Moving to Israel from North Korea
What to Expect
Considering a move from North Korea to Israel? Here's how the two countries compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from North Korea to Israel, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic and Hebrew. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Jerusalem averages 72°F vs 60°F in P'yongyang, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Israel compared to North Korea.
How's the healthcare?
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Israel performs significantly better than North Korea across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
North Korea generally does better on environment, though Israel leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
North Korea generally does better on infrastructure, though Israel leads in electricity per capita.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
North Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though Israel leads in gdp per capita.
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
Israel 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | P'yongyang | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | P'yongyang | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) |
| Mar | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) |
| Apr | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) |
| May | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) |
| Jun | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) |
| Aug | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) |
| Sep | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) |
| Oct | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) |
| Nov | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) |
Israel Meteorological ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between North Korea and Israel. To live, work, or study long-term in Israel, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Israel's immigration authority.
North Korea passport holder visiting Israel
Visa Required
Israel passport holder visiting North Korea
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 Israel?
From major Israel cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in North Korea and Israel are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Israel compared to North Korea?
Israel performs significantly better than North Korea across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 37.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Israel, compared to 36.7 in North Korea. Israel scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (North Korea: 68).
What's the weather like in Israel compared to North Korea?
The average high temperature in Jerusalem is 72°F, compared to 60°F in P'yongyang. Jerusalem receives around 21.1 in of rainfall per year, while P'yongyang gets 37.0 in.
What language do they speak in Israel?
The official languages in Israel are Arabic and Hebrew. In North Korea, the official language is Korean.
