Is it possible to make money blogging about North Korea? The short and easy answer to this is that yes you can, as the many blogs and videos out there by “experts” prove.
To do it sustainably though you will need to avoid going down the clickbait routes, you know the “everyone has to get the same haircut” type rubbish and find a niche for yourself.
The question then is how you actually monetize it, something not always that easy with a country as sanctioned as the DPRK. In actuality though, providing you are just writing or making videos about the country, then there are actually a number of ways that you can monetize blogging about North Korea.
Angles for blogging about North Korea
There are essentially three main categories of DPRK bloggers. First, you have the very anti-DPRK crowd. These are usually people who have never been to the country but base their content around stories from Daily NK or Radio Free Asia. They churn out stories about public executions, forced haircuts, and fake shopping malls. This is very much not out bag.
Then there are the more nuanced and actually informed blogs. Sites like NKNews.org manage this well. They report critically but with facts, sources, and some on-the-ground knowledge. Another example is the now-defunct AmericanInNorthKorea.com which combined decent photography with solid observations. Our own platform, VisitTheDPRK.org, fits into this group too. We write about the country from a travel and cultural perspective without trying to be sensationalist or overly ideological.
Next are the Juche people. This is a rare category but one that does exist. Whether they genuinely believe or just enjoy being provocateurs is sometimes hard to tell. But these accounts and blogs tend to get a cult following on social media, especially TikTok, Tumblr, or Reddit. Whether they’re promoting DPRK literature or rating Kimchi dishes, it is content that people will watch. Again not an area we would necessarily promote.
Another big niche is DPRK travel blogging. This is what we do and it is what companies like Koryo and Young Pioneer Tours also lean heavily into. These companies do offer tours, but they also publish genuinely useful guides on what to expect when you go, how to get a visa, what food is like, and what you can do there. The travel guide angle is underused and is a great option for building blog traffic. Unlike anti-DPRK blogging, which is bloated and repetitive, there are very few solid online guides about Sinuiju or Hamhung. Of course, it helps if you have actually been to the country at least once.
You can also go super specific. There are people who write about North Korean football, North Korean snacks, or even just what DPRK airlines serve for lunch. Any of these niches can work if you are consistent and know your stuff. The main thing is that you should actually be interested in what you’re writing about. People can smell fake interest from a mile off.
How to earn money blogging about North Korea
Now let’s talk about how you actually earn cash. One obvious option is Google Adsense. It pays based on page views and clicks, and if you have consistent traffic, even a North Korea blog can make you a bit of money this way. The downside is that unless you go viral or are publishing daily, Adsense alone probably won’t pay your rent.
A better long-term option is affiliate marketing. One of the best programs out there is TravelPayouts. TravelPayouts lets you earn money when people book hotels, flights, or insurance through your affiliate links. They work with major partners like Booking.com, Trip.com, and WayAway. You sign up, get custom links, and place them in your blog articles.
Here’s where you need to be clever. Advertising flights to Pyongyang or hotels in Sinuiju is not going to generate any sales. But you can write comparison pieces about flying to Beijing or Dandong, which are DPRK gateways. You can promote hotels in those cities. And of course if you are a regular traveler, or get paid to travel then you can also use DPRK content as a hook to read other articles that utilize these affiliate gateways.
You can also monetize through Patreon. If your content is niche and interesting enough, people might subscribe just to support you or to access bonus content. A monthly behind-the-scenes vlog, exclusive articles, or interviews with defectors or experts can all make people happy to chip in five dollars a month.
Selling merchandise is also possible. T-shirts, mugs, or even digital products like e-books or North Korean posters. Again, it depends on your brand and your audience. Some people make bank selling Soviet-style memorabilia and North Korea has a weird online fandom that supports this.
Ultimately though, affiliate marketing is the best bet for consistent passive income. It doesn’t rely on donations, it scales, and it works even with low-traffic sites if your content is SEO focused. You can sign up and start using TravelPayouts via our referral link.
https://www.travelpayouts.com/?marker=641366
Not only is it free to join, but in our opinion and experience is one of the best ways to make money not just blogging about North Korea, but in general.