Moving to North Korea from Laos
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Laos to North Korea — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Laos to North Korea, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean. Expect a noticeable climate shift — P'yongyang averages 60°F vs 88°F in Vientiane, making it significantly cooler.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Laos and North Korea stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Laos generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Korea leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Laos generally does better on environment, though North Korea leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Laos performs better than North Korea across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Laos performs better than North Korea across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
percentage of adults who can read and write
North Korea performs significantly better than Laos across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Vientiane | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 87°/66°F (31°/19°C) | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/76°F (33°/24°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/76°F (31°/24°C) | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 85°/67°F (30°/20°C) | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Vientiane | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.4°C) | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) |
| Feb | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.5°C) | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) |
| Mar | 91°/71°F (33.0°/21.5°C) | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) |
| Apr | 94°/75°F (34.3°/23.8°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) |
| May | 91°/76°F (33.0°/24.6°C) | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) |
| Jun | 89°/77°F (31.9°/24.9°C) | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) |
| Jul | 88°/76°F (31.3°/24.7°C) | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) |
| Aug | 87°/76°F (30.8°/24.6°C) | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) |
| Sep | 88°/75°F (30.9°/24.1°C) | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) |
| Oct | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) |
| Nov | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 83°/62°F (28.1°/16.7°C) | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) |
Data:
Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), Lao PDR
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Laos 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.
Laos passport holder visiting North Korea
Visa Required
North Korea passport holder visiting Laos
Visa on ArrivalData: 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?
Working remotely from North Korea's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Laos and North Korea.
How is healthcare in North Korea compared to Laos?
Laos generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Korea leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 36.7 doctors per 10,000 people in North Korea, compared to 3.3 in Laos. North Korea scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Laos: 52).
What's the weather like in North Korea compared to Laos?
The average high temperature in P'yongyang is 60°F, compared to 88°F in Vientiane. P'yongyang receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Vientiane gets 65.4 in.
What language do they speak in North Korea?
The official language in North Korea is Korean. In Laos, the official language is Lao.
