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Visiting North Korea just got easier (and cheaper)

The five companies currently running tours to the Communist state will now be hoping to offer che...
Newstalk
Newstalk

15.15 24 May 2013


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Visiting North Korea just got...

Visiting North Korea just got easier (and cheaper)

Newstalk
Newstalk

15.15 24 May 2013


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The five companies currently running tours to the Communist state will now be hoping to offer cheaper day tours into the notoriously restricted country. Koryo Tours, one of the specialist North Korean tour guides, estimate they’ll be able to bring curious visitors to Sinuiju for a cost of around €150-€250.

The new tours will be one of the first opportunities for curious tourists to visit the DPRK without having to commit to a longer stay. With the guided itineraries strictly controlled by the North Korean authorities, longer visits – usually between 3 and 8 nights – currently cost between €1,000 and €2,000. One of the most popular events on the tourist calendar is the elaborate Mass Games held every summer (taking place in July and August this year).

The opening of Sinuiju comes not even two months after relations between North Korea and the West worsened following a series of incidents related to the annual South Korean and US military exercises. The fallout saw the border between the North and South temporarily blocked, including access to the collaborative and economically invaluable Kaesŏng industrial area.

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Those who would rather take in the North Korean sights from the comfort of their own home can always try the fascinating (and free) Pyongyang Racer. Commissioned by Koryo Tours, it’s the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s first internally produced video game, taking the player on a virtual tour of the capital. Dare we suggest they won’t be challenging Gran Turismo just yet?


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