North Korea is set to reopen the city of Samjiyon, believed to be the birthplace of Kim Jong Il, to foreign tourists in December after nearly five years of COVID-triggered closures. Other cities like Pyongyang may also open up.
Tour operators offer unique travel experiences in North Korea, including visits to key monuments, the Pyongyang metro, and the Demilitarized Zone.
Visitors from other countries need to be accompanied by local guides while visiting North Korea, and join pre-approved tours, with limitations on activities, speech, clothing, and photography.
Tour companies Koryo Tours and KTG Tours have announced the reopening of limited international tourism by the end of 2024, with itinerary details to be finalized in the upcoming days and weeks.
Australia and the United States have travel advisories and bans in place for North Korea due to geopolitical tensions, limited consular services, and past detention cases involving foreigners. United States passports are not valid for travel to North Korea.
Samjiyon was a popular tourist destination for Chinese visitors before the pandemic, and North Korea may prioritize tourists from "friendly" nations like Russia and China, while keeping its borders mostly closed, with exceptions for small tour groups.
Kim Jong Un recently inspected construction sites in Samjiyon and visited a new beachside tourism site under development in Wonsan-Kalma, set to open in May 2025, hinting at the country's tourism revival plans.
China-based tour operators have announced plans for visitors to explore Samjiyon, known for its winter attractions and undergoing extensive redevelopment.
North Korea closed its doors to outsiders at the start of the pandemic in early 2020, leading to severe food shortages, and only recently allowed its own citizens to return after being locked out due to COVID border controls.
Sources: WSVN, SCNow, Robb Report, AseanNow, Evrim Ağacı, SBS, KWTX, Daily Pakistan
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
