Moving to North Korea from Illinois
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Illinois to North Korea — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Illinois to North Korea, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Illinois to North Korea, based on official data.
Who's moving to North Korea?
Top countries of origin for North Korea's foreign-born residents.
- 29,248
- 5,477
- 2,990
- 2,841
- 1,444
-
6.1,049
United States
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Illinois to North Korea.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
North Korea performs significantly better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Illinois generally does better on employment & economy, though North Korea leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Illinois performs better than North Korea across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Springfield | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Springfield | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) |
| Feb | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) |
| Mar | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) |
| Apr | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) |
| May | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) |
| Jun | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) |
| Jul | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) |
| Aug | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) |
| Sep | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) |
| Oct | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) |
| Nov | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and North Korea. To live, work, or study long-term in North Korea, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check North Korea's immigration authority.
United States passport holder visiting North Korea
Visa Required
North Korea passport holder visiting United States
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from North Korea?
Usually fine from major cities in North Korea. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in North Korea compared to Illinois?
North Korea performs significantly better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in North Korea compared to Illinois?
The average high temperature in P'yongyang is 60°F, compared to 63°F in Springfield. P'yongyang receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Springfield gets 37.4 in.
What language do they speak in North Korea?
The official language in North Korea is Korean. In Illinois, the official language is English.
