Russians set to be first known tourists allowed in North Korea since 2020

A report from Russian provincial officials and a Western tour guide indicates that a party of Russian tourists is expected to be the first known visitors let into North Korea since anti-pandemic border lockdowns started in early 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea implemented the of the tightest border controls in the world, and it hasn’t opened up to outsiders completely yet. The governor of Russia’s far eastern Primorsky Krai region, which borders North Korea, visited Pyongyang for discussions in December, which arranged the trip, which was promoted by a Vladivostok-based agency, the regional administration stated in a message on Telegram this week. An online schedule states that the four-day excursion would leave on February 9 and stop in Pyongyang and a ski resort. Simon Cockerell, general manager at Beijing-based Koryo Tours, which is not involved in the trip, told Reuters that his partners in North Korea had confirmed the Russian visit is going ahead under special circumstances. “It is a good sign, but I would hesitate to say it necessarily will lead to a broader opening due to the special circumstances for this one trip,” he said. “But given that no tourists have been for four-plus years, any tourism trip can be viewed as a positive step forward.” North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for a summit in eastern Russia in September, where they pledged deepening cooperation on economic, political, and military fronts despite international sanctions. Tourism is largely unaffected by U.N. Security Council resolutions that restrict business with North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. The year before the pandemic began, North Korea saw a surge of Chinese tourists who may have provided the cash-strapped country with up to $175 million in extra revenue in 2019, according to an estimate by Seoul-based NK News.