Foreign tourists welcomed back to North Korean city of Rason

north korea - North Korea reopens the city of Rason, a port city in the northwest of the country, for foreign tourists after five years of border closure due to the pandemic.

North Korea has reopened Rason, a port city in the northwest of the country, to foreign tourists, according to various travel agencies on Thursday. This comes five years after the strict isolationist communist dictatorship closed its borders during the pandemic.

In early 2020, Kim Jong-un's regime completely sealed the country to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Pyongyang also strengthened its military in the north along the border with China to discourage North Koreans from illegally returning to the country. Since then, trade with China, one of the few allies, has gradually resumed. Last year, North Korea allowed tourists from Russia, another ally, to travel to the 'communist paradise'.

Two tour operators active in China and another based in Spain announced on Thursday that they had been informed that foreign tourists are once again allowed to enter Rason. The city on the Sea of Japan is located near the Russian and Chinese borders. The special economic zone of Rason is "open from today," writes Young Pioneer Tours on its website. According to the company, they received information that Chinese travelers will be allowed immediately, as well as all other foreign travelers.

Tourism in North Korea was already limited before the pandemic. Most tourists came from China, with only about 5000 Western travelers annually, according to travel agencies.

The rest of North Korea, however, remains closed to tourists, clarified Koryo Tours from Beijing in a press release. The company stated that they have not received further details about traveling to Rason.

In August 2024, the reopening for tourists of the northeastern city of Samjiyon was announced, but those plans have yet to materialize.