Will Chinese tourists return to North Korea as travel resumes in December?

North Korea was a popular destination for visitors from China before the pandemic, attracting about 200,000 visitors in 2018

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Tourists from China pose for photos before the Three Charters monument in Pyongyang in 2019. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:35pm, 3 Sep 2024Updated: 8:41am, 4 Sep 2024

For Zhang Yue, a 29-year-old marketing specialist from Fuzhou in southeastern China, news reports about North Korea had painted a picture of a country vastly different from other travel destinations.

“I think many people have stereotypes about travelling there with worries about whether it’s dangerous, or view it as a somewhat ‘special’ or ‘niche’ destination for something like an adventurous experience,” she said. “I hope to have the opportunity to see it with my own eyes.”

Like Zhang, many Chinese people who haven’t visited find North Korea an intriguing destination, which seems to be driving their interest in travelling there.

In August, North Korea announced it would resume foreign tourism in December, starting with the northern area of Samjiyon near Mount Paektu. The news quickly prompted China-based travel agencies Koryo Tours and KTG Tours to begin offering excursions.

Chinese tourists take photos as they stand on Kim Il-sung square in Pyongyang in 2019. Photo: AFP

On Chinese social media, many people who visited North Korea shared photos from previous trips and recounted their experiences, while others expressed curiosity in visiting.