North Korea is set to resume international tourism in its northeastern city of Samjiyon starting December 2024, marking the end of a lengthy COVID-19 induced closure. This announcement comes as part of the country’s broader effort to revive tourism after a prolonged hiatus that began in early 2020. Tour companies, including the long-standing Koryo Tours, are preparing to extend their services beyond Samjiyon, signaling a renewed interest in North Korean travel.
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- North Korea will restart international tourism in December 2024.
- The reopening will initially focus on the city of Samjiyon in northeastern North Korea.
- The country has been largely closed to foreign visitors since early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Koryo Tours, a company with over 30 years of experience in North Korean tourism, announced the news after a four-year hiatus.
- Samjiyon, located near the Chinese border, is touted as a showcase of North Korea’s “socialist utopia.”
- The city features new apartments, hotels, a ski resort, and various cultural and commercial facilities.
- International flights to and from North Korea resumed in early 2023.
- In February 2023, a small group of Russian tourists visited North Korea, reflecting strengthened ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.
- Kim Jong Un had a rare trip to Russia in September 2022, and Putin visited North Korea in June 2023.
- In July 2023, Kim Jong Un addressed management issues related to the Samjiyon project, aiming to promote the city as a model of advanced civilization.
