After nearly five years of sealing off its borders due to the global pandemic, North Korea is making moves to reopen its doors to foreign travelers. The reintroduction of tourism is set to begin gradually, with the city of Samjiyon being the first to welcome visitors, according to a report from BBC News on Thursday.
North Korea was the first nation to shut its borders back in January 2020 when the Covid-19 outbreak began to spread worldwide. Since then, the country has been notably slow in reversing these strict measures. However, signs of change have emerged. In August, Air Koryo, North Korea’s national airline, conducted its first commercial flight in three years, reconnecting Beijing and Pyongyang. Around the same time, the regime announced that North Korean citizens living abroad could return, provided they undergo a mandatory one-week quarantine upon their arrival.
Recently, tour operators based in China have started to unveil plans for restarting tourism to select areas of North Korea. Koryo Tours, based in Beijing, announced on its website that they had received confirmation from local partners that tourism to Samjiyon, and potentially other parts of North Korea, would officially resume in December 2024. “After waiting for over four years, Koryo Tours is thrilled to announce the reopening of North Korean tourism,” the company shared.
KTG Tours, another operator based in Shenyang, echoed this excitement with a post on its Facebook page, stating that while only Samjiyon has been officially confirmed, they expect Pyongyang and other locations to follow suit. For those eager to visit, itinerary details are anticipated to be released in the coming weeks.
Samjiyon, nestled in North Korea’s Ryanggang Province, is near the iconic Mount Paektu, the tallest peak on the Korean peninsula. The town is named after the three lakes in the region and is well-known for its Samjiyon Grand Monument. It also hosts an annual ice sculpture festival each winter, drawing attention for its scenic and cultural significance.
According to Koryo Tours, Samjiyon is one of North Korea’s most popular winter tourism destinations, largely due to its proximity to Mt. Paektu. The mountain holds deep symbolic importance across the Korean Peninsula, revered in North Korea as the birthplace of the revolution and the reputed birthplace of Kim Jong Il. In South Korea, it is considered the birthplace of the Korean people, making it a site of immense cultural and historical significance for both nations.
