Amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, reports indicate that North Korea’s planned resumption of tourism for foreign visitors, initially expected in December, has been postponed until next year. Diplomatic missions from Western countries are also facing delays in returning to Pyongyang.
Michael Dallas, Vice President of the Sweden-based North Korea travel agency Korea Konsult, told Radio Free Asia (RFA) on October 16, “One of our representatives recently visited North Korea, and based on the latest information, it appears that tourism will not resume this winter. It has been pushed back to 2025.”
Dallas noted, however, that there was no specific explanation provided for the delay or an exact date for the tourism resumption.
Earlier in August, North Korean tourism agencies such as Koryo Tours had announced that they had received confirmation from local partners that foreign tourists would be allowed to visit North Korea’s Samjiyon region starting in December.
The news of North Korea’s reopening to foreign tourists for the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19 had garnered significant attention at the time.
Since early this year, North Korea has only permitted tourism for Russian citizens.
Even if North Korea opens its borders to foreign tourists, most countries still maintain travel bans for their citizens. On September 24, the Canadian government renewed its advisory warning against all travel to North Korea, citing security concerns related to the regime’s nuclear weapons program and its highly repressive government.
“Avoid all travel to North Korea due to the uncertain security situation caused by its nuclear weapons development program and highly repressive regime” the advisory read.
The UK government issued a similar travel warning on September 20, advising against travel to North Korea. “The level of tension on the Korean Peninsula remains high,” the advisory said.
“While daily life in the capital city, Pyongyang, may appear calm, the security situation in North Korea can change quickly with no advance warning about possible actions by the authorities.”
The advisory also mentioned that although North Korea has recently eased some COVID-19 restrictions and certain embassies have resumed operations, the regime has not yet fully reopened its borders to international travel.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Foreign Office told RFA it had no information regarding the return of its diplomats to North Korea.
Last month, Sweden became the first Western country to send diplomats back to its embassy in Pyongyang, following a four-year absence due to North Korea’s COVID-19 border closure in 2020.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
