Support The Moscow Times!

Nuclear Weapons Will Keep Russian Tourists Safe, Says North Korean Official

Pixabay

North Korea has opened its first official tourist agency in Russia saying tourists are guaranteed safety by the isolated country’s nuclear arsenal.

The Pyongyang-approved NKOREAN tour agency will be working together with the North Korean Embassy in Russia to promote Russian tourism to the region, the Interfax news agency reported Thursday. The all-inclusive tours will last between 4 to 15 days and will cost from 51,000 rubles($860) upwards.

“North Korea is one of the safest countries in the world, and guarantees the safety of tourists who respect the law and order of the country,” North Korean Embassy aide Kim Sen Khun was cited as saying by Interfax.

He added that North Korea’s nuclear weapons “fully guarantee safety and peace on the Korean peninsula.”

The ambassador also announced a simplified visa procedure for Russian citizens, which would reduce waiting times from up to three weeks to between three and five days.

"There's a category of tourists who are interested in going there to experience socialism,"  Irina Tyurina, a spokesperson for Russia's Tourism Union, was cited as saying by Interfax. "There are not many of them," she said, adding 423 Russian tourists visited North Korea in 2016.

The announcement comes just one week before a U.S. travel ban to North Korea is set to go into effect.

The measure applies to all Americans except journalists and humanitarian workers and was introduced earlier this month after an American student died under mysterious circumstances after being incarcerated there.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more