Abstract
Due to the highly rigid monolithic political system of North Korea, not found in any other country in the world, many people think of North Korea as a dangerous, secretive, and unusual nation. Due to these risk factors, and states of international relations, many countries have often banned travel to North Korea. Nevertheless, people from Western countries, as well as China, are constantly visiting North Korea. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to identify the motivations for tourism in North Korea, and, to determine the effects these motivations have on the decision-making process. To this end, an onsite survey was conducted of Chinese tourists in Dandong, China. The results of the exploratory factor analysis identify four motivation factors such as: Red (communist identity), Uniqueness, Convenience, and Escape. The results suggest that motivations for tourism in North Korea have a partial influence on attitude. It was found that, out of the four motivation factors, 'Uniqueness' has the greatest effect on tourist's attitude, implying that the most powerful motive stimulating Chinese tourism in North Korea is their curiosity about its isolated society.