According to a post from Russian provincial authorities and a Western tour guide, a group from Russia is set to become the first known tourists allowed into North Korea since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic border lockdowns in early 2020.
North Korea implemented some of the strictest border controls globally during the spread of COVID-19, and has not fully reopened to foreigners.
The trip, arranged by a Vladivostok-based agency, was organized when the governor of Russia’s far eastern region of Primorsky Krai, bordering North Korea, visited Pyongyang for discussions in December, as stated by the regional government in a post on Telegram this week.
An online itinerary details that the four-day tour, which will commence on Feb. 9, will include stops in Pyongyang and a ski resort.
Simon Cockerell, the general manager at Beijing-based Koryo Tours, confirmed that the Russian visit is proceeding under special circumstances but added that it should not be assumed to lead to a wider opening due to the unique circumstances surrounding this particular trip. He stated, “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 a September summit in eastern Russia, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to deepen cooperation on economic, political, and military fronts despite international sanctions.
U.N. Security Council resolutions restricting business with North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs have had little effect on tourism.
Before the pandemic, North Korea experienced an influx of Chinese tourists, estimated by Seoul-based NK News to have provided the cash-strapped country with up to $175 million in additional revenue in 2019.
(Reporting by Josh Smith. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
