North Korea allows the group of international passengers in the first period of years for years

Seoul, South Korea – A small group of foreign tourists visited North Korea in the past week, making them first international travelers to enter the country in five years except for the group Russian tourists Who went north last year.

The latest journey points to North Korea can be prepared for the full continuation of its international tourism to indicate foreign currency to revive its combat economy, experts say.

Peking-based tourist company He said he was arranging a five-day trip from 20. February to 24. February for 13 international tourists on the northeast north-character border town Rason, where there is a special economic zone of the country.

Koryo Tours General Manager Simon Cockerell said passengers from the United Kingdom, Canada, Greece, New Zealand, France, Germany, Austria, Australia and Italy crossed on the mainland from China. He said that in Rason visited factories, shops, schools and statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the late Grandpa and father’s current leader Kim Jong Un.

“From January 2020. year, the country was closed for all international tourists, and we are glad to finally find an opening in the Rason area, in the far north of North Korea,” Cockerell said.

“Our first tour was and left, and now more tourists on both groups and private visits come in editing excursions,” he added.

After pandemic She started, North Korea quickly banned tourists, took diplomats and hard restricted border traffic in one of the world-artistic limitations. But from 2022. Year, North Korea is slow Relief of the edge and reopen their limits.

In February 2024, North Korea accepted about 100 Russian tourists, the first foreign citizens to visit the land for sightseeing. It was surprised by many observers, who thought the first post-pandemic tourists would come from China, the largest trading partner in northern Korea and Major Allies.

A total of about 880 Russian tourists visited North Korea during 2024. year, the Ministry of United Republic of South Korea said, referring to official Russian data. Chinese group tours to North Korea remain stopped.

This signals how many northern Korea and Russia moved closer to each other as the north delivered weapon and troops in Russia to support their war against Ukraine. Links between North Korea and China Cooled as China showed reluctance to join the three-way, anti-us alliance with North Korea and Russia, experts say.

Before the pandemic, tourism was an easy, legitimate source for foreign currency for North Korea, one of the most amazing world countries due to its nuclear program.

North Korea is expected to open a Massive tourist place On the east coast in June. In January when President Donald Trump praised his relationships Kim Jong Un, He said “I think he has huge apartment capabilities. There are a lot of shores.” It probably refers to the place of the east coast.

The return of Chinese tourists would be crucial for the input tourism industry in North Korea, because they represented more than 90% of the total international tourists before the pandemic, said Lee Sangkeun, an expert in the Institute of National Security, and Think Tank leading to the south Korean Intelligence Agency. He said that in the past, up to 300,000 Chinese tourists visited North Korea annually.

“North Korea has greatly invested in tourist sites, but there weren’t much domestic demand,” Lee said. “We can assess that North Korea now wants to continue international tourism to bring in many tourists abroad.”

Restrictions that are north Korea usually imposed on foreign travelers – such as the requirements for which they move with local guides and prohibition photos in sensitive places – will probably hurt their efforts to the development of tourism. Lee said that Rason would, the place of the east coast and Pyongyang were places where North Korea feels easily monitored and controlled by foreign tourists.