- The East Asian nation is one of the most secretive in the world
- Borders have been largely closed to tourists since 2020, after imposing strict COVID-19 rules during the pandemic
- Koryo Tours made the announcement on Wednesday (August 14)
While it may not be near the top of anybody’s dream vacation list, North Korea is going to allow tourists into the country from this December, after years of strict COVID-19 border controls.
Two Chinese tour operators made the announcement, with Beijing based Koryo Tours revealing on Wednesday that the usually reclusive East Asian state would be welcoming tourists to ‘socialist utopia’ Samjiyon – a city in the northeastern region of the country that has been billed as “a model of highly civilised mountain city” – and “likely the rest of the country” in December 2024.
Announcing the news on X, Koryo Tours shared the message, “Having waited for over four years to make this announcement, Koryo Tours is very excited for the opening of North Korean tourism once again.”
Shenyang based KTG Tours, who have been providing trips to North Korea for 30 years, also shared news that tourists would be allowed back into Samjiyon from December of this year. The totalitarian state, ran by Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, has long been shrouded in mystery, making it an intriguing country to visit for many curious tourists.
International flights in and out of North Korea only resumed last year, with a group of Russian tourists arriving in the country, seen as a move to bolster ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin also visited each other’s countries in 2023.
(h/t Al Jazeera)
