Independent travel is not allowed in N. Korea; it can only be in the form of a guided tour. Also citizens of U.S.A, Israel and S. Korea are generally not granted entry to this communist country dominated by the personality cult of the ruler Kim Jong Il. The sacred mountain of Paekdusan, North Korea’s highest mountain is a popular tourist site for natural beauty, as it has an extinct volcano with a vast crater lake at its center and also because it is allegedly the place where the 'Son of the Lord of Heaven' descended to earth and the first Korean kingdom began. The 'Truce Village' of Panmunjeom, the site where the Korean War ended will be fascinating for military historians and Cold War aficionados. Mount Myohyang, with its gorgeous hills, mountain trails and waterfalls is also a scenic tourist spot in North Korea.