North Korea finally relaxes Covid isolation, permits citizens abroad to return home

North Korea's state media reported on Sunday (August 27) that the country has taken steps to further open up from strict isolation of the Covid pandemic era. The citizens living abroad will reportedly be allowed to reenter the country.

State-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) mentioned an announcement from the State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters which said "citizens abroad have been allowed to return home".

"Those returned will be put under proper medical observation at quarantine wards for a week," the report said.

It added that the decision had been made "in reference to the eased worldwide pandemic situation."

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North Korea closed its borders in early 2020 when coronavirus pandemic began spreading across the world. Now, there are increasing signals that the country is moving towards reopening.

Last month, Chinese and Russian officials attended a military parade in North Korean capital Pyongyang. These were the first foreign dignitaries to visit the country in years.

A delegation of athletes was given permission to attend a taekwondo competition in Kazakhstan. State-run Air Koryo has operated its first international commercial flight in three years.

The flight arrived in Beijing on Tuesday.

Data from a tracking website showed that another Air Koryo flight headed to Pyongyang departed shortly after 1 pm.

AFP quoted Chinese foreign ministry who said that it had approved restart of commercial air travel between Pyongyang and Beijing.

"During the summer and autumn flight season... the Chinese side approved flight plans for passengers such as the Pyongyang-Beijing and Beijing-Pyongyang routes of Air Koryo," foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing on Monday.