By Kim Hyo-jin
North Korea will host an event for foreign tourists on Mount Baekdu this summer, a North Korea travel operator said Thursday.
Simon Cockerell, founder of the China-based Koryo Tours, said Pyongyang gave it first-ever permission to organize a half-marathon in the Mount Baekdu area in August.
“We have been running cycling tours there for five years, and now have the chance to do some running and walking there too,” Cockerell told The Korea Times.
“We decided to make Mount Baekdu a new itinerary as people often ask to see more of the countryside, and this is a remote area and a beautiful place to run in.”
He added, “Our partners in the country supported the idea and have helped a lot with getting permission.” The tour firm has been doing business in partnership with the Korea International Travel Company (KITC), a state-owned tourism bureau in the North.
After Pyongyang lifted a four-month international travel ban to protect its citizens from the Ebola virus, its tourism drive appears to be back in place, according to the tour operator.
“Tourism is up and running again, with the same rules as before Ebola,” Cockerell said. “We expect it to stay like this for some time, but continue to push for access to more of the country and more interaction with local people.”
The half-marathon is included in a five-day tour package from Aug. 18 to 22.
Following a two-day city tour in Pyongyang, the tourists will go sightseeing on Mount Baekdu on the third day. Included sites are the Rimyeongsu waterfalls and the Baekdusan Secret Camp, the base of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army during the fight against the Japanese occupation. A half-marathon will be held on the final day.
“If a half-marathon at altitude seems a little challenging, then you have the option to complete a 10K run, or simply walk the route,” read the Koryo Tours press release.
“We expect it to be interesting to have the chance to go past villages and mountains on foot, which is unique for tourists there,” Cockerell said.