The recent arrest and expected trial of two American tourists – Matthew Todd Miller and Jeffrey Fowle – has once again raised much fear among the few Americans, and broadly speaking Westerners, who are considering a trip to the Hermit Kingdom. As a matter of fact, I have received a number of letters from people who managed to locate my not exactly widely advertised email address, inquiring about whether they should cancel their trips.

I do feel somewhat uncomfortable about giving advice on such matters, especially because the cost of being wrong could be quite high. Nonetheless, I still advised those who wrote to me that risks were negligible and that they should still go, so long as they still wished to. Of course, I had to add that they should remain cautious and be sure not to break the many regulations the North Korean government imposes, even if such regulations appear silly.