Had Opened, Tour To North Korea Through China Suspended
JAKARTA - A tour to North Korea via China, which was reopened at the end of February after a five-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was suspended, several tour agents said on Wednesday.
North Korea has received some international tourists, although their destination is limited to Rason City in the northeast, which hosts a special economic zone.
Beijing-based Koryo Tours said in a post on Facebook social media, "There is news that Rason's border may be temporarily closed to tourism. We are currently trying to confirm and understand the situation," Kyodo News said March 7.
"Just received news from our Korean partner that Rason is closed to everyone. We will continue to inform you," said China-based KTG Tours, which specializes in North Korea's tour, on Wednesday on Facebook, quoted from the BBC.
Those planning tours in April and May should refrain from booking plane tickets "until we have more information", Young Pioneer Tours said, also on Facebook.
The development comes after a German tourist visiting Rason in late February told Western media he was surprised tour guides did not try to hide poverty in the country.
Previously, the first Western tourists began arriving in Rason, the city designated by North Korea as a special economic zone, to pilot a new financial policy on February 20.
North Korea closed its borders in early 2020 due to the pandemic. However, by early 2024 they had received a small number of Russian tour groups.
Prior to the public health crisis, Chinese citizens were the largest number of foreign tourists visiting the country.
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Koryo Tours has toured Rason where participants visit tourist attractions, schools, factories and banks, according to its website.
However, they have separately begun accepting registration for Pyongyang International Marathon, which is scheduled to be held on April 6 for the first time in six years.
North Korea received around 350,000 foreign tourists in 2019, 90 percent of whom were Chinese, according to media reports.