Pyongyang Approves the Return of Its Citizens

State media reported that North Korea has agreed to the return of its citizens abroad after years of strict border restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement conveyed by the Korean Central News Agency, the Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters stated that the approval aligns with its adjustment of the pandemic response level following "the easing of the epidemic situation worldwide." The statement mentioned that "returnees will undergo appropriate medical monitoring in quarantine facilities for a week." This comes just days after a flight from Air Koryo landed in Beijing coming from Pyongyang, the first such flight since pandemic lockdowns began in 2020, amid the slow reopening of one of the world's most politically and economically isolated countries. It was not immediately clear who was on board the flight, but Western tourism companies operating in North Korea indicated that it appears to be a flight returning North Koreans who have been stranded in China due to border closures for years.