N. Korea to Reopen Doors to Foreign Tourists

North Korea is set to welcome foreign tourists again this December after nearly five years of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to two travel companies that specialize in organizing trips to the isolated nation.

Beijing-based travel company, Koryo Tours, confirmed on its website that they have received confirmation from their local partner that tours to Samjiyon, and possibly other parts of the country, will officially resume in December 2024.

Samjiyon, a city near the mountainous border with China, is known as the gateway to Mount Paektu, the birthplace of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, according to official accounts.

North Korea's current leader, Kim Jong-un, has invested significant resources into developing the area, including the construction of hotels and a ski resort.

KTG Tours, another China-based travel company, announced on Facebook that tourists will be able to visit Samjiyon and the Mount Paektu region this winter.

They noted that while exact dates are yet to be confirmed, the reopening of Samjiyon is official, and they believe Pyongyang and other locations may also open to tourists soon.

North Korea had closed its borders in early 2020 as a preventive measure against the spread of COVID-19, even barring its citizens from re-entering the country for several years.

However, signs of reopening began to emerge in the second half of 2023, with the resumption of international flights allowing North Korean citizens stranded abroad to finally return home.

In February 2024, a group of Russian tourists visited North Korea amid growing ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Before the pandemic, tourism in North Korea was limited, with travel companies estimating that around 5,000 tourists visited the country annually.

Americans made up about 20% of this market until Washington imposed a travel ban to North Korea following the imprisonment and subsequent death of American student Otto Warmbier.

Koryo Tours cautioned that after nearly five years of inactivity, the initial stages of reopening may face some challenges.