Three nights in Rason, in the extreme northeast of North Korea, plus two nights before and after in Beijing, including domestic flights - and all this for around 1,300 euros per person. That's the price of a vacation in the empire of ruler Kim Jong-un. After a break of almost five years, the first excursions for foreign tourists to North Korea are due to start on February 18, writes German public broadcaster ARD.
The phones are ringing non-stop at the offices of Koryo Tours and other tour operators offering trips to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The demand is huge.
Most tour operators are based in China. "North Korea is and remains a particular challenge", said Simon Cockerell, managing director of Koryo Tours, in an interview with ARD.
No one can move freely in the country
Foreign tourists, if any, will only be able to travel to the border area of Rason in the triangle between North Korea, Russia and China. However, it can only be reached by land, and the Chinese side of the border is currently not serviced. No one can say exactly when or if it will be opened, the German public media outlet further states. The only thing that seems certain is that the rest of North Korea, including the capital Pyongyang, remains closed and no one is allowed to move freely around the country.
A holiday in a model socialist village
Nevertheless, the area in the northeast of the country is worth seeing, says Cockerell. Rason is known for its beautiful coastline, ARD explains. The area has many farms and factories that can be visited - shoe and bag factories, breweries, a large casino, countless hotels and the first and only legal market for tourists. The place is a kind of model socialist village. "There are many people who have set a goal to visit every country in the world at least once. The only country missing from many of them is this one", says Cockerell, who with his agency has also offered trips to other "difficult" countries like Turkmenistan, for example.
A sign of gradual opening?
Cockerel's clients quite consciously chose the destination North Korea because they wanted to spend a few days in a country where freedoms are severely restricted, where there is almost no internet and where you can't do what you want. But for now, they should be patient, says the managing director of Koryo Tours. At the moment, however, there are many indications that travel to North Korea will be possible again very soon. For example, the Pyongyang Zoo suddenly launched an online website in English. This is probably a signal of the regime's plans to gradually open up to foreigners.
In fact, foreigners can now visit North Korea: for about a year now, Russian citizens have been allowed to enter the communist country for tourism purposes. This is supposedly a curtsy from ruler Kim Jong-un to his friend in the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, ARD explains. Citizens of South Korea, which is listed as "enemy state number 1" in the North Korean constitution, are still not allowed to enter the country. Some governments, such as the United States, prohibit their citizens from traveling to North Korea.
Berlin advises against traveling to North Korea
According to tour operators, Germans need a valid Chinese visa and can then apply to enter North Korea. However, the German Foreign Ministry strongly recommends against traveling to the country on its website. The German embassy in North Korea and the representations of other European countries have been closed since March 2020. Therefore, German tourists would not be able to count on any consular support if they nevertheless decide to travel to Kim's country.