Tonight: Hear what life is really like in North Korea

This evening, Beyond the Bund hosts Pop up Pyongyang, an immersive lecture series and event about life in the city of Pyongyang, North Korea. The event will feature a talk from seasoned NK traveler Simon Cockerell, GM of Beijing-based Koryo Tours, who's visited the country over 140 times. Ahead of the event, we caught up with Cockerell to find out a bit about what really goes in inside a nation that remains mysterious and closed off to the rest of the world.

What is something very unexpected about North Korea that would really surprise someone who has never been?

The answer to this one is really banal and somewhat obvious actually, but it is simply that many visitors often struggle with the idea that there are 25 million people in the country, and not just one. So common questions asked on a tour revolve around what people on the street could possibly be doing or where they would be going, generalisations about what 'they' want as a lumpen mass rather than accepting that it is not as monolithic a place as popularly imagined, and a common failure to distinguish between the government, the people, state-owned companies, etc which blocks a better comprehension of some of the nuances at play.

Of course the main reason most people have an oversimplified understanding of North Korea is that it is very hard to get detailed information from the country, but this is something that's changing gradually and hopefully more of an information exchange will continue to take place in the future so that we can understand them better. Similarly, people there will hopefully be able to gain more of an understanding about the outside world too.

What are some things you use in your daily life that you do not have access to while traveling there?

Since 2010 it has been permitted for tourists to take in mobile phones – previously they were not allowed so phones would be sealed in a bag at customs, to be opened on the way out of the country. However there is no international roaming, and the cost of a local SIM card is very high so most short-term visitors do not bother. I use a 3G SIM card there so I can be online almost all the time when I'm in North Korea, but the cost is prohibitive unless you use it all the time. Something that we use every day and that's a necessity and that is missing there is of course the internet – there is no wifi and no practical way for any tourists to get themselves online. That's something that's most notable due to its absence.

What is fashion and shopping like in North Korea?

Fashion is a nascent industry there; previously it was something that didn't really exist due to big limits on the kinds of clothes available. However, these days, with many more options available (to the Pyongyang middle-class at least) styles and trends are emerging slowly. The country even has their own fashion icons, like Moranbong, an all-female band who brought short hair and skirts into the mainstream. Available shopping options simply depend on who you are, where you live, your income, etc. In Pyongyang, there's been a large expansion of shopping options and stores but choices for the majority of the population remain very limited.

The way society is run is obviously very different in North Korea compared with the rest of the world In terms of laws and customs. What issue is most difficult for you to remain quiet about when you are traveling there?

Well, obviously North Korea's leaders are held in much higher regard inside the country than by outsiders. It's considered pretty inappropriate to criticise them when you visit North Korea, this would be a social and cultural no-no of the highest level. However you don't have to pretend to agree with or be committed to North Korean ideology (which is explicitly just for North Koreans, so they don't really want you on their team anyway).

While some people may think it's difficult to keep quiet on some things and to not ask questions about topics that would be guaranteed to offend your hosts, I don't see trying not to do this as that difficult. Most people understand that there are some figures or issues it's seen as inappropriate to criticise on the spot and so they hold their tongues pretty easily.

If you're someone who's literally incapable of holding back or voicing your opinions, then North Korea might not be the best place to visit. Going to North Korea is a simultaneously fascinating, frustrating, eye-opening, confusing, and stimulating experience; you go with a hundred questions and come back with a thousand. The country rewards those who accept these complications and nuances as part of the experience.

What kind of information does Koryo Tours provide for those taking a trip with them?

As much as we possibly can. We send our clients large information packages before the tour that explain the laws and customs of the country and that contain practical information about currency, temperature, voltage and other things. We also encourage anyone considering going on the tour to shoot us any questions. Finally, we have a pre-tour briefing session for all our visitors.

Many companies don't bother with this but we've come to consider it to be vital throughout our 23 years of running tours to the country. In the session we make sure to reiterate the rules and repeat crucial information, answering any questions anyone has about the trip. There's really no such thing as a silly question when it comes to visiting North Korea and there's also no such thing as providing too much information about the trip in advance either.

What's the most important piece of advice you can give for those wanting to travel to North Korea?

Simply this: that almost anyone can go, it's easy to get a visa and that while you've got to be mindful of the country's rules and regulations, it isn't complicated in any way to travel there. To get into any sort of trouble you have to try very, very hard indeed. All our tours are well organised, planned in advance (not that all our tours are the same, we run a wide range of different tours that have different itineraries), accompanied by local guides, all-inclusive and so on. To be honest it isn't the kind of place I would try to convince someone to visit as North Korea isn't for everyone. But if you want to go then you know that already; it's just a question of deciding whether to do it or not.

Pop up Pyongyang is tonight from 7-9pm at Studio White. Click 'read more' at the bottom of this page to see full event details.