In 2010, Ted O'Brien, who currently serves as the Opposition foreign affairs spokesperson for the Liberal Party, undertook a journey into North Korea. The trip, which began by traveling through northern China, allowed O'Brien to enter a nation that is notoriously secretive and difficult for Australians to visit.

While the report from SBS News highlights the rarity of the visit, it provides limited context regarding the specific purpose or the official nature of the trip. The narrative focuses on the experience of entering a restricted state, framing the journey as an unusual excursion into a region few outsiders have the opportunity to see. There is no mention of whether this was a private visit or part of a formal diplomatic or parliamentary delegation. The report does not detail the specific locations visited within North Korea or the duration of the stay, leaving the scope of the experience somewhat ambiguous. As it stands, the information serves primarily as a biographical note regarding O'Brien’s past international travel experiences rather than a comprehensive account of a policy-driven mission.