According to South Korean media reports, the Chinese travel agency Zhixing Heyi recently announced that with special approval from the North Korean side, the company will send a group to North Korea on the 24th, making it the first Chinese private tour group to visit North Korea in nearly five years. The destination is Rason, a place in northeastern North Korea bordering China and Russia, which can only be reached by car.
Zhixing Heyi stated that this is the first time North Korea has formally opened up tourism to ordinary Chinese tourists since the COVID-19 pandemic, with Rason being one of the first areas to trial this opening.
According to reports, Zhixing Heyi Travel Agency is the "China regional partner" of the North Korean National Tourism Bureau, and this particular tour group is on a "deep tourism study" to Rason.
The report points out that this inaugural group will have a 4-day, 3-night itinerary in North Korea, with a limit of no more than 15 people, and will be accompanied by "professional staff" throughout. Prior to this, Zhixing Heyi had already sent personnel to Rason to investigate and understand the condition of hotels.
According to the report, North Korea will resume some international flights in 2024, but aside from a few Russian tourists, North Korea has not yet fully opened up to foreign tourists.
Additionally, the Zhixing Heyi website has opened up reservations for the 2025 Pyongyang Marathon, but whether the event will allow international amateur participants will be determined in the coming weeks.
Rason is located at the northeastern tip of North Korea, bordering China and Russia, and there is no international airport locally. If departing from China, one must drive across the border from Hunchun City in Jilin Province.
Regarding the above news, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated on the 18th, in response to media inquiries, that China consistently holds a positive attitude towards exchanges and cooperation in various fields between China and North Korea, but will not comment on "information released by specific travel agencies."