Ever wondered what it would feel like to camp outside on North Korea's Mount Paektu after a satisfying day on the hiking trail?
Well,... a group of foreign hikers were lucky enough to do exactly that.
They were granted permission to trek and camp at the mountain... instantly becoming the envy of thousands of hikers around the world.
Kim Hyo-sun tells us more.
A group of foreign hikers have found a new way of enjoying a side to North Korea that most never see.
They are the first group of foreigners to climb and camp at Mount Paektu,... an active volcano that straddles the North Korea-China border.
Sleeping under the stars in their tents,... the hikers finally arrive at the peak.
Their breath is taken away by the spectacular views.
"Well I can say, the first thing is to do something maybe never been done before, and it's also the possibility to do hiking in sort of, an untouched, pristine, area."
This six-day trip was organized by a hiker from New Zealand,... who has visited the North on more than ten different occasions.
"It's safe for me to say that it's probably one of the most beautiful mountains in the world to come and see, easily."
Organizing such a trip based on his experience was something he had always dreamt of,... and he finally persuaded North Korea to allow foreigners to trek off road and camp outside on the mountain,... a place that's considered sacred by the people of North Korea.
"I think by the end of all of this, they will have left this country having a better understanding of the people of North Korea, and hopefully some fond and some warm memories."
Mount Paektu, standing some 27-hundred-meters high, is a tourist destination that many people from home and abroad would love to visit.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.
