- By Shivangi Sharma
- Fri, 16 Aug 2024 07:20 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
After nearly 5 years of closing its borders to foreign tourists, North Korea has now announced plans to resume international tourism. Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based agency specialising in trips to North Korea, announced on Thursday that tourism to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will restart in December.
Initially, tours will be limited to the city of Samjiyon, though there is a possibility of expanding to other locations in the future, according to Koryo Tours. "Having waited for over 4 years to make this announcement, Koryo Tours is very excited about the opening of North Korean tourism once again," Koryo Tours stated in a press release.
The agency explained that Samjiyon was selected due to its recent development as a tourist destination. The city was previously visited in 2018 for the British documentary series "Michael Palin in North Korea."
North Korea, which isolated itself at the start of the pandemic in early 2020, began to relax its restrictions around mid-2023. The border closures led to shortages of essential goods and exacerbated food scarcity, worsened by international sanctions.
US And South Korean Citizens Remain Restricted from Traveling to North Korea
Koryo Tours informed the BBC that North Korean authorities are permitting tourists from all countries, except South Korea, to participate in the trips. US citizens are also prohibited from travelling to North Korea due to American restrictions.
The US State Department continues to declare all US passports invalid for travel to, from, or through North Korea unless special authorisation is given by the Secretary of State. Additionally, Americans face significant risks of arrest and prolonged detention in the country.
This restriction remains in place even after former President Donald Trump's landmark meeting with Kim Jong Un in 2019 at the Korean demilitarised zone.