North Korea opens border to tourists for first time since pandemic

Russian tourists are being welcomed to North Korea in the first group of tourists to the hermit kingdom since the pandemic. 

A group of Russian travelers from the Primorye region will be journeying first to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, according to a report from Russian news outlet Tass.

Following a series of tours, they are reportedly then scheduled to arrive at the nation's ski resort in Masik Pass for winter sports activities.

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Supreme leader Kim Jong Un's regime has kept the country largely locked down since the worldwide pandemic. 

North Korea suffered intensely during the COVID-19 outbreak and was forced to institute some of the most aggressive quarantine policies in the world.

The decision to select Russian citizens as the first formal tourism group is further evidence of growing cooperation between the two nations.

The two countries have collaborated on military technology and expanded trade in an effort to strengthen regional power alongside China.

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The trip was reportedly arranged as a pet project of Primorye Governor Oleg Kozhemyako and his North Korean counterparts.

Until now, the extremely limited tourism industry in North Korea has been primarily marketed toward Chinese citizens.

"Visitors from Russia are unlikely to be as financially lucrative for North Korea as the return of more numerous visitors from China," said Prof. Leif-Eric Easley of South Korea's Ewha University.

"But the domestic political risk is relatively low while providing symbolism of revitalized relations with Moscow in line with Pyongyang’s current geopolitical narrative," he added.

North Korea is a deeply impoverished country that curates an enclave of luxury facilities for its wealthy and elite leadership class. Most of the country's fine dining and entertainment are based in the capital city of Pyongyang.