North Korea has reopened its borders to foreign tourists for the first time since January 2020, following the closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The re-opening began on 20 February 2025 with the resumption of limited tours to the Rason Special Economic Zone, which was established in 1991 to attract foreign investment. The move signals a cautious step towards reviving the country’s tourism sector, which has been largely sealed off during the pandemic.

Among the first groups to visit were operators from Young Pioneer Tours and Koryo Tours, who have started conducting tours for small groups of around 15 visitors. The itineraries for these early trips include stops at a local brewery, a foreign language school, a taekwondo academy and the border area where North Korea, China and Russia meet.

Demand for these first tours has been overwhelming. Rowan Beard, a tour manager from Young Pioneer Tours, shared with The Straits Times that inquiries flooded in rapidly, with potential customers eager to be among the first to visit post-pandemic. “In the first five minutes, our inbox started getting smashed with all the inquiries coming in,” Beard said. "We were being ‘attacked’ from all angles from people wanting more details and to book and to be one of the first to return.”

Before the pandemic, tourism to North Korea was a significant industry, with Chinese visitors making up about 90% of all foreign arrivals. However, with the reopening, North Korea is seeing renewed interest from tourists from Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.

Restrictions still linger

For now, some restrictions remain in place. Local markets — a common attraction for tourists — remain closed due to lingering concerns over Covid-19. Health measures such as mask-wearing and temperature checks are also being enforced at various locations, and Pyongyang’s capital remains closed to all but Russian tourists. Gergo Vaczi, the chief representative of Koryo Tours, told The Straits Times that North Korean tour guides expressed mixed feelings about the return of tourists.

“Because they haven’t had tourists for five years, the guides feel like they are out of practice. They are anxious about their English,” said Vaczi.

For now, tours are focused on the less-visited areas of North Korea, like Rason. No more than 10 travel operators have been permitted to conduct tours within the country, with group sizes ranging from 10 to 15. Currently, only South Koreans are barred from entry. The US and Malaysian governments have banned their citizens from travelling to North Korea, while Singapore has issued an advisory on avoiding non-essential travel to the country.