North Korea decided to open its borders to foreign tourists in December after the borders were closed nearly five years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tourists will be able to visit the mountainous town of Samjiyon in northern North Korea, two China-based travel agencies confirmed.
On Wednesday, Shenyang-based KTG Tours wrote on its Facebook account: “So far, only Samjiyon has been officially confirmed, but we believe that Pyongyang and other places will also open.”
Beijing-based Koryo Tour agency has speculated that visitors may be allowed to tour other parts of the country in December this year.
The agency also reported BBC that North Korean authorities have allowed entry to people from all countries except South Korea.
However, the United States does not allow its citizens to visit North Korea due to political tensions between the two countries.
Samjiyon, whose residents can see North Korea's largest peak, Mount Paektu, which sits on the border between China and North Korea, has been undergoing redevelopment in recent years, according to BBC.
The country had only allowed the return of its citizens last year, who had been excluded due to border closures in 2020. In early 2024, North Korea had also invited Russian tourists amid friendly relations between the two countries.
