North Korea Opens Borders For Tourists After Nearly 4 Years, Welcoming Russian Visitors Amid Geopolitical Tensions

The Russian government has given the green light to its citizens to be the first foreign tourists to visit North Korea since the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020.

What Happened: The tourists, who are scheduled to embark on a four-day trip starting on Feb. 9, will visit Pyongyang and a ski resort, Reuters reported on Thursday. This development marks a significant step for North Korea, which had implemented some of the world’s strictest border controls in response to the pandemic.

“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,” Simon Cockerell, the general manager at Beijing-based Koryo Tours, remarked.

“But given that no tourists have been for four-plus years, any tourism trip can be viewed as a positive step forward.”

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Why It Matters: The move to open the doors to foreign tourists comes in the wake of North Korea’s reported missile trade with Russia. North Korea is said to be trading its latest nuclear-capable missiles to Russia, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expected to receive substantial compensation from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It was reported that South Korea’s intelligence agency had issued an alert about Kim Jong Un’s plans to disrupt the forthcoming U.S. and South Korean elections with North Korean military and cyber attacks. The release of these tourists might be a strategic move in this regard.

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