Though the North Korean government hasn’t officially announced it, it looks like the country will hold its renowned Mass Games from August through October this year, opening a window for American tourists to travel to the otherwise closed nation. The Beijing-based Koryo Tours, which handles travel for about half of all Westerners who visit North Korea yearly, is currently accepting applications from Americans interested in traveling during the Mass Games period, based on North Korea’s history of allowing Americans to visit during the event (as happened in 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2008).
Koryo’s Simon Cockerell says he’s already seeing thousands of North Koreans practicing for the Games on the streets of Pyongyang, so his company anticipates confirmation of the event in early summer. He expects the usual restrictions to apply to U.S. travelers, including a four-night maximum stay and mandatory arrival by plane rather than over land.
This could be the year I finally make it out there. We’ll see.
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