Their arrival comes as Moscow and Pyongyang strengthen ties (representative)
Pyongyang:
A group of Russian tourists arrived in Pyongyang on Friday, AFP photos and videos showed, the first known foreign tour group to visit nuclear-armed North Korea since before pandemic-related border closures.
Their arrival comes as Moscow and Pyongyang strengthen ties and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare overseas trip last September to meet President Vladimir Putin in Russia’s far east.
Photos taken by AFP reporters showed Russian tourists arriving at Pyongyang Airport, many wearing down jackets, pushing suitcases or winter sports equipment such as skis, smiling and waving as they passed through the airport to a nearby bus.
South Korea and Washington claim that North Korea then shipped the weapons to Moscow for use in Ukraine, which would violate a series of United Nations sanctions imposed on both countries, North Korea over its banned weapons program and Russia over its war with Kiev.
Natalia Zinina, manager of the Vostok Intur travel agency that organized the trip, told Seoul specialist website NK News that the tour group will stay in North Korea for four days.
About 100 tourists will first stop “in Pyongyang before heading to Masikryong Ski Resort near Wonsan City on the country’s east coast,” the report said.
Travel to Europe and the United States has become more difficult for Russians since sanctions were imposed following the invasion of Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who also visited Pyongyang last year, said he could recommend North Korea as a tourist destination, TASS reported.
new destination
The Russians are believed to be the first foreign tourists to enter North Korea since the country reopened its borders last August, after nearly four years of closing them due to the pandemic and banning entry even to its own nationals.
North Korea’s official tourism website recently uploaded a promotional video showing scenic spots such as the Taedong River and Mount Paektu.
Analysts say Kim Jong Un showed particular interest in developing North Korea’s tourism industry early in his administration, suggesting it may be a top priority for the leader after the pandemic.
Pyongyang and Seoul have cooperated on the Mount Kumgang scenic spot, which has attracted thousands of South Korean tourists. But that all ended abruptly in 2008 when a North Korean soldier shot and killed a South Korean tourist who deviated from the approved route and Seoul suspended travel.
Before the outbreak, other tourism to North Korea was restricted, and tour companies said about 5,000 Western tourists visited each year. Before Washington banned travel following the jailing and subsequent death of American student Otto Warmbier, US citizens accounted for about 20% of the market.
close contact
Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP that the arrival of Russian tourists “underscores the revival of exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields after the North Korea-Russia summit.” Putin and Kim Jong-un met last year.
He said the latest developments pointed to a possible visit by Putin to North Korea and the possibility that Russia could provide more humanitarian aid, including food, to impoverished North Korea.
“North Korea may also accelerate and expand its support for Russia, including missiles,” he added.
Nuclear-armed North Korea this year declared Seoul a “major enemy,” shut down agencies dedicated to reunification and outreach, and threatened war over territorial incursions of “even 0.001 mm.”
Ahn Chan-il, director of the World North Korea Institute and a North Korean defector-turned-researcher, said relations between Moscow and Pyongyang appeared to be “going to develop significantly in the future.”
As engagement expands from military exchanges to tourism, arts and sports, “North Korea’s efforts to integrate into the international community appear to be directed primarily toward Moscow rather than Beijing.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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