Israeli tour groups can now visit North Korea

Israelis no longer have to go through Chinese travel agents to obtain visas to visit North Korea, as an Israeli tour group now has the rights to issue visas.

Israelis will now have an easier time traveling to North Korea, according to a report in Globes.

Tarbutu, a subsidiary for Israel’s Rimon Tours, has already entered into an exclusive cooperation agreement with North Korea regarding the issuance of visas for Israelis and has made preparations for at least four trips to the country this spring. Until now, Israelis had obtained visas to visit North Korea through agent organizations in China.

“North Korea is without question one of the most fascinating countries in the world today,” said Tarbutu’s program manager, according to Globes, also noting that it “is a closed country cut off from the world, including its neighbors.”

“More is unknown than known about the country,” he added.

Israel has no diplomatic relations with North Korea in light of its long-held rejection of the legitimacy of the State of Israel’s existence, viewing it to be an “imperialist” entity. Nevertheless, North Korea is not officially considered an enemy state of Israel.

“There is no travel warning for North Korea, and no specific ban on traveling there,” noted Israel’s Foreign Ministry. “We of course recommend extreme caution, since there are no diplomatic relations with North Korea, but it is not classified as an enemy country.”

North Korea reportedly launched a ballistic missile test early Sunday, triggering harsh condemnation from both Japan and the United States.

By: World Israel News Staff