Recent developments indicate a resurgence in North Korea-China exchanges. This has led to growing anticipation for the revival of Chinese tourism in North Korea.
Kim Han Kyu, Acting Ambassador at the South Korean Embassy in China, briefed Beijing-based correspondents on Monday. He reported that a North Korean railway delegation visited Beijing, Tianjin, and Inner Mongolia in the past month. Concurrently, a 20-member North Korean team focused on biodiversity protection and sustainable development training visited Hangzhou, signaling a renewed bilateral interaction.
Acting Ambassador Kim noted that following the mid-June resumption of Russia-North Korea passenger rail services, some speculate that China-North Korea passenger trains will soon follow suit. Authorities are closely monitoring these developments.
In a related move, North Korea has opened the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone to Russian visitors, fueling expectations for a resurgence in tourism between North Korea and China. Russian media, including TASS, report that Russian tour groups are set to embark on an eight-day trip to the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone.
A diplomatic source added that the North Korean railway delegation held an event at Beijing Jiaotong University on June 6th.
However, the timeline for reopening rail routes between North Korea and China remains uncertain. The source explained that certain conditions are required to normalize people-to-people exchanges. Currently, there’s no established visa process for Chinese citizens to visit North Korea, and ordinary Chinese nationals can’t freely travel there.
Regarding the potential revival of North Korea-China tourism, the source stated that there have been no concrete discussions about resuming tourism between the two countries at this point. Since North Korea is currently controlling its borders, it appears to hold the upper hand in this situation.
On a separate note, Acting Ambassador Kim reported ongoing communication to forge a new relationship between South Korea and China following the inauguration of President Lee Jae Myung. He expressed optimism about advancing bilateral ties under the new administration. Kim concluded that high-level exchanges at various events are anticipated this year, including the APEC summit, emphasizing his commitment to strengthening the bilateral relationship.