Despite early signs pointing to a post-pandemic revival of tourism in North Korea, multiple tour operators now say Pyongyang has gone quiet on reopening plans and the prospects for a restart this year are fading fast — a shift that analysts warn reflects deeper concerns about security control, geopolitical alignment and shifting economic priorities.

Young Pioneer Tours (YPT), one of the most prominent operators bringing foreigners into the country before borders closed in 2020, told NK News that North Korean officials appear uninterested in resuming tourism from either Western or Chinese visitors.