They have a ground network in North Korea and would assume they would have to operate some air service but I've never seen a photo of anything other than Air China/Air Koryo/VIP aircraft.

http://www.dhl.com/en/kp/country_profil ... press.html

I believe they use Air Koryo aircraft to transport in and out. Also Air China (from PEK, but that route is now suspended)

In the link supplied by the OP DHL Express Import Guidelines, I noticed cash letters, cheques of any type, and credit cards including blanks have the notation "NI". What does that mean? Anyone know?

NWAROOSTER wrote:

In the link supplied by the OP DHL Express Import Guidelines, I noticed cash letters, cheques of any type, and credit cards including blanks have the notation "NI". What does that mean? Anyone know?

A negotiable instrument (NI) is a document guaranteeing the payment of a specific amount of money, either on demand, or at a set time, with the payer usually named on the document. More specifically, it is a document contemplated by or consisting of a contract, which promises the payment of money without condition, which may be paid either on demand or at a future date.

I don't believe all the items in the list are negotiable instruments (blank credit cards, canceled checks) but I could certainly be wrong.

NI is Non-Insurable, meaning the shipper cannot purchase additional insurance above the standard DHL liability. The items labeled NI are non-insurable through most/all the DHL network, it is a bit of a moot point for the country as all shipments to/from the DPRK are non-insurable afaik.

DHL certainly delivers there - I regularly send work related documents there (Pyongyang), but I am not sure whether they have actual DHL staff in-situ..? maybe? I would assume they would simply use either ground transportation from mainland China, or the Air Koryo flights from Beijing.

I assume they get in via cargo with an Air Koryo flight. I've been to North Korea in October for a week. During checking in PEK there where a few guys, who checked in A LOT of luggage. Must have bee around 20 carts, each with 2-3 big, wrapped boxes. I could image some of them also had some DHL-packages inside.

These guys are on board couriers, besides value cargo the most expensive way to ship freigth. The recipients could not care less about costs.

loisencroach wrote:

They have a ground network in North Korea and would assume they would have to operate some air service but I've never seen a photo of anything other than Air China/Air Koryo/VIP aircraft.

As in, DHL trucks are running around NK? Also, I assumed the UN sanctions on NK had basically shut down imports/exports?

FedEx, DHL and UPS often have agreements with local postal services in countries where they don't have any operations themselves. In this case, I would expect the North Korean postal services to take over the handling of the packages at the airport in Pyongyang.

In fact, since DHL is the German national postal service, they probably just handle it through the Universal Postal Union, of which both Germany and North Korea are members.

VSMUT wrote:

In fact, since DHL is the German national postal service, they probably just handle it through the Universal Postal Union, of which both Germany and North Korea are members.

The closest that DHL Express comes to being the "German national postal service" is that it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL Group, which is a trade name of Deutsche Post AG and is the fully-privatized successor to the federally-owned Deutsche Bundespost. EU regulation has drastically diluted the concept of "national" postal services anyway, which is how PostNL can operate mail services in Germany and Deutsche Post can in Britain, amongst others.

In any case, the UPU is co-ordinating body between nations and undertakes no logistical operations of its own. Items of mail sent from Germany to North Korea would be subject to UPU regulations and agreements, but they would have nothing to do with items outside normal postal service, which is most of DHL's business.

LOWS wrote:

As in, DHL trucks are running around NK? Also, I assumed the UN sanctions on NK had basically shut down imports/exports?

DHL are not the sanctions busting type. It would include a lot of documents as well as diplomatic and UN related goods.

evanb wrote:

LOWS wrote:

As in, DHL trucks are running around NK? Also, I assumed the UN sanctions on NK had basically shut down imports/exports?

DHL are not the sanctions busting type. It would include a lot of documents as well as diplomatic and UN related goods.

That's what I figured, I was just surprised they had any business there at all.

XAM2175 wrote:

VSMUT wrote:

In fact, since DHL is the German national postal service, they probably just handle it through the Universal Postal Union, of which both Germany and North Korea are members.

The closest that DHL Express comes to being the "German national postal service" is that it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL Group, which is a trade name of Deutsche Post AG and is the fully-privatized successor to the federally-owned Deutsche Bundespost. EU regulation has drastically diluted the concept of "national" postal services anyway, which is how PostNL can operate mail services in Germany and Deutsche Post can in Britain, amongst others.

I've had packages and mail from DHL Express delivered by national postal companies in many countries, so it does happen, and they do interlink with the parent company.

XAM2175 wrote:

In any case, the UPU is co-ordinating body between nations and undertakes no logistical operations of its own. Items of mail sent from Germany to North Korea would be subject to UPU regulations and agreements, but they would have nothing to do with items outside normal postal service, which is most of DHL's business.

Of course the UPU doesn't ship anything, but the UPU does require that all signatories treat mail equally. The UPU agreements essentially force the North Korean postal service to handle whatever DHL sends their way. DHL Express just has to transfer the mail to DHL before sending it to North Korea.

LOWS wrote:

loisencroach wrote:

They have a ground network in North Korea and would assume they would have to operate some air service but I've never seen a photo of anything other than Air China/Air Koryo/VIP aircraft.

As in, DHL trucks are running around NK? Also, I assumed the UN sanctions on NK had basically shut down imports/exports?

Yes, one shows up almost every morning in the hotel I stayed in on my last visit.

YLWbased

You will see a DHL van crossing Kim Il Sung Square in this charming video of Pyongyang
https://youtu.be/CKRidQJQLrs

Does Amazon.kp offer same day delivery in Pyongyang?

SCQ83 wrote:

Does Amazon.kp offer same day delivery in Pyongyang?

Yes, for gender-neutral clothing only .