North Korea's citizens abroad will be allowed to re-enter the country with one week of quarantine, state media said Sunday, as Pyongyang eased its strict COVID-19 border controls in place since early 2020.
The State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters announced the measures Saturday based on its decision "to adjust the anti-epidemic degree in reference to the eased worldwide pandemic situation," the official Korean Central News Agency said.
North Korea recently resumed international passenger flights, with state-run carrier Air Koryo operating services linking Pyongyang and Beijing from Tuesday as well as the capital and Vladivostok in the Russian Far East from Friday.
Tens of thousands of North Korean laborers have remained in China and Russia due to the border closure. Sources familiar with the country's situation said, however, foreigners are still not allowed to enter North Korea.
Late last month, delegations from Russia and China attended a military parade and other events in Pyongyang to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, becoming the first known foreign groups to be invited to North Korea without undergoing quarantine since its border closure.
In early July, North Korea stopped requiring its citizens to wear face masks as an anti-virus measure.
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