North Korea is set to reopen one city to foreign tourists in December, ending nearly five years of border closures due to the Covid pandemic.
Tour operators based in China have announced that tourists will soon be able to visit the mountainous northern city of Samjiyon.
North Korea closed its borders at the onset of the pandemic in early 2020 and began gradually easing restrictions only in mid-2023.
The closures had also halted imports of essential goods, exacerbating food shortages that were further compounded by international sanctions related to the country’s nuclear program.
“So far just Samjiyon has been officially confirmed but we think that Pyongyang and other places will open too!!!” Shenyang’s KTG Tours wrote on its Facebook page on Wednesday.
Beijing’s Koryo Tour said tourists could “potentially” visit other parts of North Korea in December.
“Having waited for over four years to make this announcement, Koryo Tours is very excited for the opening of North Korean tourism once again,” it said Wednesday on its website.
Samjiyon lies on the foot of North Korea’s tallest mountain Paektu, which straddles the China-North Korea border. It is known for its winter attractions.
Pyongyang’s propaganda says the mountain is where North Korea’s founder Kim Il Sung battled Japanese occupation forces and launched the revolution. He is the grandfather of current president Kim Jong Un.
It also claims Paektu is where the incumbent’s father, Kim Jong Il, was born.
Samjiyon has been undergoing major redevelopment in recent years, with Mr Kim revealing plans in July to rebuild its airport, convert a military ski base into a resort, and build new railways and hotels for foreign tourists, according to state media.
Mr Kim said plans to “revitalize international tourism” would be aimed at visitors from “friendly” nations.
KCNA reported at that time that the Mount Paektu-Samjiyon zone was envisioned to be a “four-season mountainous tourist area to meet the cultural and emotional needs of the people on the highest level and revitalize international tourism.”
Since early 2024, North Korea has permitted only Russian tourists to enter the country, reflecting the strengthening ties between North Korea and Russia.
According to Koryo Tours, a tour company that spoke to the BBC, North Korean authorities are now allowing tourists from all countries to join trips, with the exception of South Korea. However, U.S. citizens remain banned from traveling to North Korea.
It was not until August of the previous year that North Korea allowed its citizens, who had been stranded abroad due to border controls, to return—a move that marked one of the last steps in the country’s gradual reopening.
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