North Korea
Profiled in Pyongyang · East Asia
A capital of monumental boulevards and choreographed spectacle, closed to independent travel and effectively closed to residence, with a tax system formally abolished in 1974.
Cost of living
What a month costs
There is no meaningful private market for foreign residents. Diplomats and aid staff operate through state channels at fixed arrangements.
The scores
How it rates for a moving family
See and do
Top 10 in Pyongyang
- Kumsusan Palace of the SunMausoleum of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
- Juche TowerOne hundred and seventy metre tower on the Taedong river.
- Arch of TriumphLarger than its Paris counterpart, by design.
- Pyongyang MetroDeep, chandeliered stations doubling as shelters.
- Mansu Hill Grand MonumentBronze statues of the two late leaders.
- Historic Monuments of KaesongUNESCO-listed Koryo dynasty sites.
- Mount PaektuSacred volcanic lake at the northern border.
- Rungrado May Day StadiumOne of the largest stadiums in the world.
Where to go
Weekend escapes
- Mount MyohyangMountain resort and the International Friendship Exhibition.
- KaesongHistoric Koryo capital near the DMZ, a UNESCO site.
- WonsanEast coast port and the Kalma beach development.
- Mount PaektuVolcanic caldera on the Chinese border, central to state mythology.
- PanmunjomThe Joint Security Area in the Demilitarised Zone.
Residency
There is no residence or investment route for foreigners. Entry is restricted to organised group travel, which has been largely suspended since 2020, and UN sanctions prohibit most economic activity.
Tax
There is no general personal income tax on citizens, formally abolished in 1974. Foreign-invested enterprises are taxed at 25%, with reduced rates in zones such as Rason. UN sanctions restrict essentially all investment.
Curious what you would actually pay? See the North Korea tax profile: income, corporate, VAT and exit rules →
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