前天接到北韓領隊的電話，進行了一個有趣的行前電話說明會。她提醒我要注意一些事項，避免遭遇不必要的困難。她舉了一個例子，說有一位女士穿了一件I❤️NY的外套，結果在過海關時被沒收了，因為衣服上有美國🇺🇸的字樣。當時氣溫是零下，她被要求全程國境內反穿衣服，這對她來說是個非常糟糕的經歷。因此，我們必須避免任何出現美國字眼的穿著。
此外，任何南韓音樂都必須隱藏好，因為海關會進行檢查。在照片中，若出現與美國相關的新聞或圖片，最好刪除，否則我們可能會在現場被訓話30分鐘。如果可以的話，盡量不要攜帶筆記本電腦或相機，因為它們也會被檢查。至於書本，帶聖經是不被允許的，但佛經是可以的。
領隊還告訴我們，最近有傳聞要刺殺領導，因此他們會更加嚴格限制我們的自由。由於餐飲是配給制，即使我們覺得食物好吃，也不能再加點，因為我們必須得到上級同意才能享用。在北韓，菸草很純正，所以如果我們需要的話可以多買一些。
最後，領隊建議我們盡量不要攜帶美金，因為北韓有很多假的美元，但人民幣相對較少。我問她關於設施的問題，例如泳池、健身房、晚上是否可以外出散步。她建議我們喝點酒，早點休息，並暗示我們最好不要在晚上外出。
I received a call from the North Korean leader two days ago for an interesting pre-trip briefing. She reminded me to pay attention to some things to avoid unnecessary difficulties. She gave an example of a woman who wore an I❤️NY jacket and had it confiscated at the border because it had the words “United States 🇺🇸” on it. It was below zero at the time, and she was required to wear the jacket inside out throughout the journey within the country. This was a very bad experience for her. Therefore, we must avoid wearing anything with American words on it.
In addition, any South Korean music must be hidden because customs officials will inspect it. In photos, it is best to delete any news or images related to the United States; otherwise, we may be reprimanded for 30 minutes on site. If possible, avoid carrying laptops or cameras because they will also be inspected. As for books, bringing a Bible is not allowed, but a Buddhist scripture is permitted.
The leader also told us that there have been rumors of an assassination attempt on the leader, so they will further restrict our freedom. Since food is rationed, even if we think the food is good, we cannot ask for seconds because we need permission from our superiors to do so. Tobacco is of high quality in North Korea, so we can buy more if needed.
Finally, the leader suggested that we try not to carry US dollars as there are many fake dollars in North Korea, but Chinese yuan is relatively scarce. I asked her about facilities such as swimming pools, gyms, and whether we could go for a walk at night. She advised us to have a drink, go to bed early, and hinted that it would be best not to go out at night.
