North Korea Reopens Borders for Foreigners After 5 Years

North Korea is set to reopen to foreign tourists in December 2024, following nearly five years of COVID-19-related border closures, according to two specialized tour operators.

Beijing-based Koryo Tours announced on its website that it has received confirmation from its local partner that tourism to Samjiyon and potentially other parts of North Korea will officially resume in December 2024. Samjiyon, located near North Korea’s northern border with China, is a gateway city and home to Mount Paektu, where official narratives claim the late supreme leader Kim Jong Il was born.

KTG Tours, another China-based tour operator, also shared on its Facebook page that tourists will be able to visit the Samjiyon (Mount Paektu) area this winter, with exact dates yet to be confirmed. The company expressed optimism that Pyongyang and other destinations may also become accessible to tourists.

North Korea had sealed its borders in early 2020 to protect against the COVID-19 pandemic, even barring its citizens from returning for several years. However, signs of reopening began in the latter half of 2023, with the resumption of international flights allowing stranded North Koreans to return home.

Before the pandemic, tourism to North Korea was limited, with an estimated 5,000 Western tourists visiting each year. Koryo Tours cautioned that the initial phase of reopening might face challenges after nearly five years of closure.