Interesting article. I've stood on the China side of a river between China and North Korea, more like a stream really, where I could almost throw a rock into North Korea. Still haven't worked up the courage to actually enter, though I understand if you don't do anything stupid it's pretty much safe to visit. This was up in Jilin Province, China, where Russia, China, and North Korea meet. I've been there a few times and must admit it still feels a bit surreal every time I'm there. I cant avoid recalling as a child during the Reagan era and "Red Dawn", I'd really considered that this place must be hell-on-earth, a communist axis-of-evil. But, it's a pretty cool place to visit.
I did that up by Heavenly Lake, which is about 1/3 in China and 2/3 in North Korea, back in 2001. The border was just a stone marker, a chain that ran to the cliffside, and a very young (although about the same age as I was at the time), very bored member of the Chinese armed police. Apparently the North Korean guards were about a half mile back, so if you were unlucky enough to stumble all the way out to them you were well and truly screwed.
I have a picture somewhere that a friend took when I jumped over the chain and turned around and smiled, two feet inside North Korea, before jumping back and smiling at the border guard, who pretty clearly just wanted to make sure no stupid American tourists got arrested by the Norks on his watch (apparently some European backpackers had tried to hike the perimeter of the lake not long before and spent a few months in a North Korean prison).
Just do a guided tour... I've been there with "Young Pioneer Tours" (YPT), and have a picture waving a DPRK flag and having a beer on the North Korean side of the DMZ.
Just don't do anything stupid, or you might be detained, like 22 yr old Otto Warmbier from Ohio, who was also there with YPT and allegedly stole a propaganda poster, and is now in North Korean labour camp.
Really stupid idea. Few years ago one guy thought the same thing. His plan was go over the stream, take a picture and return. Suddenly border guards turned up at the NK side and started yelling/pointing rifles at him. He was lucky to only have started crossing, otherwise he would have certainly be caught.
If you have US passport and get detained, they would hold you for few years as a bargaining chip for some potential deal.
I did that in Dandong, although I had spent the previous ten days in North Korea. As other commenters say, just go and be sure not to do anything stupid while you're there. It's well worth the visit.
