Memes

They have quite a lot of money, particularly in foreign currency slush funds (see Room 39 for example). However the Kim family has the final say in what is government money and what never makes it onto the books.

They could probably afford a FIFA championship. It's admitting they have that kind of money, that would be a huge problem.

I'd love to say it would be a PR disaster for American news, but realistically people have become too invested in the American Cinematic Universe to be swayed by what visitors have to say.

The lib I work with believes all the nonsense about North Korea and I've tried explaining to him that North Korea literally has non-North Korean tour guides who absolutely allow you to go where you want but usually prefer if you don't because no one would be able to communicate with you if you got lost, and your vacation would be wasted if you had no idea where to go, but he believes that it's all just a show, as though any country on the planet actually puts in that kind of effort to convince foreigners. Every time I tell him there are literally people who've posted positive news in regards to being there, or about a non-North Korean who works there, he still wants to believe what the news says or whatever negative claims are being made about it, and so he challenged me to go to North Korea on vacation and 'find out the truth for both of us' (he already believes I'll come back with horror stories), and so I challenged him and asked "If I go there and find out that it's all nonsense, that the country is fine and peaceful, would you believe me?". I personally hate traveling, and going on vacation anywhere is a chore I loathe, and so surely if I go to such effort then he'll believe me, right? His response was a reluctant "I'll be more likely to believe it"

This guy doesn't want to believe he's been lied to about North Korea; literally no amount of evidence will sway him; it's almost like this is some kind of investment for him (I say him, but this applies to libs in general).