Seoul:
A tour operator said on Monday that the bookings had opened for travel to a North Korean border town to celebrate the birthday of former leader Kim Jong Il and to offer foreign tourists the first chance to visit since the pandemic.
Tour operators said in January that the North Rason, a city on the border with China, would reopen for foreign tourists, five years after Pyongyang sealed its limits in response to COVID-19.
Neither Noord -Korea nor China have commented on the plans.
Koryo Tours said that the tour would be in Rason in February “The first trip back to Noord -Korea since the borders in January 2020”.
“This tour takes you to the must-see sites in Rason, the special economic zone of North Korea. Plus, you will travel to North Korea to celebrate one of the biggest holidays, the birthday of Kim Jong Il, “wrote the travel agency established in Beijing on its website.
The birthdays of members of the ruling Kim -Dynasty are usually in the north with large -scale public festivals.
The birthday of the former ruler Kim Jong Il-Vader of the current leader Kim Jong Un-Is marked as Day of the Shining Star on February 16 and usually has large-scale public parties, including military parades.
The routes offered also include visiting North Korean factories, schools and a bank where tourists can open their own North Korean bank account.
Although the Tour is open to bookings, it is “not yet confirmed,” said Koryo, adding that it was “awaiting information from the Chinese authorities about the opening of the Chinese side of the border”.
The tours were planned to start in China, where guests were driven to the border with the nuclear arming north.
Another travel agency, Young Pioneer Tours, a travel agency, also announced Rason Tour packages in January.
North Korea closed its limits at the beginning of 2020 to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus and later strengthened the defense along the northern border with China to take care of his own subjects again to go back in the country illegally.
Pyongyang has since opened the border for some trade and official delegations, and North Korea allowed Russian tourists to enter the country for the first time since the pandemic.
Chinese tourists – who made most of foreign visitors to Noord -Korea before the pandemic – have not returned to the country, with experts who speculate that it can be linked to the growing displeasure of Beijing about Pyongyang who strengthen the ties with Moscow .
The north has sent weapons and ammunition, plus thousands of soliders to help Russia fight Ukraine, Seoul, Washington and Kiev.
(This story was not edited by Our staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
