Moving to North Korea from Vietnam
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Vietnam to North Korea — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Vietnam to North Korea, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean. Expect a noticeable climate shift — P'yongyang averages 60°F vs 82°F in Hanoi, making it significantly cooler.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Vietnam to North Korea, based on official data.
Who's moving to North Korea?
Top countries of origin for North Korea's foreign-born residents.
- 29,248
- 5,477
- 2,990
- 2,841
- 1,444
- 1,049
- · · ·
-
7.766
Vietnam
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Vietnam to North Korea.
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
Vietnam 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
Vietnam 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
Vietnam performs better than North Korea across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Vietnam 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
Vietnam 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 | Hanoi | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/75°F (31°/24°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/66°F (26°/19°C) | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Hanoi | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/58°F (20.0°/14.6°C) | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) |
| Feb | 70°/61°F (21.3°/16.2°C) | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) |
| Mar | 74°/66°F (23.5°/18.7°C) | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) |
| Apr | 82°/71°F (27.7°/21.9°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) |
| May | 89°/76°F (31.7°/24.5°C) | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) |
| Jun | 93°/79°F (33.8°/26.3°C) | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) |
| Jul | 92°/80°F (33.3°/26.5°C) | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) |
| Aug | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.8°C) | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) |
| Sep | 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.7°C) | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) |
| Oct | 85°/72°F (29.6°/22.4°C) | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) |
| Nov | 79°/67°F (26.3°/19.2°C) | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 72°/60°F (22.1°/15.4°C) | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) |
Data:
Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Vietnam 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.
Vietnam passport holder visiting North Korea
Visa Required
North Korea passport holder visiting Vietnam
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: 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 Vietnam?
Vietnam 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 8.3 in Vietnam. North Korea scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Vietnam: 68).
What's the weather like in North Korea compared to Vietnam?
The average high temperature in P'yongyang is 60°F, compared to 82°F in Hanoi. P'yongyang receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Hanoi gets 64.1 in.
What language do they speak in North Korea?
The official language in North Korea is Korean. In Vietnam, the official language is Vietnamese.
