The Secret North Korea Stopover: Following the world's migratory shorebirds

May 28, 2018

A small group of New Zealanders has been slipping in and out of North Korea for almost a decade, as part of an unlikely collaboration that could end up saving the world’s migratory shore birds.

The world's migratory shore birds are getting unique support from a New Zealand group working in an unlikely place - North Korea.

The secretive state is considered by many to be the world's most repressive regime due to its nuclear weapons programme, famines and human rights abuses under the cult-like leadership of the Kim family.

But for almost a decade the small group of New Zealanders has been quietly slipping in and out of the country, building ties that are the envy of diplomats.

Their work has gone largely unnoticed until now.

This year TVNZ's Sunday programme was granted extraordinary access to North Korea, to parts of the country no foreigner has ever been, and to witness an unlikely collaboration that could end up saving the worlds migratory shore birds. Watch the full story above.

* Sunday travelled to North Korea with the assistance of the Asia NZ Foundation.

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