North Korea has reportedly reopened its border town of Rason to foreign tourists after five years. Referring to reports from two travel agencies, the AFP agency reported on this on Thursday, writes TASR.
Pyongyang closed its borders in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the DPRK later strengthened defenses along its northern border with China to deter its own citizens from illegally returning to North Korea. Since the pandemic, the DPRK has reopened its borders for selected business and official delegations, and last year it also allowed Russian tourists to enter – the first ever foreign visitors since the pandemic.
On Thursday, two tour operators – one with links in China and the other based in Spain – said they had received notification that foreign travelers could now visit the northeastern North Korean city of Rason.
Before the pandemic, about 5,000 Western tourists visited the DPRK annually. At that time, the vast majority of foreign visitors were Chinese. Many Americans also ventured to travel to the DPRK. After the imprisonment and subsequent death of American student Otto Warmbier in 2017, Washington banned US citizens from traveling to the DPRK.
People from South Korea, with whom Pyongyang is technically still at war, are also prohibited from visiting the DPRK without official permission from South Korean authorities. Most travelers enter the DPRK by air or train from China. For the diplomatically isolated North Korean government, which is subject to UN sanctions, China is a key ally and source of economic support.
