North Korea Lifts Travel Restrictions for Citizens Abroad, Indicating Pandemic Measures Relaxation
North Korea has announced that it will allow its citizens abroad to return home, signaling a further easing of pandemic restrictions. Those returning will be subject to a week-long quarantine for medical observation. This move is expected to bring back North Korean students, workers, and others who have been stranded abroad due to the pandemic, particularly in China and Russia. The return of workers will result in a loss of foreign currency for North Korea, potentially leading to the government sending new workers to replace them. The country is unlikely to resume receiving foreign tourists soon, but may consider allowing foreigners to enter next year if the return of its nationals does not cause any COVID-19 outbreaks.