Overview

• North Korea has suspended international tours to Rason, a northeastern border city near China, just three weeks after reopening it to foreign tourists for the first time since 2020.
• The suspension was announced by multiple Western travel agencies, which cited unclear reasons for the halt and advised travelers to postpone plans until further updates.
• Rason, established as a special economic zone in 1991, had been a testing ground for economic policies and was recently visited by a small group of foreign tourists from countries including the UK, Canada, and Germany.
• The reopening marked a significant development following North Korea's five-year closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, with prior international tourism limited to Russian visitors in 2024.
• Travel agencies and tourists noted visible signs of poverty in rural areas during visits, with strict guidelines from North Korean guides prohibiting photography of impoverished conditions.