Representatives from two Western travel agencies crossed into North Korea Thursday for the first time since the isolated regime closed its borders five years ago, raising hopes for new tour offerings to a border city.

The first tour is set to take place Feb. 12 to 18, when major celebrations are planned for the birthday of the country's late leader Kim Jong Il, one of North Korea's biggest holidays.

After years of being shrouded behind an impenetrable curtain, North Korea is finally planning to open its doors to foreign visitors.

A remote part of North Korea is set to reopen to tourists this month, the first organised tour open to international visitors since the country’s borders closed in January 2020.

SEOUL - Western tour agencies entered North Korea for the first time on Feb 13 since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, the companies said, voicing hopes the isolated country may soon reopen a border city to foreign visitors.

This marks the first time North Korea has opened its borders to international tourism since January 2020. Tourists will be invited to Rason and have the opportunity to pay their respects to Kim Jong Il.

North Korea has reopened its touristic border city of Rason near China after it was closed in 2020 at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a tour operator. "There has been news that Rason, located in the northeast of North Korea, has officially opened for tourism," said Koryo Tourism Agency in a notice to its customers on Monday.

Foreign tour agents have entered North Korea for the first time since it closed its borders to tourism in 2020 due to COVID-19, to inspect new tourism sites, a tour agency's website said Friday, amid signs of Pyongyang reopening to foreign tourists.