North Korean citizens swarm to see the outside world as thousands of them cruise to China on an over

[beijingwalker]

North Korean citizens swarm to see the outside world as thousands of them cruise to China on an overloaded boat

• Over 2,000 North Korean tourists reportedly travelled to China on May 1
• They cruised down the Yalv River, which separates China from North Korea
• The boat was filled to the brim as it dangerously sailed in Dandong city

By Tracy You For Mailonline

PUBLISHED: 14:16 BST, 3 May 2017 | UPDATED: 14:46 BST, 3 May 2017
Thousands of North Korean citizens have swarmed to see the outside world as Pyongyang organised a cruise trip to show its residents the landscape of China.

Rare footage, shared by a Chinese news outlet, shows over 2,000 North Korean tourists standing on an overloaded boat.

They were said to be cruising on the Chinese part of the Yalv River, which separates the two countries, and were not allowed to get off the boat.

A video clip showing North Korean tourists travelling to China has been released by QQ.com. Along with the footage were the news scripts translated from Korean into Chinese.

A Korean-speaking anchor said that the cruise had been set up by the government to celebrate North Korea's Labour Day holiday, which fell on May 1.

'The cruise lets us see the scenery we don't normally see,' the anchor gushed.

The footage shows a large number of tourists standing on the deck of the boat. The boat appeared to be filled to the brim.

The anchor said the ferry was so crowded it looked like 'a bean sprout plantation'.

However, different from cruises in other parts of the world, none of the passengers on that boat appeared to be taking pictures using their cameras or phones.

The news clip also interviewed a Chinese officer who said that more than 2,000 North Korean tourists travelled to China on the boat on May 1.

It's understood that North Korean citizens are allowed by their government to cruise into China on special occasions, such as the Labour Day and the National Day.

On September 9, 2014, North Korean tourists reportedly cruised into China, also on Yalv River, to celebrate the country's 66th National Day, known as the Day of the Foundation of the Republic.

Yalv River separates China's Dandong city from North Korea's Sinuiju Special Administrative Region.

China and North Korea share the rights to use the 490-mile-long waterway, which originates in China's Changbai Mountain and flows into the Korean Bay in North Korea.

Dandong (pictured) is also popular among Chinese tourists who wish to see North Korea

It seems it's not just the North Korean citizens who are passionate about cruising on Yalv.

Chinese tourists have also flocked to Dandong, a city of around 2.4 million residents, so that they could enjoy a cruise to North Korea.

The trip was especially popular during the Labour Day, which is also a national holiday in China, according to Huanqiu.com, an affiliation to People's Daily.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4469656/Thousands-North-Korean-citizens-swarm-China.html

 

[Mujahid Memon]

none of the passengers on that boat appeared to be taking pictures using their cameras or phones.

I highly doubt they've phones or smartphones

 

[beijingwalker]

The last thing China wants to see is chaos in North Korea, the refugees will flood China.

 

[Godman]

I highly doubt they've phones or smartphones

The lower elite has phones mostly cheapest of Chinese phones get assembled in DPRK by govt run factories.

Defecters on the other hand use smuggled phones to contact the outside. which resulted in Kim cracking down on smuggled phones and deploying jammers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/world/asia/north-korea-china-mobile-phones.html?_r=0

 

[CBU-105]

Poor things, these people badly need the US to gift them freedom and democracy so they can live like the rest of the world.

 

[C130]

The last thing China wants to see is chaos in North Korea, the refugees will flood China.

get your fat boy in check then.

 

[Jlaw]

Poor things, these people badly need the US to gift them freedom and democracy so they can live like the rest of the world.

the US and SK should take all the refugees. Problem solved.

 

[CBU-105]

the US and SK should take all the refugees. Problem solved.

If Trump and his generals can manage to take out the leadership and their nuclear and other threatening military assets in a quick, devastating and decapitating strike, there might not be a refugee crisis.

Russia, China, US, RoK will all have to help manage the situation internally in DPRK though.

The population is disarmed and have been living under a totalitarian system for decades, Koreans are high IQ people, they're not arabs, so not much chance of a jihadi style insurgency either.

The big risk here is of a nuclear weapon being deployed, I think the US can largely manage the threat of an artillery barrage on Seoul using conventional means.

 

[beijingwalker]

Koreans are high IQ people, they're not arabs, so not much chance of a jihadi style insurgency either.

That's very offensive to Arabs...

 

[kankan326]

I really pity N. Korean people. Seems they are having a good time when visiting China border. People all like to see exotic scenery. Leave them alone. Give them a break.

 

[Place Of Space]

GDP of Dandong city is about $14 billion, and GDP of North Korea is about $28 billion while North Korea spend lot of money in nuclear development, intercontinnental missiles, submarines, thousands of tanks and about one million soldiers.

 

[Kyle Sun]

I am kind of envying them.
They are all in great shape,whereas i am struggling against my belly.