Foreign visitors set to return to Rason Special Economic Zone this week as Pyongyang cautiously reopens borders
North Korea has reopened to foreign tourists for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, starting with the Rason Special Economic Zone. Tour operators such as Young Pioneer Tours and Koryo Tours are leading small groups, with itineraries including visits to a brewery, a foreign language school, and the tri-border area with China and Russia. The country is cautiously reopening, with restrictions like market closures due to lingering COVID concerns. Guides express a mix of excitement and apprehension. North Korea has subtly shifted its language, referring to South Korea as the "Republic of Korea" and altering map depictions of the peninsula. While tourism isn't a major economic driver, it aims to enhance North Korea's international image. US citizens remain banned, though some Western tourists are finding ways to visit.
