You might have read my article about the facts of the North Korean passport. Well, I can now display an obsolete document of such a passport. Unfortunately, I missed the chance to get it for my own collection, but with the support of a fellow collector from China, I can at least share the pictures.

As a collector, if you are interested in getting such a super rare document, I only can recommend not to hesitate one second if you have the chance to grab one. The occurrence of these documents is extremely rare.

This passport was issued in 1992 to a woman going several times to China, she was almost 60 years old, and probably an alphabetic, as the passport is not signed by her.

If you’re born in North Korea, you’ll likely never be allowed to leave North Korea. Under Kim Jong-un’s totalitarian regime, it’s illegal for anyone who lives in an isolated nation to leave without the state’s consent. Very few people ever receive such consent because they must either be visiting relatives in China or be traveling for professional purposes.

Those who are lucky enough — or pay enough — to be allowed to leave are issued an “ordinary” passport. These travel documents are only temporary and must be given back upon returning to the country.  North Korea passport

There are also diplomatic and official passports given to high-ranking politicians and economic bureaucrats. Still, even these are only valid for five years and must be returned after each travel. Because of this, the North Korean passport is one of the rarest in the world. North Korean passport

Passport History   North Korea passport

The earliest passports of the Korean Peninsula were issued in 1902 by the Korean Empire, in two types, a trading passport, and a travel passport. The passports have Chinese text as well as English and French translations. North Korean passports were first issued in the 1950s with Korean, Russian, and Chinese passports, while the current passport has Korean and English only.

ℹ️ Passport History, Collectibles and Travel History explained by Expert, Author & Collector Tom Topol. ➡️ Ask me anything!
🌐 I occasionally release select vintage collectibles from my personal collection. View the current offers before they’re gone.