North Korea Tries To Entice Tourists With "Internet Room"
North Korea, threats of war aside, is trying to entice more tourists to its little nation via a new "Internet Room" at the world's worst airline. The little facility in Pyongyang International airport, however, has one big problem: despite being an Internet room, it does not in fact have Internet access, at least according to reports coming from the nation. The nation's residents are, at the most, given access only to North Korea's very limited intranet. Tourists have a little bit more freedom.
The information comes from The Guardian, which reports that North Korea's airport has three computer terminals in what is referred to as the "Internet room", but that two trips through the airport indicated the terminals likely don't have Internet access at all.
During one trip the computers were occupied by workers, preventing tourists from accessing them. On another trip, the keyboards had been removed so no one could use them. Officials at the airport reportedly refused to comment on the terminals and whether they could access the Internet.
The Internet room was opened a few months ago, and its' purpose seems solely to give the impressive that North Korea is a tech-savvy destination where visitors can hop online the same as anywhere else. The Guardian also points toward one other oddity that has popped up in the airport — a warning that smoking cigarettes is bad for one's health, something highly unusual for a nation where a massive number of individuals smoke.
SOURCE: The Guardian