It’s often known as the “Hermit Kingdom,” but now North Korea looks set to open its doors to the first known tourists since lockdown measures began in early 2020. A group of visitors from Russia are poised to depart on Feb. 9 for a four-day tour that will include stops in the capital, Pyongyang, as well as a ski resort, according to an online itinerary.
The trip is being arranged by an agency based in the Russian city Vladivostok, Reuters reported. It follows talks between the governor of Russia’s far eastern Primorsky Krai region and North Korean officials in Pyongyang, the regional government said in a post on Telegram.
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The general manager of a Beijing-based tour operator, which is not involved in the excursion, said his partners in North Korea have confirmed the Russian trip is proceeding under strict terms. Simon Cockerell told Reuters: “It is a good sign, but I would hesitate to say it necessarily will lead to a broader opening due to the special circumstances for this one trip. But given that no tourists have been for four-plus years, any tourism trip can be viewed as a positive step forward.”
In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to forge deeper links on military, economic and political fronts despite international sanctions. According to the news agency, tourism is largely unaffected by UN Security Council curbs intended to restrict business ties with North Korea over its nuclear weapons and missile programs.
In the year preceding the pandemic, Chinese tourists surged into North Korea — pumping an estimated $200 million into its cash-starved economy, the Seoul-based NK News estimated. Holidayers from China accounted for about 90 per cent of the international tourists to North Korea before the COVID pandemic.