Matt Cooper on holidays in North Korea

Sir Arthur Daley · 07-01-2014 04:45AM

Is there any possibility they will leave him in Korea and ship out a few more of Today FMs DJs while they are at it? Darcy and Fenton maybe?

fryup · 07-01-2014 11:30AM

MidlandsM wrote: »

Maybe he likes to eat Dogs?

he'll be fed to the dogs if he's not careful

Specialun · 07-01-2014 11:59AM

Bobblehead Panda wrote: »

Seems like such an interesting place. I just finished reading Dark Tourist by Dom Joly and his visit there was so bizarre. Sometimes I think I'd like to go there but I don't know if I could handle the utter secrecy and the fact that I'd only be seeing what they wanted me to see.

is dark tourist any good?

suicide_circus · 07-01-2014 12:15PM

conorhal wrote: »

I wouldn't be able to seperate the experience from the fact that I was giving hard currency to a despicable regime, I just think there's something distasteful about touring about Potemkin train stations and mad monuments to batty dictators for a laugh, especially knowing that the joke is on the people of N. Korea.

+1
Wouldn't be too comfortable legitimising and funding a despotic and murderous regime just so I can go on a scripted bubble tour and have a "fascinating" experience that i can brag about to my intellectual hipster friends at parties.

thegreatgonzo · 07-01-2014 12:27PM

Am I the only person to think that his travel buddy being Dennis Rodman is the oddest part of this story?

Seedy Arling · 07-01-2014 12:27PM

Specialun wrote: »

is dark tourist any good?

Don't be such a racist.

:pac:

conorhal · 07-01-2014 01:34PM

suicide_circus wrote: »

+1
Wouldn't be too comfortable legitimising and funding a despotic and murderous regime just so I can go on a scripted bubble tour and have a "fascinating" experience that i can brag about to my intellectual hipster friends at parties.

I have to agree. People that do it, do so only for the bragging rights, it's akin to people paying a few pennies in the last century to take a tour of Bedlam (the main insane asylum in London) and stare at the disturbed, 'because it was educational'. No it wasn't, it was just a voyeuristic freakshow.

Seedy Arling · 07-01-2014 01:43PM

conorhal wrote: »

I have to agree. People that do it, do so only for the bragging rights, it's akin to people paying a few pennies in the last century to take a tour of Bedlam (the main insane asylum in London) and stare at the disturbed, 'because it was educational'. No it wasn't, it was just a voyeuristic freakshow.

Too right. It's not legitimate tourism. It doesnt benefit the people, just a revenue outlet for the crackpot government. It's actually just facilitating them.

Chucken · 07-01-2014 02:25PM

Cantstandsya wrote: »

There are various travel agencies that run tours to the North.

I am not going to cast judgements on anyone but like others have said in this thread I find something very distasteful about turning the suffering of others into tourism/entertainment. I know it is in our nature to want to see these things but it still doesn't sit well with me.

I guess I would consider a visit to North Korea to be on the same level as those who head off to Johannesburg to stroll through townships and gawk at the inhabitants.

I can't see what cultural benefit would be had from a visit to North Korea, what you see and what you do is extremely tightly controlled on these trips. You will not be wandering freely experiencing North Korea, you will essentially be witnessing a theatre put on for your benefit by the rulers so that they can have some of your money.

I totally agree with you. It's not somewhere I would want to see (or not see).

I was just wondering if it was difficult to get in there.

The country where you don't need to be paranoid. They really are watching and listening to you!

COYW · 07-01-2014 07:42PM

Chucken wrote: »

I was just wondering if it was difficult to get in there.

It is very easy actually but it is ridiculously overpriced. Once you are not a journalist, it is a case of filling out a form. You have to use one of the companies above though. Getting in and out of China is harder from a visa perspective.

Haven't been there myself but I have researched it. Looks like a horrid trip to be honest.

TeddyTedson · 07-01-2014 07:46PM

Matt Cooper is a lovable character. I doesn't surprise me at all that he's been recruited by North Korea

suicide_circus · 07-01-2014 07:50PM

How do you say 'prostate' in Korean?

The_Valeyard · 07-01-2014 07:51PM

If I was a journalist id go. A chance to view one of the most mysterious and secretive governments in the world. What journalist could resist that.

Jimmy444 · 07-01-2014 07:55PM

Last night Sam Smyth was doing Vincent Browne's show and had a Today FM news editor on the panel. Sam throws up a picture of Denis Rodman beside Matt Cooper arriving in N. Korea. Today FM guy seemed seriously irritated at being asked questions about it by Sam. . . what's going on here? Has Sam ruined a big surprise scoop?

Menas · 07-01-2014 08:02PM

Paddypower have tried to distance themselves from this basketball game but are contractually obliged to their commercial agreement.
Cooper is out there writing a book apparently.

COYW · 07-01-2014 08:09PM

Jimmy444 wrote: »

Last night Sam Smyth was doing Vincent Browne's show and had a Today FM news editor on the panel. Sam throws up a picture of Denis Rodman beside Matt Cooper arriving in N. Korea. Today FM guy seemed seriously irritated at being asked questions about it by Sam. . . what's going on here? Has Sam ruined a big surprise scoop?

I doubt it. I suspect that they are more worried about Cooper being identified as a journo by the North Koreans, if he traveled there declaring that he is not one. They are very guarded when it comes to journalists entering North Korea.

Jimmy444 · 07-01-2014 08:53PM

COYW wrote: »

I doubt it. I suspect that they are more worried about Cooper being identified as a journo by the North Koreans, if he traveled there declaring that he is not one. They are very guarded when it comes to journalists entering North Korea.

Oops - if that's the case then I hope the NK's don't read Boards. Matt might get to do more research than he intended.

woodoo · 07-01-2014 08:57PM

I'm planning a trip to North Korea sometime soon. While i'm there i'm going to tell Kim Jong Un to cop himself on. I'm sure he may be mildly annoyed but he needs to be told. I'll tell yous all about it when i get back.

Wattle · 07-01-2014 09:01PM

I actually nearly went there once and not as a tourist. I was travelling in Asia and decided to do a journalism internship on an English language newspaper in Mongolia. The female Mongolian editor went away for about a week but we weren't told where she had gone. After she came back I got talking to her and she had been in North Korea on some sort of assignment. Then she says 'I was going to send you but we couldn't get the visas sorted out in time' :eek:.

I really would like to visit but as others have said here supporting that regime in any way wouldn't sit well with me at all. I'm going to try and visit South Korea this year but I guess the closest I'll get to the north will be the DMZ.

MadYaker · 07-01-2014 09:06PM

I hope he declared the fact that he is a journalist before he entered the country.....

fullstop · 07-01-2014 09:07PM

Cantstandsya wrote: »

Paddy Power are indeed financing it all so perhaps he is over there on their dime?

While I don't think that Paddy Power owe anyone any sort of high minded consideration, and I realise that they are known for courting controversy in order to get attention, I think making light of the situation in North Korea in order to make yourself appear "cool" is a bit much. What goes on there is no joke and only a moron would find it amusing (but I guess that's the target demographic).

I expect some sort of Paddy Power ad or some such will come out of all this in the future.

They pulled out of it

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Paddy-Power-withdraws-from-Dennis-Rodman-basketball-game-in-North-Korea-237154411.html

tomwaterford · 07-01-2014 09:08PM

woodoo wrote: »

I'm planning a trip to North Korea sometime soon. While i'm there i'm going to tell Kim Jong Un to cop himself on. I'm sure he may be mildly annoyed but he needs to be told. I'll tell yous all about it when i get back.

Doubt boards will be around in 15+ years:D

KwackerJack · 07-01-2014 09:09PM

tomwaterford wrote: »

Doubt boards will be around in 15+ years:D

NK wont be either if yung gun keeps messing about!

downonthefarm · 07-01-2014 09:11PM

Hopefully they will mistake his nasal drone as an insult and give him the same treatment as the uncle

Wattle · 07-01-2014 09:11PM

woodoo wrote: »

I'm planning a trip to North Korea sometime soon. While i'm there i'm going to tell Kim Jong Un to cop himself on. I'm sure he may be mildly annoyed but he needs to be told. I'll tell yous all about it when i get back.

As long as you don't mind 20 years hard labor and eating rats you'll have a ball.

Kidchameleon · 07-01-2014 09:17PM

I hope he never comes back. He makes my skin crawl

woodoo · 07-01-2014 09:38PM

Wattle wrote: »

As long as you don't mind 20 years hard labor and eating rats you'll have a ball.

Ah i don't think it'll come tho that. Its just some friendly advice. I might even tell him he needs to lose some weight and stop with the extra wide trousers.

Menas · 07-01-2014 09:58PM

woodoo wrote: »

Ah i don't think it'll come tho that. Its just some friendly advice. I might even tell him he needs to lose some weight and stop with the extra wide trousers.

Would you tell him to get a proper haircut too? He is too old for a schoolboy look.

mbur · 07-01-2014 10:45PM

Trigger Happy wrote: »

Would you tell him to get a proper haircut too? He is too old for a schoolboy look.

See if you can get him to watch this: It might improve your chances of getting home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw-p84oWW84

(p.s. made in New Zealand really)

humbert · 07-01-2014 11:05PM

COYW wrote: »

I doubt it. I suspect that they are more worried about Cooper being identified as a journo by the North Koreans, if he traveled there declaring that he is not one. They are very guarded when it comes to journalists entering North Korea.

Right so they don't have access to the internet but watch Vincent Browne?

Matt Cooper on holidays in North Korea

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