A group of Russian tourists has arrived in Pyongyang, AFP reports. This is the first registered foreign tourist group to visit North Korea since before the pandemic-related border closures.
Their arrival comes at a time when Moscow and Pyongyang are strengthening ties, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un making a rare overseas trip to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin last September.
Photos showed Russian tourists arriving at Pyongyang's airport, many wearing puffed jackets and pushing suitcases or winter sports equipment, including skis, smiling and waving as they moved through the airport and headed for nearby buses.
South Korea and Washington say Pyongyang has subsequently sent weapons to Moscow for use in Ukraine, which would violate United Nations sanctions against the two countries - against Pyongyang for its banned weapons programs and against Moscow for its war with Kiev.
The tour group will be in North Korea for four days, Natalia Zinina, a manager at the Vostok Intour travel agency, which organized the trip, told the Seoul-based NK News specialized website.
About 100 visitors will stop first in "Pyongyang before heading to the Masikryong ski resort near the city of Wonsan on the country's east coast," the report said.
It has become harder for Russians to travel to Europe and the United States since sanctions were imposed following the invasion of Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who has also visited Pyongyang, said last year that North Korea could be recommended as a tourist destination. / BGNES
