Jaggard recalled, 'I'm not a runner, but they told me you have to be there in a month, and I made all the preparations and made it happen." He managed to run the marathon in three hours and 40 minutes Talking about his experience in the secretive country, he added, 'My tour guide said that you'll go into North Korea with 100 questions and you'll leave with 1,000 questions, and it's so true." The YouTuber, known for his travel videos, was allowed to shoot for five days in April. He mentioned that he was surprised by how much he was allowed to film in the country. A few areas, however, were restricted- a view tower, a war museum and a supermarket. According to Jaggard, he and fellow runners were given a curated tour of the capital Pyongyang, similar to a 'highlight reel." 'It's like going on a tour of America but only seeing Las Vegas — like the shiny parts," he said. The tour guide showed them the city's subway system, a beer joint, war museums and monuments dedicated to former leader Kim Jong-il and the Workers Party. In his vlog, Jaggard mentioned that many North Koreans appeared deeply indoctrinated and unaware of what was happening in the outside world. He was also surprised to hear one of the tour guides say that COVID-19 entered the country via air balloons sent by South Korea. For the YouTuber, his experience in North Korea was something he would remember for a long time. 'For me, the experience was more about the people that I met," he said. 'They are portrayed to hate all foreigners and hate the West, but that's not really true. We had so many interesting conversations off camera that were just very heartwarming," he said. Jaggard declined to talk about the conversations he had with North Korean citizens off the record. First Published:
NDTV
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
"Left With 1,000 Questions": YouTuber Enters North Korea Through Marathon, Shares Rare Glimpse
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. British YouTuber Harry Jaggard entered North Korea via a marathon. Jaggard filmed more content than expected during his five-day visit. He noted the contrast between state propaganda and daily life in Pyongyang. British YouTuber Harry Jaggard, known for his travel videos on YouTube, recently managed to enter North Korea, not through conventional tourism, but by participating in the Pyongyang International Marathon. The content creator, who has over 2.4 million subscribers, used the rare opportunity to capture footage from one of the world's most secretive countries. Speaking to The New York Post, Jaggard said, "I'm not a runner, but they told me I had to be there in a month - I made all the preparations and made it happen." He completed the marathon in 3 hours and 40 minutes, and spent five days in North Korea, enough time to film content for his YouTube vlog. Surprisingly, Mr Jaggard was allowed to shoot more footage than he expected. "I thought I'd be able to film just a few clips, but it turned out to be more than that," he said. Accompanied by a tour guide, Mr Jaggard and other visiting athletes were taken to war museums, political monuments, and landmarks celebrating the Workers' Party and former leader Kim Jong-il. Describing the experience, he said, "It was like going on a tour of America but only seeing Las Vegas - all the shiny parts." In his vlog, the YouTuber describes being struck by the contrast between state propaganda and the unexpectedly clean, calm, and friendly atmosphere of Pyongyang. He said North Koreans appeared deeply indoctrinated, and only a few seemed aware of the more developed outside world. There were certain restrictions. Filming was strictly prohibited in three places: a view tower, a supermarket, and a war museum that featured a disturbing statue depicting a cow eating an American soldier - a piece of anti-US war propaganda from the Korean War. North Korea's borders had been shut for nearly five years, and although they briefly reopened for two weeks, they were sealed again without warning. Mr Jaggard was among a small number of foreigners who managed to enter during that narrow window, using the marathon as a way in. Reflecting on the trip, he said he left the country with "1,000 questions" about life in North Korea.
Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
YouTuber enters North Korea through a marathon, describes what he saw
Recently North Korea held its first Pyongyang International Marathon in six years, in which more than 500 participants took part. While runners from across the world took part in the race one of them was a 27-year-old British Youtuber. According to a report by the New York Post, Harry Jaggard took the race as a chance to get inside Korea, which was on his list of less visited countries. 'I am not a runner, but they told me you have to be there in a month, and I made all the preparations and made it happen,' Harry Jaggard told The Post. Harry, who finished the marathon in 3 hours and 40 minutes, was given 5 days in North Korea, allowing him to film for his vlog style youtube channel. Talking about the experience he told the Post ' I was not expecting to be able to vlog at all. I though that would be very minimal, maybe a few clips.' Jaggard along with other athletes were given a curated tour of the nation's capital including tours of subway system, war museums and monuments to the workers Party and former leader Kim Jong-il. 'It was like going on a tour to see america but only see Las Vegas- all shiny parts' he said about the curated tour. In the Youtube vlog, Jaggard says that as soon as he left the airport there was propaganda everywhere, but what shocked him about the Pyongyang was how clean the city was, how friendly the people are also the city seemed surprisingly peaceful. Talking about the people of North Korea he said that the people were indoctrinated and a few of them knows the outside world is more developed. Overall there were three places he was not allowed to film, a view tower, a supermarket and a war museum where he saw a statue of a giant cow eating a dead American soldier in Korean War, reported the New York Post. He explains that for half a decade North Korea's borders were completely sealed off and though they reopened for 2 week, they were closed again without warning. But he got in through this rare opportunity to take part in marathon.
South China Morning Post
05-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
As Pyongyang marathon returns, North Korea's tourism remains frozen amid Russian pivot
When Simon Cockerell returned to the Pyongyang International Marathon last month after a five-year break, he felt a familiar energy – but the landscape had clearly shifted. Advertisement The general manager of Koryo Tours, the marathon's official travel partner, brought just 200 international visitors to North Korea , a stark drop from the 700 his company hosted in 2019. He attributed the smaller turnout to a combination of stricter access, limited travel options, and a reduced registration period. Unlike previous marathons announced nearly a year in advance, this year's race was confirmed only a month before the event on April 6, giving participants barely two weeks to register. Flights from Beijing were the only international entry point, and instead of the usual five to seven hotels, only one – managed by the athletics association in North Korea – was available. Visitors toured local landmarks and sampled North Korean beer, but under the official designation of a 'sports delegation', not tourists. Analysts say the highly restricted format – along with North Korea's general reluctance to reopen its borders to foreign visitors – reflects a deeper strategic shift. Amid tighter information controls and a growing military and economic partnership with Russia , Pyongyang appears to be turning its back on international tourism in favour of more politically aligned and financially dependable avenues of engagement. The costs of tourism have outweighed the benefits, and it seems North Korean decision-makers have come to realise that Dr Rüdiger Frank, analyst North Korea has remained largely closed to tourists since it sealed its borders in 2020 at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic . While Russian nationals have been allowed in since early 2024 , a brief reopening in February to non-Russian visitors in the northeastern city of Rason lasted just three weeks before the border was closed again without explanation.
Forbes
24-04-2025
- Forbes
This Traveler Visited Every Country By 25 — Here's What He Learned
Cameron Mofid in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. Cameron Mofid wrapped up his life-long mission in North Korea this spring when he crossed the final country off his list — completing a journey that spanned all 195 nations. Originally from San Diego, Mofid is more than just a traveler. He's a social entrepreneur, former international tennis player, MBA valedictorian and TEDx speaker who managed to balance academics, work and global exploration in pursuit of his dream. He visited his last country in the world by participating in the Pyongyang International Marathon in North Korea alongside fellow international travelers — and several close friends who had accompanied him on different legs of the journey around the world. Cameron Mofid (top right) pictured with other travelers at the Pyongyang Marathon in North Korea in April 2025. His achievement is recognized by NomadMania, the world's largest and most respected travel verification organization with over 40,000 members. While Mofid didn't qualify for the Guinness World Record due to differing criteria, his journey followed stricter standards — excluding airport transits and brief border entries. Unlike the current record holder, who couldn't visit North Korea due to U.S. travel restrictions, Mofid, a dual national, spent five days in Pyongyang, entering on his other passport rather than just stepping into the DMZ (the demilitarized zone at the border between North and South Korea). Mofid now joins the ranks of roughly 400 verified travelers who have visited every country in the world — a feat rarer than going to space. (Roughly 682 people have done that, by comparison, according to the World Air Sports Federation). Pictured in Bangladesh. How did his journey begin? 'I've always loved geography and learning about different cultures since I was a child,' Mofid says. 'We had a giant map covering the garage wall, and my brother and I would race to point out countries our grandmother called out. I wanted to learn about every place and had memorized every country in the world by age 12.' Pictured in South Sudan. Though an American citizen, Mofid is ethnically Egyptian and Iranian — something he says shaped his global outlook early on. His time competing abroad as a world-ranked player on the International Tennis Federation Junior Tour further sparked his love of travel. After his playing days ended, Mofid then took a gap year before starting university to work at professional tennis tournaments around the world. 'When I got to university, I didn't want to stop.' Pictured in Palau. He began exploring Central America and the Caribbean during long weekends and school holidays, working evenings and co-founding an events marketing company to make money. When the pandemic hit, he seized the opportunity to plan a longer round-the-world journey. By the time he graduated with his MBA in 2022, he had already visited over 100 countries. Anyone who has traveled extensively, especially solo and off-the-beaten-path, learns many lessons that expand their worldview. 'The world is so much more nuanced than we're led to believe,' Mofid says. 'Politicians and the media often frame issues in black and white, but in reality, almost everything falls into a massive gray area. Travel is an incredible avenue to seek truth: to be able to foster a deeper understanding of geopolitics, culture and history.' Pictured in Iraq. We've all heard the adage that history is told by the winning side, and nowhere is this become more apparent than when you travel. 'Every country has a political agenda. But there's two sides to every story, and the truth lies somewhere in between,' he explains. 'Travel is a way to find that truth and to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the world.' The most growth comes at the edge of our comfort zone, and some of the hardest places Mofid visited were the ones that impacted him the most. 'Iraq was one of the first so-called 'risky' countries I visited, and I was so surprised by how kind and welcoming the people were,' he recalls. 'As an American, I was expecting to be met with resentment because of the U.S. invasion. But that couldn't have been further from the truth. In Baghdad, strangers would offer me tea and food on the street just because they were excited to see a tourist. That trip really opened my eyes to the fundamental kindness of humanity,' says Mofid. 'And honestly, that theme held true across a lot of countries that have seen political or economic instability. The tougher the place, the more generous the people.' Pictured in Burundi. Behind the scenes, this journey required meticulous planning: complex visa requirements, navigating flight routes to remote airports, shifting regulations and language barriers. 'During COVID, it became a full-time job just keeping track of which countries were open and what kind of tests or quarantine rules applied,' he says. Many countries also require local fixers, on-the-ground guides who help navigate logistics, legalities and security in challenging destinations, adding to the cost of a trip. 'You can fly to a country like Italy and wing your trip, but you can't do that in places like the Central African Republic or Niger,' he says. Visiting North Korea proved especially complicated. 'It took me three attempts to get in over the years,' Mofid says. The country is notoriously difficult to enter, with Pyongyang considered the most secretive capital in the world. When Mofid discovered that the city was hosting a marathon that would allow him to enter as part of a sporting delegation, he leapt at the opportunity but stayed cautiously optimistic. More photos from the Pyongyang International Marathon in North Korea. 'Even a few days before my trip, I wasn't sure it was going to happen.' But on April 3, 2025, he joined the first group of Westerners to enter Pyongyang in over five years, following the country's prolonged closure during the pandemic. When you travel off-the-beaten-path, so many diverse scenarios come up, from military coups to natural disasters and political unrest. And that doesn't discount personal challenges, like navigating the loneliness of traveling alone for long periods of time, or setbacks you encounter on the road. Did he ever feel like giving up? 'I got seriously ill in the Algerian desert and had a moment of wondering 'Why am I doing this?' But I reminded myself that if you have a dream, you owe it to yourself to see it through. So I gave it everything I had,' he says. Cameron Mofid with children in Makoko, Nigeria, where he runs a nonprofit called Humanity Effect. For Mofid, the journey became about more than just ticking off countries. His proudest moment came in Nigeria — his 115th country — where he visited Makoko, a floating slum in Lagos where most residents live on stilts and survive on less than $1 a day. 'I'd seen enormous poverty before, but not on that scale,' he says. 'I met kids who were genuinely happy despite having so little. It was humbling.' Mofid launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $5,000 for the local school — and a few weeks later, received a surprise $45,000 donation from NBA star Kyrie Irving. 'That was the turning point,' he says. 'I realized I had a responsibility to do something meaningful.' Cameron Mofid at his nonprofit, Humanity Effect. That campaign evolved into Humanity Effect, a nonprofit Mofid founded to support children in the community. In just a few years, it has funded the construction of a second school, is halfway through building a medical center, and now supports more than 750 children in Nigeria. 'When you travel and meet people, hear their stories, and witness their realities, you understand how interconnected everything really is,' Mofid says. 'So much of life comes down to luck — where you're born, your passport, your opportunities. That realization pushes you to help.' His message to others? 'We must look out for one another and be the change we want to see.' To learn more about Cameron Mofid, visit his website, Instagram and his nonprofit, Humanity Effect.
