North Korea vs South Korea Passport Comparison

North Korea and South Korea passports solve different travel problems, even when the headline comparison looks simple. The North Korean passport remains one of the harder passports to travel with in 2026, ranking 96th globally with access to 35 destinations. Asian passports vary widely, so the difference between a top-tier and lower-tier passport is especially visible here. The direction has not all been positive: it stood at 78th in 2006. Access has still improved, rising from 18 to 35 destinations. The supporting scores are modest too, at 0 globally and 0 for openness. This passport leans heavily on arrival-based access rather than pure visa-free entry: 27 destinations offer visa on arrival, including Ethiopia, Madagascar, and Armenia. There are also 9 visa-free destinations, such as Cook Islands, Dominica, and The Gambia. Before relying on any route, verify the current rule with the destination government or embassy because entry policies can move without much notice. The Korean passport is operating at the very top of the mobility table in 2026, ranking 2nd worldwide with access to 187 destinations. That is up from 11th place in 2006. The access count tells the bigger story, jumping from 115 to 187 destinations. The wider scoring backs that up: 85 for global strength and 85 for openness. The useful part is the visa-free base: 135 destinations, including Mexico, Albania, and Andorra. Visa on arrival adds another 40 options, with examples like Ethiopia, Madagascar, and Azerbaijan. Use this as planning data, not final permission to travel; official embassy or border-authority guidance should be checked before departure. Reading those profiles together gives better context than a one-line winner label, because passport strength depends on where you travel, how often rules change, and whether the passport creates practical friction at borders, airlines, or visa portals.