N.K. allows foreigners’ travel outside Pyongyang: tour agency

Last year roughly 25,000 tourists traveled to one of the world’s most notoriously isolated countries, North Korea. Traveling to the nation is no easy task and tends to be expensive, but contrary to popular belief, travel there is not impossible.

At a press conference held at the President Hotel in Seoul on Monday, representatives of the Panmunjom Travel Center, which offers daily tours to the Demilitarized Zone in Panmunjom, announced that they were hoping to one day establish an agency facilitating travel beyond the DMZ into North Korea. Although they did not say exactly when this travel organization would be established, Panmunjom Travel Center president Kim Bong-ki stressed the importance of spreading awareness about North Korea and its people to foreign nations.

Every year Chinese travel agencies set a number of dates that allow non-South Korean citizens to join guided trips into the North, leaving from Beijing. Although the majority of the travelers are Chinese, tours allow for citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union and others.

A North Korean travel package was recently established to allow travelers to visit the nation’s countryside, outside of the capital city. Based from Pyongyang, the southern tour has travelers leave the capital city to experience the areas of Nampo, Haeju Bay, Sariwon and others. On the other hand, the northern travel route allows for travel to Hamheung and the Cheongjin areas.

Trips tend to average around five nights, but in some cases there are schedules that allow for up to 16 days in the country. Due to the fact that North Korea only accepts euros from travelers, a four-day trip to North Korea, can cost roughly 2.5 to 3 million won. The North Korean government claims 60 percent of the cost paid to the travel agents.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)