North Korea's Tourism Experiment: A Brief Window into the Hermit Kingdom

In February 2025, North Korea made the surprising decision to allow a small group of Western tourists to visit the country for the first time in over 5 years. This brief 5-day window from February 20-24 marked a rare opportunity for outsiders to glimpse life inside the world's most isolated nation. However, just as quickly as North Korea cracked open its doors, it slammed them shut again in early March, returning to the strict isolationism that has defined the country for the past half-decade.

North Korea's History of Isolationism

North Korea has long been known for its isolationist policies, but the COVID-19 pandemic sent the country into an unprecedented lockdown. On January 21, 2020, North Korea became the first country in the world to completely seal its borders in response to the emerging pandemic. For over 5 years, the country remained closed off to virtually all outsiders.

Prior to the pandemic, tourism to North Korea was slowly growing, albeit under strict government control:

• In 2018, an estimated 200,000 tourists visited North Korea
• In 2019, a record 350,000 Chinese tourists visited, generating around $175 million in revenue

However, these numbers pale in comparison to most countries, reflecting North Korea's wariness of outside influence.

The Brief 2025 Opening

The February 2025 tour that allowed 13 Western tourists to visit was highly restricted:

• Limited to the city of Rason in the far northeast, near the borders with Russia and China
• No Americans were permitted - tourists came from the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several European countries
• Visitors entered by land from China under close supervision

This cautious toe-dip into Western tourism lasted just a few weeks before North Korea reverted to its closed-door policy. As of April 2025, there is no clear timeline for when or if Western tourists may be allowed to return.

Why the Sudden Reversal?

North Korea's decision to quickly end this brief experiment with Western tourism likely stems from several factors:

1. Social Media Concerns

The power and reach of social media has grown dramatically since North Korea last welcomed Western tourists in 2019. Videos and posts from the February 2025 visitors quickly went viral, garnering millions of views:

• A video from the channel AO Sulino received over 600,000 views
• Tamil Treker's video got more than 1.7 million views
• Owashtech's video reached 4.6 million views
• Michael K's video topped 7.8 million views

This level of exposure likely alarmed North Korean officials, who have long sought to tightly control information about the country. The regime may have underestimated how quickly unfiltered glimpses of North Korean life could spread online.

2. Information Control

North Korea has always been wary of outside information reaching its citizens. However, this concern has likely intensified due to the country's involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine.

Intelligence reports suggest thousands of North Korean soldiers have been secretly deployed to fight alongside Russian forces. This information is closely guarded within North Korea, with citizens kept in the dark about their country's role in the conflict.

Allowing Western tourists, even in a limited capacity, increases the risk of this sensitive information spreading within North Korea. The regime likely views this as a serious threat to its control over the population.

3. Economic Shifts

While tourism was once seen as a valuable source of foreign currency for North Korea, the country has found a far more lucrative opportunity in supporting Russia's war effort:

• North Korea has reportedly earned up to $5.5 billion selling weapons and ammunition to Russia since 2023
• Deploying soldiers to fight for Russia could bring in an additional $572 million annually

These figures dwarf the $175 million North Korea earned from Chinese tourism in its peak year of 2019. With this new revenue stream, the economic incentive for tourism has diminished significantly.

North Korea's Complex Relationship with Tourism

North Korea's approach to tourism has always been a delicate balancing act between the desire for foreign currency and the fear of outside influence. This tension has led to some bizarre chapters in the country's tourism history.

The Ryugyong Hotel: A Monument to Ambition

One of the most striking symbols of North Korea's complicated relationship with tourism is the Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang. Construction on this massive pyramid-shaped skyscraper began in 1987 with grand ambitions:

• Planned height: 330 meters (1,080 feet)
• Intended to be the world's tallest hotel
• Originally scheduled for completion in 1989

However, economic crisis and mismanagement led to decades of delays. The hotel stood as an unfinished concrete shell for years, becoming known as the "Hotel of Doom." While the exterior was finally completed in 2011, the interior remains unfinished and the hotel has never hosted a single guest.

The Floating Hotel

Another strange chapter in North Korea's tourism history involves a floating hotel that changed hands multiple times:

• Originally built as a luxury resort off Australia's Great Barrier Reef in 1988
• Moved to Vietnam in 1989 after financial difficulties
• Purchased by Hyundai Asan in 1998 and moved to North Korea's Mount Kumgang resort area

The floating hotel operated as part of a special tourist zone that allowed South Korean visitors. However, this experiment ended abruptly in 2008 after North Korean soldiers shot and killed a South Korean tourist. The hotel was abandoned and later demolished.

Recent Tourism Investments

Despite its isolationist tendencies, North Korea has made significant investments in tourism infrastructure in recent years:

• Kim Jong-un has reportedly invested $7.8 billion in hotels and tourism amenities since taking power
• New projects include ski resorts, amusement parks, and beach resorts
• The massive Wonsan-Kalma beach resort, still under construction, is set to be one of the largest in the world

These investments suggest that North Korea still sees potential value in tourism, even as it remains hesitant to fully open its doors.

Current State of Tourism in North Korea

As of April 2025, tourism to North Korea remains extremely limited:

• Russian citizens are currently the only foreign nationals generally permitted to visit
• Even Russian tourism numbers are low, with fewer than 900 visitors in 2024
• Western tourism is effectively non-existent outside of the brief February 2025 experiment

The Future of North Korean Tourism

The future of tourism in North Korea remains highly uncertain. Several factors will likely influence the country's approach in the coming years:

1. Geopolitical Developments

North Korea's relationship with the international community, particularly the United States and South Korea, will play a crucial role. Any thawing of relations could potentially lead to a gradual reopening to tourism.

2. Economic Pressures

If North Korea's current revenue streams from supporting Russia's war effort diminish, the country may once again look to tourism as a source of foreign currency.

3. Internal Stability

The regime's confidence in its ability to control information and maintain stability within the country will be a key factor in any decision to allow more foreign visitors.

4. Technological Advancements

North Korea may develop new methods to more tightly control what tourists can see and share about their experiences, potentially making the regime more comfortable with limited tourism.

Conclusion

North Korea's brief experiment with Western tourism in early 2025 offered a rare glimpse into the hermit kingdom. However, the quick reversal of this opening demonstrates the regime's ongoing struggle between the potential benefits of tourism and its deep-seated fears of outside influence.

As the world continues to evolve, North Korea's approach to tourism will likely remain a reflection of its broader stance toward engagement with the international community. For now, the country remains largely closed off, with only the most determined and well-connected travelers able to catch a glimpse behind its tightly controlled borders.

While the future of tourism in North Korea is uncertain, the country's recent investments in tourism infrastructure suggest that the regime has not entirely abandoned the idea of welcoming foreign visitors. Whether these investments will ever fully pay off, or if North Korea will continue to prioritize isolation over economic opportunity, remains to be seen.

Article created from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZe1RFwtxgw