Moving to North Korea from South Korea
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Korea to North Korea — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Korea to North Korea.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from South Korea to North Korea, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to North Korea?
Top countries of origin for North Korea's foreign-born residents.
- 29,248
-
2.5,477
South Korea
- 2,990
- 2,841
- 1,444
- 1,049
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Korea and North Korea 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
South Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Korea leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
South Korea 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 Korea 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 Korea performs better than North Korea across all employment & economy metrics.
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
South Korea 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 | Seoul | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seoul | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) |
| Feb | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) |
| Mar | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) |
| Jun | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) |
| Jul | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) |
| Aug | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) |
| Sep | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) |
| Oct | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) |
Korea Meteorological AdministrationVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Korea 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 Korea passport holder visiting North Korea
Visa Required
North Korea passport holder visiting South 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 North Korea?
Working remotely from North Korea's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in South Korea and North Korea.
How is healthcare in North Korea compared to South Korea?
South Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Korea leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 36.7 doctors per 10,000 people in North Korea, compared to 25.2 in South Korea. North Korea scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Korea: 89).
What's the weather like in North Korea compared to South Korea?
The average high temperature in P'yongyang is 60°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. P'yongyang receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.
What language do they speak in North Korea?
Both South Korea and North Korea share the same official language: Korean.
