The Samjiyon Grand Monument in North Korea. Photography: Laika ac from USA CC By SA.20
North Korea has always been difficult for foreigners to visit, but when the pandemic struck almost five years ago, the country shut its borders entirely. Now, those restrictions are being rolled back as the country prepares to reopen for tourism.
North Korea was the first country to shut its international borders and adopt lockdown measures but in December 2024, its government will finally allow international tourists to visit the country for the first time since January 2020, specifically its northeastern city of Samjiyon.
Beijing-based tour operator Koryo Tours revealed the news on its website: ‘We have received confirmation from our local partner that tourism to Samjiyon and likely the rest of the country will officially resume in December 2024,’ adding that it would confirm itineraries and dates in the coming weeks.
North Korean citizens were permitted to return to the country from August 2023 (with the proviso that they complete one week of quarantine upon arrival). Vladimir Putin and a group of Russian tourists were allowed to visit earlier this year. Otherwise, the borders have been completely shut to outsiders.
Whether Western tourists should visit remains questionable, however. The US and UK governments warn against ‘all but essential travel to North Korea’. The Department of State must specially authorise any visit by a US citizen, while the UK’s FCDO advises that ‘The security situation can change quickly with no advance warning about possible actions by the authorities. This poses significant risks to British visitors and residents.’
Foreign tourists who travel there usually do so through organised tours that control where visitors can go and what they see, with much off-limits.
Samjiyon is very close to the Chinese border and is described as a ‘socialist utopia’ by North Korean state media, which also claims it as both the birthplace of Kim Jong Il and the place where North Korea’s founder Kim Il-sung fought Japanese occupation forces and launched the revolution. Its touted as ‘a model of a highly-civilized mountain city’ with new apartments, hotels, a ski resort, and commercial, cultural, and medical facilities in the shadow of Mt Paektu. However, the Telegraph reports that the Samjiyon redevelopment is not yet fully completed.
It’s not the only tourism project in the works, however. On the country’s east coast, near Wonsan-Kalma International Airport, a new 10,000-room resort is scheduled to be completed in May.
