Moving to United States from North Korea
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from North Korea to United States — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from North Korea to United States, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from North Korea to United States, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
Key Indicator Comparison
How North Korea and United States 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
North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index.
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 United States 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 United States 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 United States 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
United States performs significantly better than North Korea 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 | P'yongyang | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | P'yongyang | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) |
| Feb | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) |
| Apr | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) |
| May | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) |
| Jun | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) |
| Sep | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) |
| Oct | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between North Korea and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
North Korea passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States 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 United States?
Working remotely from United States'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 United States.
How is healthcare in United States compared to North Korea?
North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United States, compared to 36.7 in North Korea. United States scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (North Korea: 68).
What's the weather like in United States compared to North Korea?
The average high temperature in Washington is 66°F, compared to 60°F in P'yongyang. Washington receives around 41.5 in of rainfall per year, while P'yongyang gets 37.0 in.
What language do they speak in United States?
The official language in United States is English. In North Korea, the official language is Korean.
