North Korea set to reopen borders to foreign tourists
Al JazeeraAUG 22 2024
North Korea to Partially Reopen to Tourists After 5 Years
Above: Air Koryo plane in Sunan international airport, Pyongan Province, Pyongyang, North Korea on September 6, 2012. Image copyright: Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Contributor/Corbis News via Getty Images
The Facts
After nearly five years of border closures due to the COVID pandemic, North Korea will gradually resume tourism. Foreign tourists will have the opportunity to visit Samjiyon in December, as reported by two China-based travel companies on Wednesday.
Following stalled imports and worsening food shortages due to both border closures and international sanctions, North Korea’s restrictions started to ease up in the middle of last year.
China-based KTG Tours announced online that there's no plan yet regarding when the rest of North Korea, including Pyongyang, will open up. The company, however, said it expects it would happen "soon."
The Spin
Pro-North Korea narrative
Although no official statement has confirmed a full reopening plan, this news is consistent with Pyongyang's aspirations. The North took an appropriately cautious approach to manage the pandemic but is now ready to relaunch international tourism. Kim Jong Un has also outlined plans to reconstruct the airport, turn a military ski base into a ski resort, and build railways, hotels, and other amenities — ambitions that could see the nation become a top tourist destination.
Anti-North Korea Narrative
Any news from North Korea should be approached with caution. In reality, its goal of reinvigorating the tourism industry by December is likely too lofty to achieve in a few months, and it's unlikely that Samjiyon is ready to welcome tourists in any larger numbers. What will probably happen is a resumption of the status quo, which is a few groups of Chinese and Russian visitors.