North Korea Reopens for Limited International Tourism to Celebrate Kim Jong Il's Birthday

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta -  is set to welcome back international tourists, excluding those from China and Russia, after a five-year closure due to the pandemic. The country will permit foreign tour companies to bring tourists to the northeastern city of Rason, coinciding with the birthday of the late leader Kim Jong Il, father of current leader .

This marks the first time North Korea has opened its borders to international tourism since January 2020. Tourists will be invited to Rason and have the opportunity to pay their respects to Kim Jong Il.

Rason is not known for its scenic beauty. Tourist attractions in the city include a food processing plant producing snacks and drinks and a sea cucumber farm.

Celebrating "Shining Star Day"

The tours will begin on February 16, Kim Jong Il's birthday, known in North Korea as "Shining Star Day". This day is often marked by parades and other commemorative events. A tour agency Koryo Tours is advertising a four-night "Kim Jong Il birthday tour" for €705 (approximately US$800), including two additional nights in China. Another tour agency Young Pioneer Tours offers a similar, shorter itinerary for €645 (about US$800).

"We'll visit factories, see a taekwondo demonstration at the Rason Taekwondo School, and stop at the Golden Triangle Bank to learn about Rason’s unique economic system," Koryo Tours states on its website. "Here, you can even open your own North Korean bank account.”

However, Koryo Tours also notes that the tour is not yet confirmed and depends on receiving permission for overland travel from Chinese authorities.

Tourism in North Korea

North Korea strictly controls its tourism industry. Independent travel is not permitted; all groups must be accompanied by a government-appointed chaperone. Travel arrangements can only be made through a select number of government-approved agencies.

in North Korea is often considered as risky. In 2016, an American student, Otto Warmbier, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for stealing a propaganda banner. He returned to the United States in a coma with brain damage and died 15 months later. His family and the then and now U.S. President Donald Trump claimed he had been tortured, while North Korean authorities attributed his health problems to treatment for botulism.

Prior to this announcement, North Korea allowed a group of Russian tourists to visit Pyongyang in February 2024. Their itinerary included visits to monuments such as the Tower of Juche Idea, which is named after North Korea’s guiding philosophy of “juche” or self-reliance, and a trip to the Masik Pass, the country’s most modern ski resort.

North Korea has also been developing a coastal resort in Wonsan. The project, begun in 2018, has faced significant delays. Originally scheduled to open in early 2019, its completion was postponed and largely abandoned due to the pandemic.

MIRROR | REUTERS

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