The packed, five-day itinerary, organised by Beijing-based Koryo Tours, is centred around the northerly city of Rason and does not feature the capital of Pyongyang, which remains closed to tourists. Located right on the Russian and Chinese borders, the Special Economic Zone of Rason is the only part of North Korea where capitalism is openly promoted.
Here, residents can buy and sell houses and even open a private bank account. The tour includes some conventional tourist activities, such as seeing seals and taking part in a cookery course. There are also some more niche experiences, such as a visit to a sea cucumber farm a delicacy in North Korea , a tour of a school uniform factory and a stop-off at a health facility that treats chronic gastritis.
As always, there are some major asterisks around booking onto a North Korea tour, and western tourists should be aware of the risk of arrest and detention. Located in the far north-east of North Korea, close to the borders with Russia and China, the Special Economic Zone of Rason is something of a peculiarity in that it is the only place in socialist North Korea where capitalism is promoted.
There is a casino which is primarily frequented by Chinese businessmen, a bazaar where North Korean tradespeople can sell Chinese-made goods, and the ice-free β a rarity in this part of the world ports have been leased to Chinese and Russian companies. Home ownership is technically illegal in North Korea, but in Rason a loophole in the law has been exposed allowing residents to buy real estate as part of a localised experiment.
Writing for the New York Times , Edward Wong described a three-hour drive along rutted dirt tracks from the Chinese border. He reported frequent blackouts, very few stores or restaurants, and described seeing men on horses and women drying cuttlefish on rooftops.
