NBC's Holt says he approached North Korea with eyes open

NEW YORK (AP) — NBC News anchor Lester Holt learned while going through customs in North Korea that his request to visit the heavily-fortified border with South Korea had been denied, and he was headed to a ski resort instead.

His schedule was not his own, and Holt is only the latest journalist to learn the price of peeking into one of the world's most restrictive societies. Holt's first trip to North Korea was timely, with international tensions high and NBC weeks away from broadcasting the Winter Olympics from South Korea. But Holt and NBC also faced criticism for presenting an air-brushed view of the dictatorship.

"I absolutely think the trip was worth it," the NBC "Nightly News" anchor said.