DMV - North Korea

 North Korea is one of my last two remaining countries on my checklist of 197 which comprises of 193 voting U.N. nations, Vatican City (a non-voting U.N. country) and 3 non-U.N. countries: Kosovo, Palestine, and Taiwan (which would be U.N. countries if not for significant opposition). 

U.S. citizens with only a U.S. passport can not visiting North Korea on an offical tour due to Otto Warmbier, who was alleged to have stolen a poster, arrested, held captive, returned to the U.S. and later slipped into a coma and died. In 2019, President Trump prohibited U.S. citizens from traveling on U.S. passports to North Korea, citing the lack of internal support within North Korea, due to the absence of diplomatic ties and a U.S. embassy in the country. 

To navigate this restriction, many enthusiasts opt for a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) visit on a Joint Security Area (JSA) tour between the borders of South Korea and North Korea. JSA visitors can officially step into North Korea for a brief moment, a practice popular among country chasers. Alexis Rose Alford, recognized by the Guinness World Book of Records as the "youngest person to travel to all sovereign countries," achieved this feat by stepping into the JSA and marking North Korea as visited.

In spring 2023, I had planned a return trip to South Korea with the intention of completing this visit. However, in July, a U.S. Military member, Private Second Class Travis T King, ran into North Korea during a JSA tour, resulting in the closure of the area. Despite this setback, and with the main objective of visiting Taiwan still in mind, I chose to proceed with my travel plans and explored the DMZ. While staying entirely in South Korea, I had the opportunity to observe towns, flags, and the JSA in North Korea, albeit from a distance.

Of the 195 other countries I've visited, I've spent at least one night in each, except for Vatican City and, had I visited the J.S.A., North Korea. In summary, I couldn't physically step into the country or stay overnight, but I managed to catch a glimpse from a distance. *turns on sarcasm font*’ I've decided to count it as a half a country, adjusting my country count to 195.5/197. My focus is now on Venezuela for the next year, aiming to achieve 196.5 out of 197 countries.