New | Tour park near the border with China to offer glimpse into North Korea
North Korean facility will be accessible with just an ID card
A tour park on the North Korean side of the border with China is expected to open soon to allow tourists a rare glimpse into the world’s most isolated country, amid worsening ties between Beijing and Pyongyang.
The park – covering some 130,000km in the Sinuiju special economic zone on the North Korean side of Yalu River, or Amnok River in North Korea – includes an amusement park, a playground for traditional Korean performances, a Korean-style restaurant, a barbecue diner, a noodle shop as well as a duty-free shop.
READ MORE: Beijing no-show by N Korean leader’s hand-picked pop band points to diplomatic rift with China: analysts
Dandong China International Travel Service was the park’s sole investor, injecting some 50 million yuan (HK$59.7 million) into the project, according to the Dandong Tourism Development Committee’s website. The park can take over 10,000 visitors a day, China News Service reported.
Ties between China and North Korea have deteriorated in recent years, with Beijing growing increasingly frustrated over Pyongyang’s nuclear tests.
This month, Moranbong Band, a female group hand-picked by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, abruptly cancelled its concerts in Beijing. But China said Beijing was still keen to maintain exchanges with Pyongyang.
Once the park is open to tourists, travellers will only have to submit their identity cards to the Dandong Public Security Bureau to obtain an entry permit, with which they can board a boat to take them to the park for a five-hour tour. Presently, tourists from Dandong to North Korea are required to apply for a visa with their passport at least four days before their tour. Other details, such as the official opening date, have yet to be announced.
