China-based Koryo Tours, a travel agency specializing in North Korean tourism, has begun accepting reservations for Rason (Rajin-Sonbong) tours scheduled between February and April, signaling a potential increase in Chinese tourism to North Korea.
According to Koryo Tours’ website on January 16, the first tour is set to depart on February 12, coinciding with North Korea’s major holiday, Kim Jong-il’s birthday (February 16).
The “Rason Kim Jong-il Birthday Tour” departs from Yanji, China, and includes a visit to Rason’s economic zone factories, Rason Student Palace, a taekwondo demonstration, local markets, Golden Triangle Bank, coastal parks, and Pipha Island.
The six-day tour (four nights in Rason, two nights in Yanji) costs at least €705 (approximately $1,200 USD) per person. Additionally, three more Rason tours are scheduled for both March and April, with reservations now open.
Koryo Tours noted that while it aims to launch its first tour on February 12, the schedule is not yet confirmed.
“We are awaiting information from Chinese authorities on the border reopening. We will provide updates as soon as it is confirmed,” the agency stated.
Another China-based North Korean tour operator, Young Pioneer Tours, is also selling a Rason tour scheduled for March 2-6, suggesting that North Korean tourism for Chinese visitors may be resuming.
Currently, North Korea has only allowed Russian group tours since reopening its borders following COVID-19 restrictions.
With the anticipated June opening of Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, a major tourism project under development for over a decade, North Korea is expected to actively recruit foreign tourists in the coming months.
BY JAEHONG JUNG, YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
