Outrage over blogger's 'delusional' NK travel videos
British YouTube star Louis Cole has been subject to criticism for uploading a series of videos from his recent trip to North Korea that portray the state only in a positive light. / Courtesy of YouTube
By Hong Dam-young
Being a tourist in North Korea is not like being a tourist elsewhere.
A British YouTube star has come under fire for uploading videos of his recent trip to North Korea that only glamorize the state without touching on the country’s controversial “dark” realities.
Louis Cole, 33, a British travel blogger with nearly 2 million subscribers to his YouTube channel “
,” recently posted the videos after a 10-day trip to North Korea. The videos showed the seemingly overwhelmed blogger traveling from Beijing to Pyongyang to begin his journey.
The footage suggests he enjoyed the trip, visiting famous tourist spots, surfing, having meals with dressed-up North Korean women performing on stage, and staying in a hotel with a city view from his room. The videos also showed him interacting with North Koreans.
In a description of one video, Cole writes: “I’m trying to focus on positive things in the country and combat the purely negative image we see in the media.”
But Cole has been criticized for not touching on the realities of North Korea and presenting a delusional picture of the country as a paradise. Many critics believed his videos could be used by the communist state as propaganda, regardless of his intention.
They also said Cole’s responsibility as a worldwide blogger entails not only enjoying his stay but also raising awareness of what should be disclosed, in this case, human rights abuses in North Korea.
Some even accused him of being paid by the North Korean government for the videos.
"I do not agree with the North Korean ideologies, but I do care for and love the people there," Cole said in a video he uploaded on Wednesday to respond to the criticism. / Courtesy of YouTube
But Cole responded to the criticism with a video uploaded Wednesday, saying: “I’m not an investigative journalist. I don’t do political commentary. There are other places on the Internet that you can go to find those kinds of things."
"As much as we can be skeptical about how much was real and how much was staged, that is what I experienced and I can only share with you guys what I experienced."
"I do not agree with the North Korean ideologies, but I do care for and love the people there."
Cole said he went on an organized tour. It was later reported that the tour company runs surfing and skateboarding lessons for local tour guides and children, according to the Guardian.
Cole ended the trip by creating a music video called “Surfin’ in the DPRK,” which is also causing controversy on YouTube.