North Korea has revoked a three-year entry ban on its citizens abroad due to Covid-19 concerns. Citizens returning home will undergo a week-long medical observation. This decision follows the resumption of flights with China and Russia. The move is likely to bring back diplomats, laborers, and students. This shift suggests North Korea’s increased engagement after maintaining a closed border since 2020
Pyongyang, August 27, 2023 — Marking a significant policy shift, North Korea has decided to lift the entry ban imposed on its citizens residing abroad due to Covid-19 concerns, as reported by the state media on Sunday. After more than three years of stringent virus restrictions and border closure, this move signals the nation’s response to the evolving global pandemic scenario.
The Korean Central News Agency announced that “citizens abroad have been allowed to return home” in response to the eased worldwide pandemic situation. The adjustment in the anti-epidemic measures comes alongside the resumption of commercial flights between North Korea and China, as well as Russia, last week. Air Koryo, the national carrier, facilitated flights from Pyongyang to Beijing and Vladivostok, facilitating the repatriation of North Korean citizens who had been staying in these countries.
Upon returning, individuals will undergo a “proper medical observation at quarantine wards for a week,” the KCNA statement outlined. This approach aligns with North Korea’s commitment to preserving public health while reintegrating its citizens.
The decision to lift the entry ban is expected to facilitate the return of North Korean diplomats, laborers, and students residing in foreign nations. North Korea had initially closed its border in January 2020, subsequently implementing rigorous “maximum emergency anti-epidemic” measures in May 2022 following the detection of the country’s first Covid-19 case.
Leader Kim Jong-un had previously declared victory over the Covid-19 crisis in August of the previous year, asserting the end of the pandemic within North Korea’s borders. Despite this, the nation had maintained its cautious border closure, limited only to cargo operations with China and Russia via train and truck.
The cautious approach has seen exceptions, with the secretive regime inviting senior Chinese and Russian officials to its military parade in July, marking the first known foreign visitors since the border shutdown. In a further display of engagement, North Korean taekwondo athletes participated in the ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships in Kazakhstan after crossing the border into China earlier this month.
As North Korea eases its border restrictions and re-engages with the international community, the nation’s involvement in the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8, by fielding seven judokas, underscores its evolving stance on global events
