Moving to Turkey from North Korea

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from North Korea to Turkey — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from North Korea to Turkey, and you’d need to navigate life in Turkish.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from North Korea to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
37 ↑ 32% vs 2015

people born in North Korea live in Turkey · UN DESA

Who's moving to Turkey?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How North Korea and Turkey stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

KP
36.7
TR
21.7
Health coverage index United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access

KP
68
TR
76

North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

KP
86.0
TR
39.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

KP
2.5t
TR
5.4t

North Korea generally does better on environment, though Turkey 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%
TR
43.4%
Electricity per capita World Bank, 2023

annual consumption — reflects grid capacity

KP
830 kWh
TR
3,581 kWh

North Korea generally does better on infrastructure, though Turkey leads in electricity per capita.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

KP
3.0%
TR
9.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

KP
$1,700
TR
$34,400

North Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though Turkey 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
TR
76.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

KP
22.2
TR
19.4

Turkey 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

Ankara Rain: 15.0 in/yr (382 mm)
64° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months P'yongyang Ankara
Jan–Mar 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) 83°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) 55°/37°F (13°/3°C)
View all months
Month P'yongyang Ankara
Jan 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C)
Feb 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C)
Mar 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C)
Apr 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C)
May 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Jun 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C)
Aug 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C)
Sep 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C)
Oct 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C)
Nov 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C)
Dec 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C)

Data: Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

North Korea passport

North Korea passport holder visiting Turkey

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

Turkey passport holder visiting North Korea

Visa Required
Turkey 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 Turkey?

Working remotely from Turkey's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in North Korea and Turkey.

How is healthcare in Turkey compared to North Korea?

North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in health coverage index. There are 21.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 36.7 in North Korea. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (North Korea: 68).

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

The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 60°F in P'yongyang. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while P'yongyang gets 37.0 in.

What language do they speak in Turkey?

The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In North Korea, the official language is Korean.

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At a Glance

KP TR
Population 25,955,138 83,047,706
Currency North Korean Won (KPW) Turkish Lira (TRY)
Languages Korean Turkish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +850 +90
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112