North Korea is opening its borders to tourists for the first time since the pandemic.
The country closed its borders in January 2020. However, a limited number of tour operators are now welcomed into the country's Layson economic zone.
Founded in 1991 to attract foreign investment, Leyson was less popular than the capital Pyongyang, which remains closed to everyone except Russian tourists.
Among the first is Australian tour manager Rowan Beard. He told the Strait Times that his arrival at border control met with surprise and excitement.
“In the beginning, the North Korean immigration officer was like, 'Are you Russian?' And I replied, “No, I'm Australian,” and handed him my passport,” said Beard, a young Pioneer Tour. The officer immediately warned his colleagues and he gathered to check his passport.
Beard is part of a small group of tour operators invited to visit Rason before reopening to all tourists on February 20th.
His company, along with a Corio tour from Beijing, hosts its first trip to North Korea, leading a group of around 15 visitors each.
The tour includes visits to local breweries, foreign language schools, Taekwondo Academy, and places where the borders of North Korea, China and Russia intersect.
However, there are some limitations remaining. Local markets are closed to tourists and there are strict masking and temperature check procedures in various locations.
Before the pandemic, Chinese visitors made up about 90% of all foreign arrivals.
Other visitors come from Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. Koreans are still prohibited from entering the country.
Beard said the demand for the first tour was overwhelming. “In the first five minutes, our inbox started to be destroyed with all the enquiries coming in,” he said.
“We were being 'attacked' from all angles, from people who wanted more details, from people who wanted to book and be one of the first people back. ”
Dr. Yi Ji Sang, a researcher at the South Korean Institute of Unification, said the reopening of North Korea is part of an effort to reconstruct the international image.
“Tourist return will help rebuild North Korea's reputation and allow them to move from a “dangerous country” in the eyes of the international community to potentially “safe” destinations,” she said. said.
