Koryo Tours, a British travel agency based in Beijing, said on Thursday that it was notified of a temporary halt to tours to the northeastern special economic zone of Rason, adding that it is looking into the situation.
Other travel agencies such as Young Pioneer Tours, founded by a New Zealander in Beijing, and Spain-based KTG Tours, also said they received similar notifications.
North Korea closed its borders in January 2020 to contain the spread of COVID-19 and began reopening to foreign visitors in September 2023. Group tours were initially restricted to Russian travelers, but since February this year, the isolated country gradually allowed entry for other foreign tourists.
It is widely speculated that Pyongyang may have been uneasy with how Western tourists portrayed the country online after their visits. A slew of recent visitors from Western countries including France, Germany, and the U.K., shared their experiences on social media, highlighting strict travel restrictions and apparent economic hardships in the country.
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