North Korea Welcomes Tourists: A Glimpse of Reopening?

Seoul, January 12th – In an unprecedented move since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea is set to welcome its first known group of tourists since early 2020. This development emerges from a collaboration between North Korean and Russian authorities, marking a tentative step towards reopening the hermit kingdom to foreign visitors.

A travel agency based in Vladivostok, Russia, has announced a four-day itinerary commencing on February 9th, featuring visits to Pyongyang and a local ski resort. The tour's inception is linked to discussions held in Pyongyang this past December, involving the governor of Russia's Primorsky Krai region, which adjoins North Korea.

Despite maintaining one of the world's most stringent border regimes during the pandemic, North Korea's decision to admit this Russian tour group indicates a potential shift in its isolationist stance. Simon Cockerell, General Manager at Beijing's Koryo Tours, notes that while this singular event, under exceptional conditions, should not be seen as a harbinger of widespread reopening, it nonetheless represents a positive stride in resuming tourism.

This development follows a September summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, underscoring a deepening of economic and political ties. Interestingly, tourism to North Korea remains largely unimpeded by UN Security Council resolutions, which primarily target the nation's nuclear and missile programs.

Before the pandemic, 2019 witnessed a surge in Chinese tourism to North Korea, potentially generating significant revenue for the cash-strapped country. This upcoming tour, albeit modest in scale, could signal the beginning of a gradual revival of North Korea's tourism sector, a vital source of foreign currency.

As the world cautiously watches, this tour may serve as a litmus test for North Korea's readiness to reconnect with the global community, albeit in a controlled and limited manner.