The photo above shows a picture taken by a French tourist, Pierre Emile Bio, who visited the Rason Special Economic Zone in North Korea from the 20th to the 24th. According to Radio Free Asia, North Korea has accepted Western group tourists for the first time in five years since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pierre Emile Bio, a French national, reportedly traveled to North Korea on a group tour package that departed from Yanji, China, on the 20th and included a 4-night, 5-day itinerary in the Rason Special Economic Zone.
During their visit, Bio’s group toured places such as the Rason Special Zone’s coastal park, Bipaseom Island, Ryongseong Brewery, a deer farm, and Rason Elementary School. They also watched a Taekwondo performance and experienced making kimchi.
North Korea provided local beers such as Daedonggang Beer and Tumen River Beer at each meal for the tourists.
Bio mentioned that although the tourists were issued cash cards at a bank in the Rason Special Zone, they could barely use them in actual shops, and instead mainly used Chinese yuan for transactions.
He also noted that while the Wi-Fi in the hotel was too weak to use, it was accessible near the border.
During their tour, when some members of the group asked their North Korean guide about the deployment in the Russia-Ukraine war, the guide simply answered, “People from our country are being dispatched to Russia.”
Bio mentioned that the tourists had to lay flowers and pay their respects at the statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in the center of Rason, saying, “We all did it to show respect for the culture.”
This tour was organized by the North Korea-specialized travel agency Koryo Tours, with the cost announced in mid-February at 705 euros per person, approximately 1.1 million won.
(Photos from Pierre Emile Bio’s Instagram account, RFA video captures, photos provided to RFA by Bio, Yonhap News)