North Korea poised to admit first known tourists since 2020

A group from Russia is poised to be the first known tourists allowed into North Korea since anti-pandemic border lockdowns began in early 2020, according to a post from Russian provincial authorities and a Western tour guide.
North Korea imposed some of the strictest border controls in the world during the spread of COVID-19, and has yet to fully reopen to foreigners.
The trip, advertised by a Vladivostok-based agency, was arranged when the governor of Russia’s far eastern region of Primorsky Krai, which borders North Korea, visited Pyongyang for talks in December, the regional government said in a post on Telegram this week.
The four-day tour will depart on Feb. 9 and include stops in Pyongyang and a ski resort, according to an online itinerary.
Simon Cockerell, general manager at Beijing-based Koryo Tours, which is not involved in the trip, told Reuters that his partners in North Korea had confirmed the Russian visit is going ahead under special circumstances.