2023-08-30 08:40:43
North Korea is the country that has kept its borders closed the longest because of Corona: They have been tight since January 2020, nobody was allowed to enter or leave the country, not even North Koreans who studied, worked or worked as diplomats abroad. Beijing-based tour operator Koryo Tours, which specializes in North Korea, was the first to announce the impending opening of the border on August 10, and indeed, on August 22, North Korean Air Koryo began operating the Pyongyang-Beijing route.
We asked Nicholas Bonner, the British owner of Koryo Tours, how tourism is doing in the world’s most isolated country and when western tourists will be able to travel to North Korea again.
WELT: They were the first tour operator in the world to announce that North Korea would soon reopen its borders. You were right, there are now flights from Pyongyang to Beijing again, flights to Vladivostok are to follow soon. Only North Koreans are currently allowed to enter the country. When will North Korea become a destination for international tourists again?
Nicholas Bonner: I hope that still happens in 2023. But “reopening” an entire country, let alone tourism, after nearly four years of isolation is a huge undertaking.
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WELT: Is Koryo Tours already working on tourist trips to North Korea that could still take place in 2023?
Bonner: We have drawn up our travel list for 2024, starting in spring should be realistic. Should the country allow tourists as early as 2023, we are prepared. And we hope to participate in Pyongyang marathon in April 2024, so contact us if you are interested.
At the Pyongyang Marathon, Nicholas Bonner met North Korea’s most famous marathon runner, Jong Song-ok, who won the world championship in 1999
What: Koryo Tours
WELT: As soon as tourism is possible again: will entry and exit take place via China?
Bonner: Yes, Air Koryo flights will resume from Pyongyang to Shenyang and Beijing, entry by train will also be possible.
WELT: Are there only group trips or also individual travel options?
Bonner: There are both options. But in North Korea, independent travel still means being accompanied by two Korean guides as soon as you step out of the hotel.
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WELT: Isn’t that extremely annoying?
Bonner: In a weird way, that might be what makes it so appealing, as it’s reminiscent of old Soviet-era trips. And tourists can learn a lot about the country from the guides.
If you ask political questions, you get the standard answers provided by the government, but if you ask the guides, for example, how they met their spouses or what music they like, then you get into conversation with the individuals. We also work with a number of North Korean tour guides whose second language is German – perhaps an advantage for holidaymakers whose English is a bit rusty.
Waitresses on a boat cruising up and down the Taedong River past the highlights of Pyongyang city
What: Koryo Tours
WELT: Does Corona still pose a threat to the country?
Bonner: The medical infrastructure in North Korea would not be able to cope with a large outbreak, so they are very cautious. This explains that it was one of the first countries to close its borders and is the last to open them.
WELT: How comfortable – or uncomfortable – is it to travel in North Korea?
Bonner: When you travel to North Korea, you embark on one of the greatest adventures of your life. It is comfortable but not a luxury destination. If you want a five star resort with five star service, go to Capri or the Maldives.
Dining with a view of Pyongyang: there is a revolving restaurant on the 47th floor of the Yanggakdo International Hotel
What: Koryo Tours
WELT: How safe are tourists in North Korea? I recall the case of the US tourist Otto Warmbier, who was arrested during a trip to North Korea in 2016 and became so ill in prison that he died shortly after his return.
Bonner: The incredibly sad case of Otto Warmbier’s arrest was an unforgivable incident and I hope the Korean side learned their lesson. Although he didn’t travel with us, we were obviously very upset. We then spoke to our Korean colleagues and agreed to continue with our engagement.
When I began my visits in 1993, there were fewer than 150 foreign tourists visiting North Korea each year; when we stopped because of the virus, more than 2500 came – and Koreans need time to get used to tourism on their streets, which is sometimes a very painful process.
WELT: And what do you do specifically?
Bonner: Specifically, we answer all pre-trip questions online in advance, and everyone who travels with us receives a comprehensive briefing in Beijing. We accompany all tours and make sure that the tourist knows what is and is not allowed in the country. Our primary concern is of course the safety of our travelers, but we must also ensure that we do not jeopardize the position of our Korean guides.
Guides and waitresses prepare dinner in the port city of Wonsan, known for good fish dishes
What: Koryo Tours
WELT: What did these people, i.e. those who work for tourism in North Korea, actually do during the closure? Have they lost their jobs, have they moved to other jobs, are they receiving support from the state? Are you in contact with them?
Bonner: They have not lost their jobs, the country officially has full employment. They were therefore used elsewhere – for example in agriculture or in the construction industry. That sounds drastic, but it is normal in the People’s Republic: Our travel guides have often been “mobilized” for the rice planting and harvesting season. There is government support, but it’s a far cry from the benefits they would otherwise have had from working with foreign tourists.
It will be a slow start for the guides as they have been out of their regular job for around four years. But they love their job, especially since it is relatively privileged. I’m sure it won’t be long before tourism returns to ‘normal’, whatever that is in North Korea.
For the students in the border town of Kaesong, the tourists are special – many have never seen a foreigner
What: Koryo Tours
WELT: Are there any new tourism projects North Korea has been working on during the Corona lockdown?
Bonner: Not that we know of. Those working in tourism have to wait for orders and directives from above, and all orders at the moment are aimed at ensuring public safety and keeping the virus under control. There are no announcements about new tourism offerings beyond what was possible before the pandemic.
WELT: When did Koryo Tours have the last group in North Korea?
Bonner: We had our last tour group there over New Year 2019/2020 and some private tours in early January 2020.
The twin towers of the “Koryo” hotel in Pyongyang, which also has a revolving restaurant on the 45th floor
What: Koryo Tours
WELT: How many guests has Koryo Tours brought to North Korea since 1993?
Bonner: Certainly tens of thousands. Initially no more than a few dozen a year, before the pandemic it was between 2,000 and 3,000 a year.
WELT: Do you know how many foreign tourists visited North Korea in total in 2019, the last year before the pandemic?
Bonner: There are no official statistics, but realistic estimates: around 5000 western tourists and 5000 non-Chinese respectively. The largest group were the Chinese – in 2019 around 200,000 of them traveled to North Korea.
Excursion to Panmunjom, the settlement in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea
What: Koryo Tours
WELT: How many times have you been to North Korea in your life?
Bonner: I have traveled to the country well over 150 times since 1993, sometimes just for a few days and sometimes – for a film project – two months.
WELT: Do you think you will come back to North Korea in person in 2023?
Bonner: In any case!
WELT: What is your motivation?
Bonner: On the one hand, it’s a passion. On the other hand, it is critical cultural engagement. Through projects and contacts, we give local people opportunities, which is currently practically non-existent due to the border closure. And through our experience – we’ve known the country for 30 years – we enable a foreign audience to see more than the limited picture that North Koreans or Western media convey. Even with limited access, it is possible to give a better insight into the country and people.
Mosaic in a metro station in Pyongyang, where disused subway cars from Berlin are in use
What: Koryo Tours
WELT: What do you recommend for North Korea beginners?
Bonner: The revolutionary sights and sounds of Pyongyang – museums, monuments, art, sculptures, mosaics, films: everything is about the revolution and is unique. If you have time: a trip to the DMZ, the demilitarized zone on the border between North and South Korea. Not forgetting some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the world: North Korea is 70 percent mountainous, a walk in the Kumgang Mountains or even Mount Paekdu in the north of the country is breathtaking.
Briton Nicholas Bonner, born in 1961, studied landscape architecture and founded the tour operator Koryo Tours in Beijing in 1993 together with another Briton. He also made several documentaries about the communist-ruled country. Koryo Tours organizes and accompanies trips to North Korea for western tourists, in addition to the capital Pyongyang and the border area/DMZ also in cities and regions that no other provider has in their program. In addition, the organizer also offers tours to other countries such as Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Mongolia and Kazakhstan (koryogroup.com).
Joshua Green (l.) and Nicholas Bonner, the founders of Koryo Tours, in 1995 with a tourist guide in uniform
What: Koryo Tours
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