"Travel to North Korea for 1.57 Million Won"... Chinese Travel Agencies Launch Group Tours Starting in May

Report by NK News: Chinese Travel Agencies Launch Promotions

Tour Packages Priced Around 1.5 Million Won, Include DMZ and Mount Kumgang

Active Exchanges Resume with North Korea-China Train Service After Six Years

Chinese travel agencies have begun promoting group tour packages to North Korea departing from May.

On the morning of the 13th, a passenger train departing from Pyongyang, North Korea, is entering Beijing Station, China. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to a report by Yonhap News Agency on the 17th (local time), citing North Korea-focused U.S. media outlet NK News, several Chinese travel agencies are advertising eight-day train travel packages departing from Beijing in May, as shown in their itineraries.

The travel course includes visits to Pyongyang, Kaesong, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Mount Kumgang, and Mount Myohyang. However, the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area on North Korea's east coast, which is reportedly newly built for Chinese tourists, is not included in these itineraries.

Prices range from $1,060 (7,380 yuan, approximately 1.57 million won) to $1,305 (9,080 yuan, approximately 1.94 million won), depending on the train class. The deposit is reported to be around $287 (2,000 yuan, approximately 430,000 won).

Travel agencies appear to have launched these promotional packages following the resumption of cross-border passenger train services between North Korea and China last week, as well as Air China's announcement that it will resume its Beijing-Pyongyang flight route at the end of this month.

A passenger train traveling from Pyongyang, North Korea to Beijing, China crossed the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge over the Yalu River connecting the two countries on the 12th. Photo by Yonhap News.

Previously, on the 12th, the international passenger train connecting North Korea and China resumed operation after a six-year hiatus. At around 10:26 a.m. that day, a passenger train departed from Pyongyang, North Korea, and arrived at Beijing Station as scheduled at 8:40 a.m. on the 13th. According to China State Railway Group, this train service will operate four times a week in both directions, every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Additionally, Air China announced that it will operate direct flights (CA121) between Beijing and Pyongyang once a week (every Monday) starting from the 30th. Regarding this, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on the 16th, "China and North Korea are friendly neighbors, and the resumption of passenger flights is a proactive measure to promote friendly exchanges between the peoples of both countries."

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists visited North Korea annually, but North Korea closed its borders to all foreign travelers in early 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Officially, North Korea has selectively reopened tourism only to Russian tourists since 2024.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.