Tourists, foreign currency flow in as North Korea holds first international marathon in six years

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Tourists, foreign currency flow in as North Korea holds first international marathon in six years

Published: 07 Apr. 2025, 12:52 Updated: 07 Apr. 2025, 15:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Participants at the 28th Pyongyang International Marathon run on the roads in Pyongyang on April 25, 2017. [YONHAP]

North Korea hosted the Pyongyang International Marathon for the first time in six years, signaling a possible shift toward actively attracting foreign tourists after years of strict border closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The event took place on Saturday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The opening ceremony took place at Kim Il Sung Stadium in Pyongyang. KCNA reported that marathoners from countries including China, Romania, Morocco and Ethiopia participated.

The course began at Kim Il Sung Stadium and passed landmarks across the capital, including the Pyongyang Grand Theater and the Sino-Korean Friendship Tower. North Korean authorities also added the Pyongyang General Hospital to the route, a move seen as an attempt to highlight the achievements of leader Kim Jong-un and use the event for both domestic and international publicity.

Launched in 1981 to commemorate the April 15 birthday of North Korea’s founding leader, Kim Il Sung, the marathon has long been a revenue-generating event for the regime. Participation fees for the 2024 race were reportedly set at $150 for the full 42.195-kilometer (26.2-mile) course, $100 for the half marathon and around $70 for 10- and 5-kilometer runs.

Analysts say the revival of the marathon may mark the beginning of a more concerted effort to reopen the country to international tourism. North Korea has thus far reopened its borders only to diplomats and select tour groups from friendly nations.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un leads training on April 4. [NEWS1]

Kim Jong-un emphasized tourism development during a visit to the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone following the ruling Workers’ Party's year-end plenary meeting in 2023. He described tourism as a tool for revitalizing regionaleconomies and boosting national development, citing the need to make better use of favorable conditions.

Earlier this year, North Korea began limited trial tourism programs for some Western travelers through travel agencies based in China and Russia. A recent report by the Korea Institute for National Unification estimated that North Korea generated between $90 million and $150 million in foreign currency from around 300,000 foreign tourists in 2019.

Still, hosting Western tourists may present new challenges. With social media now ubiquitous, visitors could document poor living conditions or engage locals in discussions about politically sensitive topics. Such exposure may be perceived as a threat to regime stability.

In one case earlier this year, Western tourists reportedly asked guides about potential North Korean troop deployments to Russia, a topic the regime has not acknowledged to its own citizens.

This file photo, taken by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on March 22, shows the North's leader, Kim Jong-un, right, shaking hands with Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, in Pyongyang the previous day. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]

North Korean authorities appear increasingly cautious. A pilot group tour for Westerners that began in early February was halted just three weeks later, a move some have linked to concerns about outside influence.

Efforts to control tourist conduct also appear to be underway. Koryo Tours, an English travel agency based in Beijing specializing in North Korea trips, published a post on its website in late March offering “9 Useful Tips for Content Creators Travelling to North Korea.”

The post emphasized that while photos and videos are permitted, strict rules apply regarding locations, equipment and etiquette. The agency advised travelers to always ask guides before filming or photographing anything uncertain.

“From the North Korean perspective, attracting foreign tourists offers a rare source of hard currency,” said Jung Yoo-suk, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. “But it also risks exposing citizens to external information, making it a double-edged sword.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO [[email protected]]