Pyongyang: North Korea will re-open its borders for international tourism to its northeastern city of Samjiyon in December and possibly the rest of the country, according to tour companies, after years of strict border controls in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Pyongyang allowed a small group of Russian tourists in February, it has not fully opened to international tourists since 2020.
"We have received confirmation from our local partner that tourism to Samjiyon and likely the rest of the country will officially resume in December 2024," the Beijing-based Koryo Tours said on its website. Some international flights in and out of North Korea resumed last year and top leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin have been visiting the country.
"Having waited for over four years to make this announcement, Koryo Tours is very excited for the opening of North Korean tourism once again," the firm said, adding its local partner would confirm itineraries and dates in the coming weeks.
Koryo Tours told the BBC that the North Korean authorities were allowing tourists from any country to join the trips, apart from South Korea. However, the US bans its citizens from travelling to North Korea. Samjiyon lies on the foot of North Korea's tallest mountain Paektu, which straddles the China-North Korea border, and is known for its winter attractions.
North Korea has been building what it called a "socialist utopia" in Samjiyon, a city near the Chinese border, and "a model of highly civilised mountain city" with new apartments, hotels, a ski resort and commercial, cultural and medical facilities. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in July sacked or demoted some senior officials for their "irresponsible" handling of his flagship Samjiyon project.
North Korea allows Russian tourists
Pyongyang opened its border for the first time in February since the COVID-19 pandemic to welcome a group of Russian tourists going on a ski trip, underscoring deepening cooperation between the two long-time US foes. The move also follows a high-level meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September.
Pyongyang's decision to let Russian tourists be the first international tourists to visit the country in three years came as a surprise as observers predicted that the first post-pandemic tourists would come from China, North Korea's biggest ally. The tourists came from Russia's far eastern region of Primorye to the North Korean capital.
North Korea has been slowly easing pandemic-era curbs and opening its international borders as part of its efforts to revive its economy devastated by the lockdown and persistent US sanctions. “For North Korea, tourism is the easiest way to earn foreign currency under the international sanctions regime,” said Koh Yu-hwan, former president of Seoul's Korea Institute for National Unification.
The border closures in 2020 cut off imports of essential goods, leading to food shortages that were made worse by international sanctions because of the country's nuclear programme. It was only in August last year that North Korea allowed the return of citizens who were locked out because of border controls, one of the last few countries to do so.
(with Reuters inputs)
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