A Journey into the Land of Mysteries
A Journey into the Land of Mysteries Nassir Abdulhaq | Al Jazeera Bureau Chief – China
It was April 12, 2017, a Wednesday evening, and we had just landed at Pyongyang Airport. We passed the immigration counter into North Korea and immediately hopped onto the buses waiting to transport journalists to their hotels. As our bus drove off, all the airport lights went off and the gates closed. A total shutdown. Dark scenarios started to float through my mind. It is believed that entering North Korea is like ‘dicing with death.’ This was my second visit to North Korea, and it was not a promising start. In our company was the Foreign Ministry’s envoy, Mr Pak, who speaks Arabic fluently. He was a serious man with a great deal of self-confidence. We ultimately finished covering the anniversary of the country’s founding father, Kim Il Sung. The following day, as I was heading back to the hotel, I stopped at a beverage and snacks kiosk on the sidewalk before the bus stop. I got an ice-cream and the vendor asked for 5 chon, the local currency. Luckily, I had some of these coins in my pocket. This was my first ever direct contact with an ordinary person in Pyongyang. The vendor spoke to me with fear; as North Koreans do not dare to speak to foreigners in broad daylight.
I went back to the hotel with one thing in mind; to have an interview with a senior official on North Korea’s response to the US’s escalatory measures on the peninsula. I had no better option than to raise the issue with Mr Pak. He smiled and promised to raise my request with the relevant people. The second day of my journey in the land of mysteries came to a peaceful end. The next morning, I received good news: an interview had been arranged with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sin Hong Chol. The date, time and place would soon be set. I would be the first Arab journalist to have an exclusive interview with a senior North Korean official. I immediately started to coordinate the upcoming event with my colleagues at the Doha-based planning desk. Mr Pak came back to me with the details; the interview would be conducted in the hotel ballroom at 10am in two days’ time. I put my journalistic skills to use and asked Mr Pak to allow us to do some stories about public life in the country. He smiled and said: “Wait a bit. We have to get permits from the concerned authorities.”
Later, Mr Pak telephoned and told me we would be escorted on a tour of the city, where we could film and speak to average citizens. The following day, our crew was embedded with Mr Pak’s entourage. We stopped on one of the capital’s busiest roads. He briefly told me the ‘Do’s and Don’ts.’
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