21 foreign golfers to tee off in N. Korea

The North Korea's inaugural golf tournament has drawn 21 amateur golfers from 10 countries with a rare chance to visit the isolated country and play golf within its borders, a U.S. broadcaster said Saturday.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea Amateur Golf Open is scheduled to tee off on April 29 at a 18-hole golf course in Pyongyang, sponsored by British travel agency Lupine Travel, in Pyongyang's apparent bid to earn hard currency. The DPRK is the official name of North Korea.

Radio Free Asia said that a group of 26 people from Britain, France, Germany and Sweden will visit North Korea on a golf tour package arranged by the British travel agency, but five of them will not play, citing the firm's president Dylan Harris.

Most of the foreign travelers, two females and 24 males, are in their 30s to 50s, said the RFA.

Lupine Travel has offered a five-day tour to North Korea with an entry fee of 999 euros ($1,441), which includes travel by train into the country from China, meals and accommodations, as well as a three-day tour of the country, according to the

tournament's Web site. (Yonhap News)