North Korea bans all tourists just 3 weeks after reopening as tour groups issue shock announcements

Despite opening for the first time in five years three weeks ago, North Korea has now closed its borders and banned all tourists from visiting the country in a shock decision.

The relatively closed-off and restricted nature of North Korea has made it an intriguing destination for many keen travelers, yet recent abrupt tourism changes from the government appear to have halted plans for many.

Tourism pushes have been somewhat complicated for North Korea over the years, with many different government initiatives that intermittently allowed visitors from specific countries across the world.

The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 was a significant moment for the country though, as like many others worldwide it closed off its borders to all visitors as a public health measure, only beginning to open them up again in 2023, as reported by the BBC.

Western tourists were only allowed to visit Rason, a remote and 'easy to control' city on the eastern side of North Korea (Tang Ke/Feature China/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Initially it was just Russian visitors that were allowed into the country from 2024, but three weeks ago the North Korean government ruled that Western travelers would finally be allowed back in again, albeit only to Rason - an easterly-located city close to the Russian border.

However, new plans have banned foreign entry into the country until further notice, with many tourist groups revealing the shocking news to customers who had booked onto guided tours.

KTG Tours, one of the many North Korea-specific travel groups, shared the news on their Facebook page:

"Oh no! Just received news from our Korean partners that Rason is closed to everyone. We will keep you posted."

There is no clear reason why this change has been made, with KTG Tours indicating that "nobody knows yet" as to why tourists have once again been banned from entering the country.

They also outlined in response to travelers wondering how to enter the country: "The only way to go to Pyongyang right now, if you are not Russian, is by joining the Pyongyang Marathon. They have races ranging from 5k to the full 42k."

So, if you're a keen runner as well as a keen traveler, that might seemingly be the way in for you!

It's currently unclear when travel access will be reopened for Western tourists (Kim Won Jin/AFP via Getty Images)

Other tourist groups have also advised enquiring visitors to hold off from booking flights to North Korea "until we have more information," as it's unclear when, or even if, these restrictions will be lifted.

The lucky few who managed to visit Rason during the short period when it was open for tourists have indicated that there were fewer opportunities to wander the streets and speak to local residents, and as always there is no phone signal or internet access.