N. Korea allows citizens abroad to return home amid signs of easing Covid-19 restrictions
North Korea has officially approved the entry of its citizens staying abroad amid signs of easing Covid-19 restrictions, state media said Sunday.
The North's national emergency epidemic prevention headquarters announced that North Korean "citizens abroad have been allowed to return home," as it has decided to "adjust the anti-epidemic degree in reference to the eased worldwide pandemic situation," according to the Korean Central News Agency.
It added those who returned home would be put under "proper medical observation at quarantine wards for a week."
The move came after North Korea resumed the operation of commercial flights with China and Russia last week following more than three years of border closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Another N. Korean airliner arrives in Beijing following resumption of Pyongyang-Beijing air route
Another flight operated by Air Koryo, North Korea's national carrier, arrived in Beijing on Saturday.
China recently announced its approval of Koryo Air's schedule between the two countries' capitals, offering three flights per week.
Previously, two Air Koryo planes had arrived in Beijing on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, and carried about 400 North Koreans who were staying in China during the pandemic back home.
On Saturday, another Air Koryo plane, flight number JS151, departed from Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport and arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport at about 9:20 a.m., marking the full resumption of the three flights per week schedule.
As with the previous two flights, few passengers were aboard the plane when it arrived in Beijing, but more than 100 people checked in for the return flight to Pyongyang, which was scheduled to take off at around 1 p.m. The passengers arrived at the Beijing airport in several buses bearing diplomatic license plates belonging to the North Korean Embassy.
The crowd included people of various age groups, from children to seniors, as well as a group of women who appeared to be in their 20s or 30s.
In another sign that the border is reopening, North Korean buses carrying dozens of North Korean taekwondo athletes crossed a bridge linking North Korea's Sinuiju to China's Dandong on Aug. 16 on the athletes' way to participate in the ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships taking place in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The Korea Herald
Asia News Network
