South Korea mulls allowing individual tourism to North

Visitors enjoy swimming at a beach at the Kalma coastal tourist zone in Wonsan, North Korea, in this image captured from the Korean Central Television, Sunday. Yonhap

The South Korean government is considering allowing individual tourism to North Korea as part of the Lee Jae Myung administration's broader push to rebuild fractured inter-Korean relations.

"The government is reviewing and implementing its North Korea policy with the aim of easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and improving inter-Korean relations. Various measures are under review as part of this process," Koo Byung-sam, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, said during a briefing Monday.

Koo was responding to a local media report suggesting that the tourism idea had been discussed during a recent National Security Council meeting presided over by the president. While he did not deny the report, the spokesperson declined to comment on any specific measures under consideration.

The presidential office said that "various plans are under review to improve inter-Korean relations," but offered no further details.

South Koreans' tours to North Korea have been suspended since 2008, after a South Korean tourist was shot and killed by a North Korean soldier in the Mount Geumgang resort area. Despite multiple efforts over the years, the tour program has not resumed.

Under the previous liberal Moon Jae-in administration, Seoul proposed a plan allowing South Korean citizens to visit the North via third countries using tourist visas.

But that initiative ultimately stalled due to a lack of response from Pyongyang and opposition from Washington, which urged Seoul to coordinate closely on any economic or tourism-related initiatives involving the North.

Tourism remains one of the few sectors in North Korea not currently restricted by United Nations Security Council sanctions. South Korean officials view that individual travel would not violate international sanctions, as it avoids direct cash transfers or large-scale payments.

The Lee administration's exploration of tourism reflects its broader policy aimed at reengaging with Pyongyang and reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

In his first month in office, Lee has swiftly reversed several of his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol's hardline policies by halting cross-border propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts and calling on civic groups to stop sending anti-North Korea leaflets across the border.

Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said North Korea may respond positively to Seoul's overture on tourism, given its dire need for foreign currency.

"Even though inter-Korean ties are at a low point, North Korea remains in urgent need of foreign currency, and tourism is not restricted under current international sanctions. If Seoul extends a sincere offer, Pyongyang may be receptive," Cho told The Korea Times.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and his daughter Ju-ae, right, are seen on a beach in the Kalma coastal tourist area in the country's east coastal city of Wonsan during a launching ceremony of the tourist zone, June 24, in this photo published by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, June 26. Yonhap

Still, Cho noted that any tourism initiative would likely proceed under the assumption that South Koreans are treated as foreign nationals, as Pyongyang no longer recognizes a "special relationship" with the South. In late 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un designated South Korea as the regime's "primary enemy" and formally declared the two Koreas as separate states.

While officials in Seoul maintain that individual tourism is technically permissible under the current international sanctions framework, observers note that the Lee administration may be wary of how Washington might respond, particularly as speculation continues over a potential U.S.-North Korea dialogue.

Seoul's renewed interest in tourism comes as North Korea's ambitious Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone faces early setbacks in attracting foreign visitors, despite efforts to appeal to Russian and Chinese tourists.

The resort complex, unveiled on July 1 as part of the Kim regime's push to revive the tourism industry, suspended access to foreign tourists abruptly just weeks after opening.

On Sunday, state-run Korean Central Television aired an interview with a site manager who said, "We are currently not accepting foreign tourists temporarily," citing efforts to improve services focused on domestic visitors.

A similar notice was posted Friday on the DPR Korea Tour website, a state-run tourism portal.

No official explanation was given for the suspension, but experts cite limited infrastructure and the site’s remote location as key factors behind low foreign demand. Wonsan is about a 15-hour flight from major Russian cities such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

"Russian tourists have little incentive to visit North Korea on costly group tours when they have other affordable destinations within their own country or in Southeast Asia," Cho said.

"North Korea will soon realize it cannot rely only on Russia or China for the success of the Wonsan complex and needs tourists from neighboring South Korea."