North Korea is set to partially resume international tourism this year after a hiatus of nearly half a decade, according to tourism operators.
Beijing-based travel agency Koryo Tours, which specializes in North Korea tourism, announced Thursday that tourism to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) will resume in December this year.
Koryo Tours said the tours will be limited to the North Korean city of Samjiyon but the reopening may extend to other locations.
A general view of the northern city of Samjiyon, North Korea, Sept. 13, 2019, is shown in this photo taken on Sept. 13, 2019. (Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images)
“After waiting more than four years to announce this, Koryo Tours is very happy to open tourism in North Korea again,” the agency said in a press release.
The agency said that Samjiyon was chosen because of its recent development as a tourist destination, as it had previously visited it in 2018 while filming the British documentary series “Michael Palin in North Korea.”
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Koryo Tours said its partners in North Korea told the agency that the tour schedule and date would be announced in the coming weeks.
“Once the dates and flight routes are finalised, they will be available for booking on our website,” the company said.
In this photo released by Russia’s Sputnik news agency, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (second from right) listens to Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) during their meeting in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. Putin enjoyed a red carpet welcome, a military ceremony and a hug from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a state visit to Pyongyang where both pledged to forge closer ties. (Photo by Kristina Kormilitsyna/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The hermit kingdom closed its borders at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, barring nearly all foreigners from entering the country for non-essential business, travel or diplomatic relations. It only began partially reopening its borders last year.
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The country has struggled to fully open itself up since the pandemic began, when the regime was unable to provide the resources and infrastructure needed to effectively combat the outbreak within its borders.
Timothy H.J. Nerozzi of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
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