Anna Fifield is the Financial Times’ bureau chief in Seoul. She will be in North Korea for the next two weeks and will write an online journal available only on FT.com about her visit to and life in the isolated hermit state. This is the second entry of her online journal. Go to www.ft.com/pyongyangdiary for future entries.

Aspiring stars who missed out on selection for the hit shows Big Brother or Pop Idol should consider a journalistic jaunt to Pyongyang. Sure, the place is short on gossip magazines and red carpet events, but if it’s short-term face recognition and star treatment you’re seeking, look no further.