North Korean Defector Tour: Unique Insights

Join a private DMZ tour with a North Korean defector. Savor authentic North Korean cuisine and hear captivating stories. Book now for a unique experience.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Goyang - North Korean Local Food Restaurant (Managed by a North Korean defector)
    Enjoy a delightful lunch at a North Korean cuisine restaurant operated by an authentic North Korean defector. This unique establishment, among the few in Korea, serves at least four traditional North Korean dishes. Guests can hear captivating stories about North Korean…
What's Included
  • All admission fees
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Lunch
What's Not Included
  • Travel insurance
  • Hotel Drop off
  • Meals
Additional Information

This tour is the only one led by an English-speaking North Korean defector. Through Jun, who arrived in South Korea in 2017, you’ll experience contrasting historical perspectives of the Korean Peninsula and gain a deeper cultural and political understanding of North Korea than any other tour can offer.
Moreover, only on this tour can you experience…

Location
Goyang
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(110 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Catherine_b
Oct 18, 2025
Informative - Was an informative, eye opening experience. Our guide was great and taught us about the realities of life in North Korea.
Review provided by Viator
Robin_t
Oct 11, 2025
Great tour guide with an... - Great tour guide with an even more impressive story. Highly recommend the tour with Jun; he is an amazing guy!
Review provided by Viator
Anna_g
Oct 9, 2025
Amazing - Jun’s tour was phenomenal. His story lends a personal touch to the DMZ and gives weight and gravity to the place. I appreciated Jun’s perspective on the DMZ and hearing his first hand account of escaping North Korea was incredible. I’m so appreciative of him to share us story.
Review provided by Viator
Lars
Oct 2, 2025
Interesting and personal tour - A very interesting and personal tour that gives you an insight into life in North Korea and what it is like for a North Korean refugee to come to North Korea
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ellen_m
Sep 28, 2025
An intimate tour and emotional story - Jun delivers a personal perspective of the struggles that North Koreans face, and gives an honest take on his time defecting and living in South Korea. If you are considering a DMZ visit with a larger tour company, this is without a doubt the better option. It was the highlight of my trip to South Korea and I’m so thankful that Jun was willing to tell his story to us. It was so lovely to meet him and I wish him all the best with his tour business.
Review provided by Viator
Osvaldo_b
Sep 16, 2025
I HIGHLY recommend this... - I HIGHLY recommend this tour for anyone interested in the DMZ & learning about some unique history. Jun was incredibly kind and open with his experience. The unique perspective of the story he shared truly grounded me into reality and allowed me to truly understand what life in N. Korea is like.
Review provided by Viator
Michelle
Sep 13, 2025
This will be forever ingrained in my memory - I highly recommend this tour - Jun's experience and story will be more impactful than any simple view of the DMZ or North Korea that you get from an observatory or history museum. Right from the start, Jun was very open in asking us about what we've heard about North Korea and giving us his perspective. He shared about his difficult and life-changing escape, and I know this story will be forever ingrained in my memory. This is without a doubt one of the most educational and intimate experiences possible if you want to gain insight into life in North Korea, how the Korean War affected lives in unfathomable ways, and listen to the story of someone who has survived life's greatest physical and mental challenges. I will continue to think about his story and hope that one day his family and all other affected families can be reunited, and that many oppressed people can be freed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeff_l
Sep 8, 2025
Once in a lifetime - We went to the DMZ and heard an incredible story about defection from North Korea. The story will stay with me for the rest of my life, and I will forever remember and think about how Jun is doing. I'm so grateful he took the mental energy to relive his traumatic past and really put into perspective the situation.
Review provided by Viator
Portland_oregonsadie
Sep 5, 2025
Incredible experience! - I just realized looking back at my bookings that I never did a review…. I actually took this tour when Jun first began doing the experience (June 2024). My time with Jun was the absolute highlight to my trip to South Korea. His experience growing up and defecting from North Korea was incredibly moving. And I appreciated his openness to all of my questions. This was the only tour I found of its kind, and I would have happily paid double the price for such a unique experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
42jiez
Aug 18, 2025
Unforgettable journey - Nice journey with Jung, he is fantastic with stories of how he has been through the hardship in North Korea . We think we should appreciate the luckier life we are having and hope Jung enjoy his new life kn S. Korea
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $150
up to 4 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).