North Korea to reopen to tourists

North Korea will reopen the country to tourists almost five years after it sealed its borders amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

North Korea will allow foreign visitors into the city of Samjiyon beginning in December. Tourism groups expect that Pyongyang will broaden the areas visitors can go in the future.

Nevertheless, the decision to reopen Samjiyon first is significant: The nearby Mount Paetku is tied to the origin story of the ruling Kim family, and the area was a popular destination for Chinese visitors coming across the two countries’ shared border. Tourism there provided the North with vital revenue amid international sanctions.

Earlier this year, a handful of Russian visitors were allowed into the country, a sign that Pyongyang may feel comfortable enough about its alliances with China and Russia to open itself up with courting them in mind.