One of the most closed-off countries in the world, North Korea is both difficult and dangerous to access.
Under the control of the Kim dynasty since the end of World War II, the northern part of the Korean Peninsula remains under a full “do not travel” advisory by most other nations. This is due to the policy of strict state control and authoritarian rule that left the country isolated from the rest of the world, while its southern neighbor developed into a modern democracy and economic powerhouse.
That said, small numbers of tourists primarily from neighboring China and Russia did make it to North Korea in the years before the country closed down completely during the Covid pandemic in 2020.
Over the last half-decade, North Korea resumed some tourism with direct flights from several Russian cities as the latter country was also isolated by democratic nations over its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
China, North Korea restart passenger train between two countries this March
The only official way for Western tourists to enter North Korea has traditionally been through a limited number of guided tours from China or South Korea. These have restarted on a very limited basis, as a passenger train between Beijing and the North Korean capital of Pyongyang is set to run for the first time since 2020 on March 13.
Tourists cannot access the tours, only Chinese residents with documentation showing they are studying or working in North Korea. North Koreans who have the right to exit the country for work, study, or family visits will also be able to purchase tickets from an agency in Pyongyang.
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The China Railways K27/28 route was first launched in 1954 and crossed a distance of approximately 496 miles or 800 kilometers. The modern route will take just over 24 hours by leaving at Beijing at 10 a.m. and arriving in Pyongyang at 6:07 p.m. the following day after a stopover of several hours in the Chinese border city of Dandong.
China’s national railways also confirmed that the train will run four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
North Korea is one of the most closed-off countries in the world.
Here is who can now take the train from China to North Korea
While a time frame for reopening the route to tourists has not been revealed, some tour operators based in China see it as an important first step to restoring the border situation that existed prior to the pandemic.
“It’s great to see the international train service resuming,” Rowan Beard, who leads tourist groups through Beijing-based Young Pioneer Tours, told The Guardian.
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Even more isolated from the rest of the world after closing down to all non-citizens after the pandemic, North Korea has recently been trying to grow its tourism industry without making any significant changes to the politics that led to its isolation — primarily by organizing tours to some of its ski resorts for Russian tourists.
While some have previously made it into the country through tours from China, U.S. citizens have not been allowed to use an American passport to enter North Korea since 2016, when 22-year-old Ohio student Otto Warmbier died in custody after his arrest for taking a hotel poster.
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