Asia

North Korea Crime Rate & Safety

Homicide statistics, crime trends, and travel safety for North Korea

4of 4

US State Department Travel Advisory

Do Not Travel

Updated April 29, 2025

Detailed homicide statistics are not currently available for North Korea. For travelers, the US State Department currently rates North Korea at Level 4 of 4: Do Not Travel.

Homicide Rate

N/A

📊

Safety Rank

N/A

🛡️

Travel Advisory

Level 4 of 4

✈️

Data Year

N/A

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Safety for Travelers

Summary of the current US State Department advisory for North Korea:

Reissued after periodic review with minor edits. Do not travel to North Korea due to the continuing serious risk of arrest, long-term detention, andthe threat of wrongful detention of U.S. nationals. Do not travel to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for any reason. U.S. passports cannot be used to travel to, in, or through the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) unless they are specially validated for such travel by the Secretary of State. Special validations are granted only in very limited circumstances.

Level 1

Exercise Normal Precautions

Level 2

Exercise Increased Caution

Level 3

Reconsider Travel

Level 4

Do Not Travel

Read the full advisory on travel.state.gov →

Safety Guidance for North Korea

Practical safety information for visitors, from US State Department country information (last updated August 11, 2025).

Crime

North Korea does not release crime statistics. Petty thefts have been reported at the airport in Pyongyang. Do not buy counterfeit and/or pirated goods, even if they are widely available. The purchase of counterfeit and pirated goods is illegal in the United States and may be illegal in North Korea. See the Department of State and the FBI pages for information on scams.

Victims of Crime

Report the crime to your local host/liaison and contact the Embassy of Sweden for assistance. Your local host/liaison should contact the local authorities on your behalf.

Lost or Stolen Passports

: If your passport is lost or stolen in North Korea, you will need to contact the Embassy of Sweden in Pyongyang, U.S. Protecting Power, for assistance in reaching out to a U.S. Embassy or Consulate and obtaining a replacement passport. You will also need a replacement visa for China. Please see our information for victims of crime , including possible victim compensation programs in the United States .

Tourism

Individuals cannot use a U.S. passport to travel to, in, or through North Korea without a special validation from the Department of State. Special Validations are granted only if it is in the US national interest to do so. Tourists are considered to be participating in activities at their own risk. Emergency response and subsequent appropriate medical treatment is not available in-country. U.S. citizens are encouraged to purchase medical evacuation insurance. See our webpage for more information on insurance providers for overseas coverage .

About This Data

Homicide figures are intentional homicides per 100,000 people, compiled by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and published by the World Bank (indicator VC.IHR.PSRC.P5). Homicide is the most reliably comparable crime statistic across countries because definitions of other offences (assault, theft, robbery) vary widely between national legal systems and reporting practices.

Travel advisory levels are issued by the US Department of State and updated continuously. They reflect risks to travelers including crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health, and natural disasters — not only crime rates. Countries report crime data with different lags; the most recent available year is shown for each metric.