North Korea is increasingly promoting domestic tourism, with pleasure cruises along the Yalu River in Sinuiju becoming a popular attraction.
According to a source in North Pyongan province recently, a tour boat that began operating on Kim Il Sung’s birthday (April 15) continues to run, much to the delight of locals who marvel at the changes taking place.
Previously, these cruises were reserved for special occasions and limited to certain individuals. Even when technically available to others, obtaining tickets involved complicated procedures and passengers faced strict behavioral rules onboard.
Now, any North Korean with government ID can take the cruise for 20,000 North Korean won. While this is still expensive for many citizens, people have been lining up at the ticket office during major holidays like Labor Day (May 1).
“They plan to keep the boat tours running until further notice. It’s a win-win situation—people enjoy it and it’s profitable,” the source explained.
Interestingly, the tour boat now travels close to the Chinese side of the Yalu River near Dandong, Liaoning province. In the past, boats kept to the middle of the channel, maintaining distance from China. Today, passengers can clearly see Chinese buildings and people—an exciting experience for North Korean tourists.
The cruise route also showcases Wihwa Island and the villages of Sangdan and Hadan in Sinuiju, where new high-rise apartments were constructed after last year’s floods. The authorities seem eager to highlight these buildings, which the regime considers a source of pride.
Perhaps most notably, passenger behavior restrictions have been significantly relaxed.
“Before, passengers had to pretend not to notice Dandong’s bright lights and couldn’t show any interest or envy. Photography was strictly forbidden,” the source said. “Now, people can laugh, chat excitedly, and even wave back at Chinese people who wave at them.”
“These small freedoms have many people excited about the possibility of more open tourism. Some are even hoping we’ll eventually be allowed to travel freely throughout the country,” the source added.
