Aram Pan, DPRK 360

Today we’re introducing Singaporean photographer, Aram Pan and his amazing ‘DPRK 360’ project (more links at the end of the article). He is a full-time photographer and has been cataloguing his trips across North Korea since 2013.

Aram Pan Introduction

Aram paused the DPRK 360 project briefly from 2018-2019 to fulfil contractual work commitments. He originally planned to revisit in 2020. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the DPRK to completely seal off their borders and Aram has since been waiting for the chance to return.

In 2023, we met up with Aram in Taiwan. Just like in his mukbang series of videos in North Korea, Aram was fascinated with trying as many of the local Taiwanese dishes as he possibly could.

We brought him around to pack on the calories and we had a wonderful time sharing all our experiences in the DPRK. I’ve invited Aram to share some of his experiences and photos with us.

The following article was written by Aram Pan.

Aram Pan; Digital Content Producer

I’ve been a digital content producer since 2008. Most of my work revolves around real estate, hotels and various industrial applications.

Just before visiting the DPRK, I worked with a Singaporean travel company to produce media content for their Bible Lands Tour packages. After that project, I was looking to visit somewhere even more exciting. North Korea was the natural choice.

Admittedly, I was rather anxious before my first visit. But my fears were quickly put at ease once I did my inaugural tour.

My First Tour to North Korea

Initially, when I first started capturing everyday scenes around the DPRK, the North Koreans raised concerns about how the world might negatively perceive them through my photography.

It was also difficult to explain the concepts of YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. All of which has already become second nature to our society.

The idea of street photography and social media was non-existent to them.

In the DPRK, photography has always been reserved for important events and private family occasions. The very fact that I, a foreigner, was running around taking random photos of regular folk and then posting these photos publicly on the internet caused some concern.

North Koreans in Singapore

To help ease their concerns, I flew 6 North Koreans to Singapore for a week to study marketing and social media concepts.

Their ranks ranged from a senior director at the National Tourism Administration to the youngest 막내 of the group; a 25-year-old tour guide.

I had qualified lecturers prepare a special crash course just for them to quickly get up to speed with the current market and social media trends.

As part of the study trip, I arranged various site visits to expose them to our local culture and tourist hot spots. The finale was a visit to the NATAS (National Association of Travel Agents Singapore) Exhibition to see first-hand how other countries created travel packages and to meet with Singapore-based travel companies.

Understanding DPRK 360

The training program was a resounding success that finally gave the North Koreans a complete understanding of the DPRK 360 project.

I believe that training and engagement projects are vital to helping the DPRK better connect and relate to the global community. I’m hoping to do more of such engagement and training projects when they reopen their borders in 2024.

Trips to North Korea Over the Years

Over the years, the North Koreans have been so kind and accorded me an openness that made every one of my trips so memorable. It’s practically impossible for me to single out any one trip as “the best one ever”.

They have done whatever they can to help me capture snapshots of everyday life as they truly understand the motivation behind my project.

I’ve collected an immense number of photos and I’d like to share some of them here. These are but a tiny fraction of what the DPRK has to offer.

Tourism & the DPRK

I believe tourism plays a crucial role in international relations with the DPRK.

Without tourism, there’s practically very little opportunity for North Koreans to see or interact with foreigners.

Foreign travel companies are also constantly requesting access to more areas across the country to be opened for tourism. It may be a very slow process but this produces a positive net increase in the places we can now visit as compared to 10 years ago.

I hope for as many people as possible to come visit the DPRK.

That’s why I started this project to create interest and to show a side of the country that the media always seems to leave out.

The Future of DPRK Tourism?

It’s been over four years since international tourists were allowed to visit. I’m anxious to return to see what new places have sprouted up and what the old places look like now.

I’ve been invited to do my next trip with Koryo Tours and we are waiting anxiously for the official announcement of the reopening.

Meanwhile, I would like to invite you to my social media accounts to browse the content I’ve posted.

I believe my videos and photos will help change your perspective on what it’s like to visit the DPRK.