North Korea has abruptly stopped international trips to a northeastern border city near China, less than three weeks after it opened it up for tourists since the pandemic. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

North Korea opened its doors to international tourists after a gap of five years. However, three weeks on, Rason, a city near the country’s border with China, has abruptly stopped tourism, according to multiple media reports.

The country has halted international trips to a city near its border with China, travel agencies said, abruptly reversing Pyongyang's recent decision to reopen its frontier to tourism after five years of isolation.

Visitors were taken to Rason, in the country’s special economic zone, on a five-day trip organised by Beijing-based Koryo Tours.

Western tourists had three weeks to experience North Korea - which has remained closed to travellers from non-allied states - before it was shuttered again without warning

After the pandemic began, North Korea quickly banned tourists, jetted out diplomats and severely curtailed border traffic in one of the world’s most draconian COVID-19 restrictions. But since 2022, North Korea has been slowly easing curbs and reopening its borders.

Besides a number of Russian tourists last year, few sightseers have been allowed into North Korea since the Covid-19 pandemic — until now.View on euronews

In February 2024, North Korea accepted about 100 Russian tourists, the first foreign nationals to visit the country for sightseeing. That surprised many observers, who thought the first post-pandemic tourists would come from China, North Korea’s biggest trading partner and major ally.

Beijing-based tour operators are the first to lead groups into the reclusive nation’s Rason Special Economic Zone, which borders Russia and China.

The Rason SEZ was set up in 1991, bordering Russia and China. As an SEZ, it's one of the more international-facing regions in North Korea, making it more accessible to visit and get around.