North Korea Welcomes First Tourists Since COVID-19 Outbreak... 97 Russian Visitors Arrive

3 Nights 4 Days Schedule... Cost is 1 Million Won

North Korea has received foreign tourists for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 100 Russian tourists are expected to spend 3 nights and 4 days in Pyongyang and the Masikryong Ski Resort.

Young Ski Athlete from Russia's Primorsky Krai Participating in North Korea Group Tour
Photo by Yonhap News

AFP reported that Russian tourists on a group tour to North Korea arrived in Pyongyang on the 9th (local time). The tourists arrived in Pyongyang on JS-272, a flight operated by Air Koryo, North Korea's national airline. From the airport, they spent enjoyable moments smiling and taking photos at various locations. There are 97 Russian tourists in total. After staying one night in Pyongyang, they plan to visit Kim Il-sung Square, the Arch of Triumph, and the Juche Tower, then head to the Wonsan Masikryong Ski Resort. The tour lasts 3 nights and 4 days, with a cost of $750 per person (approximately 1 million KRW).

North Korea closed its borders in January 2020 to prevent COVID-19 spread and officially reopened them in August last year after 3 years and 7 months. This is the first time tourists have been welcomed again. Chinese tourists, who accounted for 90% of visitors to North Korea, are also expected to return soon.

This visit by Russian tourists to North Korea follows an agreement signed between the Primorsky Krai delegation and North Korean authorities as a follow-up to the summit held in September last year between North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Primorsky Krai government plans to open a passenger railway line to North Korea within this year to promote group tourism to North Korea. Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of Primorsky Krai, recently stated in a letter to the Russian Embassy in North Korea that "this group tour will be a starting point for the resumption of cooperation in the tourism sector between North Korea and Russia and the development of humanitarian relations."

As of 2019, the number of foreign tourists visiting North Korea reached 300,000, and the foreign currency earned through them is estimated to be between $90 million and $150 million.