TAIPEI, Taiwan – Journalists from China’s state-run media outlets, CCTV and the People’s Daily, have returned to North Korea five years after their withdrawal due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said South Korea’s unification ministry.
North Korea has selectively opened its doors to foreign media, allowing a limited number of outlets to establish bureaus in its capital, Pyongyang.
Chinese, Russian, Japanese and a few Western agencies, such as AP and AFP, have been granted access under strict government oversight. During the COVID-19 pandemic, foreign journalists were asked to leave North Korea as part of its strict border control measures.
Chinese journalists entered North Korea on Feb. 27, said the South’s Ministry of Unification, which oversees inter-Korean relations, adding that journalists from AP and AFP had not returned to North Korea yet.
It is not clear whether Russian journalists had also returned to the North.
Separately, the Japan-based pro-Pyongyang newspaper Choson Sinbo also announced that its North Korean bureau had reopened.
“Our Pyongyang bureau has resumed operations after five years, ending the unfortunate period of temporary suspension caused by an unexpected malignant epidemic,” the paper announced on Friday.
The news comes as North Korea sends mixed signals about reopening its borders to foreigners.
Last week, North Korea closed its only gateway for foreign tourists. Weeks earlier it allowed visitors back in, which had suggested it was opening up for the first time since a COVID-19 ban on arrivals in 2020.
Some South Korean media outlets speculated that the decision to stop tourists coming in was driven by concerns over the uncontrolled spread of information.
Before last month, only Russians had been allowed into North Korea for limited group tours since September 2023.
The establishment of foreign media bureaus and the residency status of journalists are overseen by the North’s Korean Central News Agency and the Korean Central Broadcasting Committee.
These two agencies submit residency approval applications to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after obtaining approval from the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
RELATED STORIES
North Korea suspends foreign tours less than a month after resumption
North Korean tour guides know about soldiers dispatched to Ukraine war, tourist says
Traveling to North Korea? No wifi, limited hot water and bring your own TP
Foreign media operating in North Korea often face criticism from the outside world over their lack of independent reporting due to the severe restrictions imposed by the regime.
Journalists are constantly monitored, their movements are heavily controlled, and they are often assigned government minders, limiting their ability to report freely.
Critics argue that foreign media bureaus in Pyongyang risk amplifying state propaganda rather than providing objective news, as they are pressured to align with the regime’s narratives.
South Korean public broadcaster, KBS, for example, expressed in 2021 interest in establishing a bureau in Pyongyang to enhance inter-Korean media cooperation and provide direct coverage from the North.
However, such initiatives faced public criticism in South Korea due to concerns about journalistic independence and potential compromises in reporting.
At that time, the then-opposition People’s Power Party also raised a concern that the operation of a bureau in Pyongyang might be used as a channel to funnel foreign funds to the North Korean government, accusing the government of “giving away” South Korean taxpayers money.
Edited by Mike Firn.