Moving to Belarus from North Korea

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What to Expect

Considering a move from North Korea to Belarus? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from North Korea to Belarus, and you’d need to navigate life in Belarusian and Russian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Minsk averages 50°F vs 60°F in P'yongyang, making it significantly cooler.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from North Korea to Belarus.

Living there in 2020
58 ↓ 3% vs 2015

people born in North Korea live in Belarus · UN DESA

Who's moving to Belarus?

Top countries of origin for Belarus's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Belarus compared to North Korea.

How's the healthcare?

Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2020

affects wait times and access to care

KP
36.7
BY
44.7
Health coverage index United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access

KP
68
BY
79

North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belarus leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

KP
86.0
BY
68.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

KP
2.5t
BY
5.9t

North Korea generally does better on environment, though Belarus leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

KP
27.7%
BY
4.7%
Electricity per capita World Bank, 2022

annual consumption — reflects grid capacity

KP
830 kWh
BY
3,903 kWh

Belarus performs significantly better than North Korea across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

KP
3.0%
BY
3.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

KP
$1,700
BY
$27,700

North Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though Belarus leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

KP
71.8 yrs
BY
74.3 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

KP
22.2
BY
3.3

Belarus generally does better on family life, though North Korea leads in literacy rate.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

P'yongyang Rain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
60° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Minsk Rain: 26.7 in/yr (677 mm)
50° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months P'yongyang Minsk
Jan–Mar 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) 62°/44°F (17°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) 68°/51°F (20°/11°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month P'yongyang Minsk
Jan 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) 24°/14°F (-4.2°/-9.8°C)
Feb 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) 28°/16°F (-2.5°/-8.9°C)
Mar 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) 36°/23°F (2.4°/-4.8°C)
Apr 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.8°C)
May 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C)
Jun 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) 70°/52°F (21.3°/11.1°C)
Jul 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) 72°/55°F (22.3°/12.6°C)
Aug 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.7°C)
Sep 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.8°C)
Oct 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) 50°/38°F (9.9°/3.3°C)
Nov 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) 38°/30°F (3.1°/-1.3°C)
Dec 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) 29°/21°F (-1.5°/-6.2°C)

Data: Republican center for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contamination and enviromental monitoring Republican center for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contamination and enviromental monitoring

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between North Korea and Belarus. To live, work, or study long-term in Belarus, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Belarus's immigration authority.

North Korea passport

North Korea passport holder visiting Belarus

Visa Required
North Korea passport holders need a visa to enter Belarus.
Belarus passport

Belarus passport holder visiting North Korea

Visa Required
Belarus passport holders need a visa to enter North Korea.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Belarus?

From major Belarus cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in North Korea and Belarus are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in Belarus compared to North Korea?

North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belarus leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 44.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Belarus, compared to 36.7 in North Korea. Belarus scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (North Korea: 68).

What's the weather like in Belarus compared to North Korea?

The average high temperature in Minsk is 50°F, compared to 60°F in P'yongyang. Minsk receives around 26.7 in of rainfall per year, while P'yongyang gets 37.0 in.

What language do they speak in Belarus?

The official languages in Belarus are Belarusian and Russian. In North Korea, the official language is Korean.

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At a Glance

KP BY
Population 25,955,138 9,413,505
Currency North Korean Won (KPW) New Belarusian Ruble (BYN)
Languages Korean Belarusian, Russian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +850 +375
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112