Michael Palin in North Korea | Edinburgh TV Festival 2018 

The scene at the school will stay with me, thanks to the girl reciting a poem. Her delivery is in one breath bordering on song yet held back in a kind of tremulous desperation.

Very interesting viewing. It would be wonderful if he were able to do more travelling. Michael Palin is the best at the travel documentary.

A great interview to follow up on a great documentary. Well done all.

This is great. Glad to see that his trip was successful. World peace for the lot of you!

Love everything Michael Palin does!

A wonderful discussion!! I've just finished re-watching his North Korea journey and re-reading his journal. While I often wonder what happened to all the people he's met throughout all of his travels, it would be absolutely fascinating to find out how life has been for the people of North Korea, especially for So Hyang and Hyon Chol!

Thank you Michael for the programme and for rapprochment. Consider it saved.

Having now watched the documentary, to actually see glimpses of North Korea is breath taking. But people forget how much Korea was ravaged over the centuries by many nations. That is maybe the reason we see a controlled population, and they see us as possible oppressors. Stability can come in many different shapes and forms, like the Romans... what did the R.... Shit, fell into that one :D Much Respect to Michael Palin if you ever read this..... as I have grown up, he has shown me more of the world than anyone, to see cultures from the eyes and thoughts of an inquisitive British comedian, has helped me see the places I visit, not just visit them :)

Brilliant interviewer and brilliant Michael Palin! Thank you!

Michael Palin genius. BBC as a public service broadcaster should be making these sort of programmes but BBC have not made a decent travel documentary series for the best part of 10 years, Brazil for anyone wondering. Disappointing that channel 5 has not made these episodes available on My5 but impressive they seem to have taken over from BBC not only in this area but with traditional drama like All Creatures Great & Small. This is a programme which you would have thought would have been ideal for Sunday night 9pm viewing on the BBC. “There’s a new market” A very Eric Idle comment. No consumer advertising. At least North Korea has got some things right. I managed to track down this documentary and clear North Korea only let Michael and the crew see what they wanted them to see. Other visitors have had very different experiences.

His North Korea show is available on youtube now, watch it. He is always good on the travel shows but he got more out of the N. Koreans than anyone else so far. It was outstanding, no idea how he did it. Not only do they not have a clue who he or Monty Python are, they don't even have comedy the way we think of it.

I only wished some one caught my travels on camera on film whilst I am walking the world for last 40 years since 10 year kid

It was Michael's airport visit that really planted the idea that every single place to that point was so carefully managed, it was as if he were Truman Burbank. They showed a typically North Korean billboard for Air Koryo, ostensibly the flag carrier for NK. Their fleet consists of 19 Russian planes, all of which are banned from entering European airports.

Rather enjoyed watching the documentary and this talk from Seoul, Korea. I thought it would be really interesting to have one of the N.Korean defectors watching this documentary and get their interpretation...

Please get permission to show the videos. Can't see in the USA.

Michael is good

I have been to the DPRK and can't recommend it enough

Humanized NK and its people is a great contribution to peace. Thank you, Mr. Palin...

Palin is a great guy. He's a wonderful entertainer, journalist, writer and I really like him. I would love to know more about what his intentions were in making this. If it was to produce something that's entertaining, visually impressive and gives a positive message about NK then fair enough. NK and the World need that. Where I'm less certain is when he talks about what a friendly nice place it was and tries to emphasise aspects that weren't closed off he as expected NK to be. This is simply NK trying to present an image to the outside World of it not being a brutal dictatorship. The "smiling" faces, the "happy" people. This isn't always real. I'm sure the May Day celebrations were genuinely happy people since they know that they are permitted to enjoy such things. Beneath this it's people who, like you or I are doing what they need to survive and maintain the life they have, be it good or bad. NK is effectively owned by the Kim family. All property, food, medical care, transportation, housing etc. stems from the leadership. Living in Pyongyang is considered a reward or privilege bestowed at the will of the leaders. A typical NK citizen can't "move" to Pyongyang even if they had the money. The money wouldn't help anyway since the leaders own everything and don't want the peasants Won, only USD. Its in the interest of every citizen to toe the line to keep what life they have going. There is no free market, no open employment opportunity, no legal recourse, nothing. Its a police state. Of course there is very little crime, that's what living in with the knowledge that you and consequently your whole family face the most dire consequences in the event of any transgression. Occasional demonstrations of absolute terror and brutality have a powerful effect on the people. Its a regrettably low maintenance method of control. Ask anyone who's lived under the treat of violence or worse and they'll tell you how pliable they became to keep safe. Criticism of the leadership? An actual protect march? The stuff of dreams in NK. NK only wants to "open up" insofar as is necessary for the Kim family to keep its grip on power. Nuclear weapons are an effective bargaining chip to that end. Trump and the West should look at how Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il used threats to get concessions and maintain their grip on power in the past. Kim Jong Un has done the same. If he can get cessation of some sanctions in exchange for theoretical denuclearisation then that would count as a good investment. All this keeps the oh so delicate balance of power within NK as its perched between the South Korean (the West) and big red China. Chine definately doesnt want an 800 mile boarder with a Western county as again, they want to control what is still a communist country with an unelected government. The programmes are good documentary pieces and entertaining but I don't think reflect the true nature of NK. The content was heavily infleunced by NK who's theme is always "You can see whatever you want apart from......"

I just wonder if the guards and handlers knew about his friend in Rome... Biggus Dickus

I know of other journalists who have visited North Korea who had access to any part of North Korea they chose so how do they know Michael had 'unprecedented access' to parts of North Korea?

The poem, the birthday cake etcetera, his handlers deflected well from the harsh reality as directed.

Has someone ever told this woman to shake and wave her hands a little less, one get lost in her aimless moving hands than to listen

NO CONSUMER ADVERTISING. WOW.

I think there's a bit of propaganda in his introduction stating unprecedented access blah blah. All the places he visited are the exact locations that tourists visit with a tour company or privately booked tours.

How much were people REALLY doing normal things and how much staged as it were? I also wonder whether (say after the park party) the people you spoke with were later "interviewed" by the regime, what did you say, what did they etc?

Has Michael Palin, ever travelled on your own without the help and guidance of planning, I have never travelled anywhere with a guide and also never travelled in a group other than travelling from Edingburgh to Chengdu in China. with a group of Chinese. I have never used maps

Love Palin and MP. They're a bunch of intelligent chaps. I do, however, get the feeling that Palin somehow has become a vehicle of propaganda.. But...whatever it takes to open up a country and free it's people from it's stifling personality cult, all is good. I can never quite shake off the fate of the poor American kid "killed" for stealing a plaque. That's just not cricket. Whatever anybody else has done in the past, the way that kid was "treated" just isn't good enough. And no Whataboutisms can justify it.

I like Michael but having watched the video I feel he was conned.