<p>Seoul: A group from Russia is poised to be the first known tourists allowed into North Korea since anti-pandemic border lockdowns began in early 2020, according to a post from Russian provincial authorities and a Western tour guide.</p><p>North Korea imposed some of the strictest border controls in the world during the spread of Covid-19, and has yet to fully reopen to foreigners.</p><p>The trip, advertised by a Vladivostok-based agency, was arranged when the governor of Russia's far eastern region of Primorsky Krai, which borders North Korea, visited Pyongyang for talks in December, the regional government said in a post on Telegram this week.</p><p>The four-day tour will depart on February 9 and include stops in Pyongyang and a ski resort, according to an online itinerary.</p><p>Simon Cockerell, general manager at Beijing-based Koryo Tours, which is not involved in the trip, told Reuters that his partners in North Korea had confirmed the Russian visit is going ahead under special circumstances.</p> .North Korea vows to launch 'baptism of fire' in response to any provocation: Report.<p>"It is a good sign, but I would hesitate to say it necessarily will lead to a broader opening due to the special circumstances for this one trip," he said. "But given that no tourists have been for four-plus years, any tourism trip can be viewed as a positive step forward."</p><p>North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for a summit in eastern Russia in September, where they pledged deepening cooperation on economic, political, and military fronts despite international sanctions.</p><p>Tourism is largely unaffected by UN Security Council resolutions that restrict business with North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.</p><p>The year before the pandemic began, North Korea saw a surge of Chinese tourists who may have provided the cash-strapped country with up to $175 million in extra revenue in 2019, according to an estimate by Seoul-based <em>NK News</em>.</p>
<p>Seoul: A group from Russia is poised to be the first known tourists allowed into North Korea since anti-pandemic border lockdowns began in early 2020, according to a post from Russian provincial authorities and a Western tour guide.</p><p>North Korea imposed some of the strictest border controls in the world during the spread of Covid-19, and has yet to fully reopen to foreigners.</p><p>The trip, advertised by a Vladivostok-based agency, was arranged when the governor of Russia's far eastern region of Primorsky Krai, which borders North Korea, visited Pyongyang for talks in December, the regional government said in a post on Telegram this week.</p><p>The four-day tour will depart on February 9 and include stops in Pyongyang and a ski resort, according to an online itinerary.</p><p>Simon Cockerell, general manager at Beijing-based Koryo Tours, which is not involved in the trip, told Reuters that his partners in North Korea had confirmed the Russian visit is going ahead under special circumstances.</p> .North Korea vows to launch 'baptism of fire' in response to any provocation: Report.<p>"It is a good sign, but I would hesitate to say it necessarily will lead to a broader opening due to the special circumstances for this one trip," he said. "But given that no tourists have been for four-plus years, any tourism trip can be viewed as a positive step forward."</p><p>North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for a summit in eastern Russia in September, where they pledged deepening cooperation on economic, political, and military fronts despite international sanctions.</p><p>Tourism is largely unaffected by UN Security Council resolutions that restrict business with North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.</p><p>The year before the pandemic began, North Korea saw a surge of Chinese tourists who may have provided the cash-strapped country with up to $175 million in extra revenue in 2019, according to an estimate by Seoul-based <em>NK News</em>.</p>