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North Korea abruptly suspends foreign tours to Rason

Published: 06 Mar. 2025, 09:51 Updated: 06 Mar. 2025, 17:07

SEO JI-EUN
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Tourist group gets briefing from North Korean host at Namsan Hotel in Rason, North Korea on Feb. 20. [KORYO TOURS]

North Korea abruptly suspended foreign tourism just weeks after reopening its borders to international travelers to end a five-year hiatus, tour agencies and Seoul's Ministry of Unification confirmed Thursday.

The sudden halt comes amid speculation that North Korean authorities were alarmed by Western tourists sharing their experiences on social media, exposing the reclusive country's internal conditions to the outside world.

Koryo Tours, a China-based agency specializing in North Korean tours, said on its website the previous day that "we have been informed that our tours to Rason are temporarily closed."

The company described the situation as "unprecedented," adding that it will provide further updates as soon as more information becomes available, without explaining the cause of the suspension.

The same day, Young Pioneer Tours (YPT), another China-based agency, also announced the suspension of its tours to Rason, a northeastern special economic zone in North Korea, on its Facebook account.

"We have been advised by our partners in the DPRK that tours to Rason are currently paused. We are in the process of clarifying how this will impact your upcoming trips," YPT said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

It advised those planning tours in April and May to refrain from booking flights until more information becomes available.

North Korea reopened its doors to foreign tourists in late February, allowing Western travelers to visit the Rason Special Economic Zone for the first time since early 2020, when the country shut its borders due to Covid-19. The move was seen as an effort to generate much-needed foreign currency amid international sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs as well as for propaganda aimed at foreigners.

Since September 2023, North Korea only permitted limited Russian group tours.

The expansion to Western tourists late last month was expected to be a step toward a broader resumption of tourism. French, German and British tourists visiting Rason shared their experiences widely in Western media and on social platforms.

Analysts suggest that North Korea may have been concerned that receiving about ten Western tourists would do more harm than good — offering little economic benefit while increasing the risk of unwanted exposure.

"The whole point of reopening tourism was to generate income," said a source who requested anonymity. "For that to happen, North Korea needs large tour groups, particularly from China."

Chinese tour groups consisted mainly of middle-aged or older travelers from border regions who were less active on social media, the source explained.

"But [with China-North Korea tourism exchanges yet to resume] and with only a handful of Western tourists sharing their experiences online, the government likely felt the risks outweighed the benefits, leading to this sudden halt," the source added.

Updated, March 6: Added quote from source speculating on reason for suspension

BY SEO JI-EUN, YONHAP [[email protected]]