Korea, North Travel Risk Overview
Is Korea, North safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Korea, North scores 75/100 on our travel risk index (Extreme). The US State Department rates Korea, North Level 4 (Do Not Travel, updated 29 Apr 2025); Canada says: avoid all travel. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Korea, North has a Travel Risk Calculator score of 75 out of 100 (extreme risk tier); city-level files are available for 28 cities. The score combines five layers (security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards, current alerts) built from government advisories and open data. This page also covers nine safety categories (crime, disease & health, government advisory, political & civil unrest, natural disaster & weather, transport & route, environmental, digital security, money safety), the current US State Department advisory, GDACS disaster alerts, CDC health notices for Korea, North, recent news headlines, plus links to every city we have an editorial file for.
Run a personalized Korea, North assessmentAI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 13, 2026
Korea, North currently maintains an extreme risk baseline composite safety score of 75 out of 100. Additionally, travelers should note a Level 1 Global Dengue health notice issued by the CDC.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 05:44 UTC
How safe is Korea, North to visit in 2026?
Korea, North currently sits at 75/100 on Travel Risk Calculator's five-layer score, which puts it in the extreme-risk tier. Korea, North is flagged as high-risk by multiple government advisories. Read the live US State Department advisory in the section below and weigh trip purpose carefully against the conditions described. The full live US State Department advisory text for Korea, North, current GDACS disaster alerts, CDC health notices, and recent news headlines are shown in the Live conditions section below. For city-specific files (Pyongyang, Nampo, P’yŏngsŏng-si), see the City Risk Files section below — they include neighborhood-level scam patterns, transport notes, and medical-access details where available.
Country score
Driven by: The Government of Canada and US State Department advise against all travel here, so the score is held at 75 or higher.
Korea, North's score of 75 is higher than the scores of 91% of the 241 countries we cover.
Data file
| Source | Editorial regional baseline 2026-05-15 (GPI + State Dept advisory + WHO health/transport + INFORM disaster) |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 2026-05-18 02:25:55 |
| City files | 28 |
Assessment memory
Anonymous assessments help Travel Risk Calculator identify which country and city files deserve deeper review.
| Saved assessments | 0 |
|---|---|
| Average composite | No saved signal yet |
Score layers
Safety categories
Official Government Travel Advisories
Cross-referenced official travel advice from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, normalized to a unified 1–4 risk scale.
Department of State
Do not travelto North Korea due to wrongful detention and other risks. Do not travel to North Korea due to the continuing serious risk of arrest, long-term dete…
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Global Affairs Canada
Natural disasters and climate section – added information on El Niño
UK content contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Canadian advice provided by Global Affairs Canada under open government terms. US advice provided by the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Travel Advisory Level History
Historical official advisory level changes over time.
What Changed This Month in Korea, North
Chronological record of verified security, advisory, health, and hazard updates over the past 30 days.
- Oct 2, 2026 CDC Notice Level 1 - Global Dengue (Watch).
- Sep 23, 2026 CDC Notice Level 2 - Global Polio (Alert).
City Risk Files in Korea, North
Showing 28 destination files with city-specific safety data in Korea, North, ranked by demand and population.
Pyongyang
Tier BP’yŏngyang
Nampo
Tier BNamp’o
P’yŏngsŏng-si
Tier BP’yŏngnam
Hoeryŏng
Tier BHambuk
Hamhŭng
Tier BHamnam
Namsan
Tier BHambuk
Songnim
Tier BHwangbuk
Sunch’ŏn
Tier BP’yŏngnam
Kaech’ŏn
Tier BP’yŏngnam
Rajin
Tier BRasŏn
Ch’ŏngjin
Tier BHambuk
Anju
Tier BP’yŏngnam
Ongjang
Tier BHwangnam
Wŏnsan
Tier BKangwŏn
Tanch’ŏn
Tier BHamnam
Sariwŏn
Tier BHwangbuk
Haeju
Tier BHwangnam
Kaesŏng
Tier BKaesŏng
Hŭich’ŏn
Tier BChagang
Manpo
Tier BChagang
Kanggye
Tier BChagang
Kusŏng
Tier BP’yŏngbuk
Changyŏn
Tier BHwangnam
Hyesan
Tier BRyanggang
Chŏngju
Tier BP’yŏngbuk
Sinpo
Tier BHamnam
Munch’ŏn
Tier BKangwŏn
Sinŭiju
Tier BP’yŏngbuk
All towns in Korea, North (6 additional local facts pages)
These localities carry verified regional geography, nearest hospitals, airports, and natural hazard records with the country baseline risk score.
Live conditions in Korea, North
Country-scoped real-time data — official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For city-specific weather and air quality, open any city page below.
Official travel advisory
No current US State Department advisory entry matched Korea, North in the latest feed. Check the official advisory directory before travel.
Track Korea, North’s advisory
Get one email if the US State Department travel-advisory level for Korea, North changes. No account, unsubscribe anytime.
Disaster alerts
No active GDACS disaster alerts matched Korea, North as of the last successful refresh.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-15 19:24:31 UTC
Recent headlines
No recent national headlines were returned for Korea, North. This is not evidence that conditions are quiet; check local and official sources.
Automated safety monitor
Recent safety-relevant news for Korea, North
Headlines are an early-warning monitor, not risk assessments. Verify material developments with official authorities and the linked publisher.
- General Ohio law enforcement busts $3 million North Korean money laundering ring - Akron Beacon Journal www.beaconjournal.com · Oct 15, 2026 07:38 UTC · via Googlenews
- General FBI: Texas ‘Laptop Farms’ Turned American Paychecks Into Cash For North Korea’s Nukes - Dallas Express dallasexpress.com · Oct 14, 2026 16:02 UTC · via Googlenews
- Crime FBI seizes 180+ devices in Texas tied to North Korean identity theft scheme, DOJ says - KSAT www.ksat.com · Oct 14, 2026 15:24 UTC · via Googlenews
- General Alleged North Korean ‘laptop farm’ network busted by Justice Department - NewsNation www.newsnationnow.com · Oct 14, 2026 00:57 UTC · via Googlenews
- General 'We intend to indict': FBI seizes 187 devices in Texas crackdown on North Korean 'laptop farms' - WFAA www.wfaa.com · Oct 13, 2026 21:45 UTC · via Googlenews
- General Federal indictment details North Korean remote-work scheme with Ohio link - Cleveland.com www.cleveland.com · Oct 13, 2026 21:24 UTC · via Googlenews
- General North Korea, Russia sign 3-year disaster management cooperation plan - Anadolu Ajansı www.aa.com.tr · Oct 13, 2026 08:32 UTC · via Googlenews
- General North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles, adding to streak of weapons tests - KSAT www.ksat.com · Oct 12, 2026 05:50 UTC · via Googlenews
This country currently has a Level 4 US advisory. Compare the high-risk-country watchlist →
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Korea, North
The most weather-stable two-month window for Korea, North is May–June, when typical daily temperatures run from about 11°C to 26°C and monthly rain averages 109 mm.
Seasonal planning flags include extreme cold in January; typhoon season in May–November; heavy rain season in July–August. These are climate patterns, not forecasts.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Sep 6, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Emergency Numbers
| Police | — |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | — |
| Fire | — |
| General emergency | 112 |
Backfilled from the public international emergency-number registry. The GSM standard 112 (and 911 in the Americas) is redirected to local emergency services on mobile networks in most countries. Verify locally on arrival.
Frequently asked questions
Is Korea, North safe to visit right now?
Korea, North is currently flagged as high-risk by multiple government advisories. Reconsider non-essential travel and check the live State Department advisory below. Composite baseline: 75/100 (Extreme risk). Always cross-check with your home country's foreign-ministry advisory within 7 days of departure; the live US State Department advisory is shown above. Last refreshed October 2026.
What is the current travel advisory for Korea, North?
The current US State Department advisory level for Korea, North is shown in the Live conditions section above and is re-fetched every 6 hours from the official RSS feed. UK FCDO, Canada GAC, and Australia DFAT also publish advisories — for high-stakes trips, cross-check at least one foreign-ministry advisory in addition to your home country's. See our travel advisory guide for how to read each tier system.
Is it safe to visit Korea, North in October 2026?
For October 2026, the baseline composite for Korea, North is 75/100 (Extreme risk). Live data — advisories every 6 hours, disaster alerts every 30 minutes, health notices every 12 hours, news every hour — is shown in the Live conditions section above. For a personalized risk briefing for your specific trip and traveler profile, use the Travel Risk Calculator linked above.
How are these country-level travel risk scores calculated?
Each category is scored 0-100 from government advisories (US State Dept), crime indices, Global Peace Index data, WHO/CDC health context, and curated regional editorial knowledge. The composite is a weighted sum across nine categories — see /methodology for the full weight breakdown. Live data (advisories, news, disaster alerts, health notices) is layered on top of the baseline at request time.
Where can I find city-specific safety information for Korea, North?
City-specific files for Korea, North are listed in the City Risk Files section above. Each city page covers the same nine categories at city scope, plus city-specific scam patterns, transport-hub safety notes, medical-access detail, and (where available) neighborhood-level guidance. Use the header search to find a specific city directly.
When was this page last reviewed?
The baseline scores for Korea, North were last reviewed on May 18, 2026. Live intelligence (advisory, disaster alerts, health notices, news) refreshes automatically on the cadences described above.
Is this a substitute for an official travel advisory?
No. Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated risk information for planning purposes only. Always check your home country's official travel advisory and any health notices from your national health authority before traveling.
When is the best time to visit Korea, North?
May–June is the most weather-stable two-month window in the stored 1991-2020 normals. The most weather-stable two-month window for Korea, North is May–June, when typical daily temperatures run from about 11°C to 26°C and monthly rain averages 109 mm.
What is the rainy, hurricane, or severe-weather season in Korea, North?
extreme cold: January; typhoon season: May–November; heavy rain season: July–August; monsoon: July–August.
Community Safety Sentiment
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Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.