A Chinese tour operator has opened bookings for trips to a city in North Korea's northeast to celebrate former leader Kim Jong Il's birthday.

The tour would offer foreign tourists the first chance to visit North Korea since the COVID pandemic.

Lavish celebrations for Kim Jong Il's birthday

Beijing-based travel agency Koryo Tours said the tours, scheduled for February through April, will take visitors to "must-see sites" in Rason, a city on the border with China in North Korea's special economic zone.

"Plus, you will travel to North Korea to celebrate one of the biggest holidays, Kim Jong Il's Birthday," the travel agency wrote on its website.

The birthday of late former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is on February 16, a national holiday in North Korea. The birthdays of members of the ruling Kim dynasty are typically feted in the country with large-scale public celebrations.

No confirmation of border opening

However, although the tour is open for bookings, it is "not yet confirmed," Koryo said, adding it was "awaiting information from the Chinese authorities on the opening of the Chinese side of the border".

February's tour also includes visits to factories, markets, a bank and a school.

Another China-based travel agency, Young Pioneer Tours, also announced in January that North Korea was opening tourism in Rason, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

Not first time that tours from China announced

Koryo Tours, as well as another Chinese travel operator, announced back in August 2024 that they expected the border to open to Chinese tourists by December that year. 

However, only Russian tourists have been able to visit North Korea since it shut its borders in early 2020 to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Chinese tourists made up the bulk of foreign visitors to North Korea before the pandemic. It's estimated that Chinese tourists accounted for 90 to 95% of foreign tourists in 2019. 

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar