Moving to North Korea from South Africa
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from South Africa to North Korea — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from South Africa to North Korea, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — P'yongyang averages 60°F vs 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly cooler.
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from South Africa 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
North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa 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
South Africa generally does better on environment, though North Korea leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
South Africa generally does better on infrastructure, though North Korea leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
South Africa generally does better on employment & economy, though North Korea leads in unemployment rate.
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
North Korea performs significantly better than South Africa 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 | Pretoria | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) |
South African Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and North Korea. To live, work, or study long-term in North Korea, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check North Korea's immigration authority.
South Africa passport holder visiting North Korea
Visa Required
North Korea passport holder visiting South Africa
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 North Korea?
Usually fine from major cities in North Korea. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in North Korea compared to South Africa?
North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in health coverage index. There are 36.7 doctors per 10,000 people in North Korea, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. North Korea scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in North Korea compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in P'yongyang is 60°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. P'yongyang receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in North Korea?
The official language in North Korea is Korean. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. North Korea
At a Glance
ZA
|
KP
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 25,955,138 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | North Korean Won (KPW) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Korean |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +850 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | — |