North Korea Suspends Tourism Just Weeks After Welcoming First Western Tourists in Five Years
North Korea has halted all tourist visits just weeks after allowing the first Western tourists into the country for the first time in five years.
The country closed its borders at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 and began gradually easing restrictions in mid-2023. It initially opened up to Russian visitors in 2024, but it wasn’t until February 2024 that Western tourists were allowed into Rason, a remote city in the east of the country.
However, several tour operators now report that trips to North Korea have been suspended indefinitely. Pyongyang has not provided any explanation for the sudden stop.
KTG Tours, a China-based travel company specializing in North Korea, announced on Facebook: "Just received news from our Korean partners that Rason is closed to everyone. We will keep you posted." Other tour agencies, including Young Pioneer Tours and Koryo Tours, have also confirmed the suspension.
Young Pioneer Tours advised customers planning to travel in April and May to refrain from booking flights "until we have more information," according to a Facebook post.
In February, the first Western tourists visited Rason, a city designated as a special economic zone, to explore new financial policies. Tour operators told the BBC that the visitors faced even stricter limitations than pre-pandemic trips, with fewer chances to explore the city and interact with locals. Access to phone signals and the internet was also unavailable in the isolated nation.
One tour leader suggested that Rason was chosen for tourism because it is relatively small and easy to control.
Earlier this week, Koryo Tours had begun accepting international applications for the Pyongyang Marathon, set for April 6, but it remains unclear whether these applications will be processed due to the current tourism suspension.
In 2019, North Korea hosted approximately 350,000 foreign visitors, 90% of whom were from China.
