Moving to Washington from North Korea
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from North Korea to Washington — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from North Korea to Washington, 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 Washington, 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 Washington stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
North Korea performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
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 Washington leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Washington performs significantly better than North Korea across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | P'yongyang | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | P'yongyang | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) |
| Feb | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) |
| Mar | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) |
| May | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) |
| Jun | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jul | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) |
| Aug | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) |
| Sep | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°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 Washington?
Working remotely from Washington'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 Washington.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to North Korea?
North Korea performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to North Korea?
The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 60°F in P'yongyang. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while P'yongyang gets 37.0 in.
What language do they speak in Washington?
The official language in Washington is English. In North Korea, the official language is Korean.
