Russia "Pursuing North Korea-Citizen Mutual Travel Agreement"... Possibility of Visa Relaxation

Russian Official "Draft Agreement Being Prepared"

Russia is promoting a mutual agreement on travel to allow free movement of ordinary people between Russia and North Korea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News

On the 26th (local time), Alexey Klimov, Head of the Consular Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in an interview with RIA Novosti regarding the possibility of easing visa regulations between North Korea and Russia, "We are currently drafting an agreement on mutual travel for citizens." He added, "North Korea is included in the list of countries whose citizens can visit Russia with an electronic visa."

Klimov emphasized, "We consider cooperation with North Korea, including in the consular field, to be very important." RIA Novosti explained that the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website posts a mutual travel agreement signed between Russia and North Korea in 1997, and that this agreement is still valid.

According to Russian travel information sites for North Korea, currently, Russians wishing to tour North Korea must obtain an entry visa through a travel agency authorized by North Korea. Russia and North Korea have been strengthening cooperation in various fields following the North Korea-Russia summits in September last year and June this year. While military closeness, such as the deployment of North Korean troops, is accelerating, this travel cooperation initiative appears to aim at revitalizing civilian exchanges as well.

Meanwhile, Russia has continued North Korean travel for Russian tourists since early this year, and on the 16th, passenger train service between North Korea's Tumangang Station and Russia's Hassan Station was resumed.