North Korea Opens Rason for Foreign Visitors After Five Years Sparking a New Era of Tourism Revival

Image generated with Ai

North Korea reopens Rason to foreign tourists after five years, marking a major step in tourism revival following its strict pandemic border closure in 2020.

Tour operators announced on Thursday that North Korea has reopened access to a northeastern border city for international tourists, marking the first such move in five years. Pyongyang initially closed its borders in early 2020 as a response to the Covid-19 outbreak and later strengthened its northern border with China to prevent unauthorized re-entry by its citizens.

While North Korea has gradually allowed some trade activities and official delegations across its borders, last year saw the return of Russian tourists as the first foreign visitors since the pandemic. Now, tour companies in China and Spain have confirmed that foreign travelers can visit Rason, a northeastern city that shares borders with China and Russia.

Travel agency Young Pioneer Tours announced on its website that Rason, a designated special economic zone (SEZ), reopened to tourists “effective immediately.” This region, established in 1991 as North Korea’s first SEZ, has been a testing ground for economic reforms and features the country’s first legal marketplace. It operates under a separate visa regime from the rest of the nation.

Before the pandemic, international tourism to North Korea was already limited, with approximately 5,000 Western visitors annually, according to tour operators. Most travelers entered through China, either by train or plane. However, other parts of North Korea remain closed to tourists, according to Beijing-based Koryo Tours.

North Korea’s tourism sector has historically relied heavily on visitors from China, its most significant ally and economic partner. While some Americans traveled to the country before 2017, Washington’s travel ban, following the detention and death of student Otto Warmbier, effectively halted U.S. tourism. Meanwhile, South Koreans remain prohibited from entering without special government authorization due to the ongoing technical state of war between the two nations.

Although reports last August hinted at the potential reopening of tourism in the northeastern city of Samjiyon, no further progress has been made in that area. For now, Rason stands as the latest development in North Korea’s gradual post-pandemic reopening efforts.