News and events

DECEMBER 2011. Despite long negotiations no final agreement could be reached between Air Koryo and German authorities regarding charter flights next year 2012 from Berlin to Pyongyang with two approved aircrafts (Tupolev Tu-204s). It means that all our April group tours 2012 will start from Beijing only.

19 OCTOBER 2011. ‎DPRK will meet Japan in the regional qualifier for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil. The match will be held on the 15 th of November 2011at 4 pm at Kim Il Sung Stadium in Pyongyang.

OCTOBER 2011. In April-May 2012, Air Koryo is going to arrange several direct charter flights between Berlin and Pyongyang. This is a unique opportunity to fly directly from Europe to North Korea without making a stop in China or Russia. The plane is TU204-100 and can accommodate 164 passengers in Economy class and 12 passengers in Business class. TU204-100 meets all technical and safety requirements of the European Union and will fly from Berlin Schonefeld Airport.

Berlin Schonefeld Airport is one of the largest airports in Germany and is located in 18 km from Berlin. Travellers often use Berlin Schonefeld for weekend getaways. The airport is used by low cost airlines for domestic, international and transcontinental flights. Airlines that have one of their hubs at Berlin Schonefeld are Air Berlin, EasyJet and German Wings. Other airlines flying to Berlin Schonefeld are Aer Lingus, Condor, Iceland Express, Ryanair, Pegasus Airlines, Ryanair, SunExpress etc.

Korea Konsult will book these charter flights for both individual and group travelers.

IMPORTANT! The timetable below is a preliminary one. The final timetable and price will be confirmed in November 2011. Until then we are waiting with promoting any tours including this option.

Timetable Berlin-Pyongyang-Berlin in April-May 2012 :

April 12, Berlin-Pyongyang. From Berlin at 19:00 local time, arrival in Pyongyang on April 13 at 14:30 local time
April 19, Pyongyang-Berlin. From Pyongyang at 00:00 am local time, arrival in Berlin the same day at 6:30 am local time.

April 19, Berlin-Pyongyang. From Berlin at 19:00 local time, arrival in Pyongyang on April 20 at 14:30 local time
April 26, Pyongyang-Berlin. From Pyongyang at 00:00 local time, arrival in Berlin the same day at 6:30 am local time.

April 26, Berlin-Pyongyang. From Berlin at 19:00 local time, arrival in Pyongyang on April 27 at 14:30 local time
May 3, Pyongyang-Berlin. From Pyongyang at 00:00 local time, arrival in Berlin the same day at 6:30 am local time.

May 3, Berlin-Pyongyang. From Berlin at 19:00 local time, arrival in Pyongyang on 4 May at 14:30 local time
This will be the last flight and the passengers should return to Europe through Beijing, Shenyang or Vladivostok.

SEPTEMBER 2011. On the occasion of the 70th birthday of Kim Jong Il, a "Mass Gymnastics" show (not to mix up with "Mass Games") will be held in Pyongyang on the 16th of February 2012. More info is coming soon.

MAY 2011. In April 2012 the DPRK will celebrate its biggest holiday ever - the Eternal President Kim Il Sung's 100th birthday. We have not yet received any information on what exactly will happen in the DPRK then but there's no doubt that this event will be celebrated in a very big scale throughout the country. There is already a considerable interest in visiting the country in 2012 and Korea Konsult offers a special discount of 50 Euro per person for those who book any of our 2012 group tours before 1 September 2011. The availability is limited. Do not miss this unique occasion!

“Grand Magic Show” in May Day Stadium in Pyongyang.
4 MARCH 2011. A new and unique show will take place between April 18th and May 9th in the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea’s biggest sports arena. This spectacular show will be running twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday evening, 8.30 pm). It is a fantastic opportunity for those who will not be able to attend  the Arirang Mass Games in summer and fall. Ticket prices from 80 Euro. Below is the official press-release:

Pyongyang Hosts a Large-sized Magic Show

The April Spring Friendship Art Festival has been held as a traditional event in Pyongyang, capital city of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in the beautiful spring month of April. In addition to the festival, Pyongyang will host this year a new form of magic show in the May Day Stadium, where the grand mass gymnastics and artistic performance Arirang is staged every year.
 A link in the whole chain of magic shows held in a few countries the world over, the magic show, prepared by the Pyongyang Circus, will present aircraft, a large bus, elephants and other giant objects and animals in their form.
Aircraft and a large bus appearing and then suddenly disappearing, elephants and other heavy animals appearing mysteriously, motorcycle performing fantastic skills, magicians floating in the air as if in a gravity-free space-all these will be presented in one large-scale artistic image.
 Audiences will enjoy in Pyongyang a multifaceted artistic performance of a new mood, which, unlike the magic shows that were held previously in a few countries, presents a series of numbers in one show.
 This magic show is to be performed by Kim Chol, a prestigious magician of the Pyongyang Circus. He is 50 years old this year.
 He become an eye-catcher already in his teens, drawing the limelight of the magic circles.
 He distinguished himself with his marked individuality at international magic festivals already in the 1980s, enjoyng popularity with the audiences.
 He is vice-chairman of the Magicians Association of Korea and leader of the magic production team of the Pyongyang Circus. At present he is a world-class producer and performer of pieces of magic.
 His masterpieces include Warriors, Girls Reflected in Mirror and A Rich Catch pf Catfish, which are well known in the world for the unique skills and splendid conception.
 The magic pieces of the DPRK have won more than 20 highest prizes, including the Grand Prix, at the Monte Carlo International Magic Festival and other festivals on ten occasions.
 For the past 60 years since its inception in 1952, the Pyongyang Circus has produced 1200 works, winning 70 awards including 36 gold prizes at 38 international circus festivals.
 The circus has performed on 35000 occasions in total at home and abroad, including 250 tours around the globe, earning international prestige.
 The magic show is slated to open on April 18(Monday) during the 27th April Spring Friendship Art Festival. It will be held twice a week, six times in all.
 Application for tickets is increasing rapidly at home and even abroad.
 Pyongyang and the beautiful balmy spring welcome visitors from around the world.

Direct train Moscow-Pyongyang suspended
OCTOBER 2010. The direct rail link between Moscow and Pyongyang (train 20/19 via China) will be suspended from mid-December 2010. This applies until the end of May 2011. Those who want to take the train all the way between Moscow and Pyongyang will have to change train in Shenyang or Beijing.

DPRK reopens for British tourists
17 JUNE 2009. We are happy to inform you that the diplomatic misunderstanding is now solved and British citizens will be issued DPRK visas from today.

Important information for British citizens
12 JUNE 2009. On 11 June 2009 the DPRK Government announced that it would no longer issue visas to UK citizens because the UK had stopped issuing visas to North Koreans. According to the FCO and the UK Embassy in the DPRK, the UK has NOT taken the measures claimed by the DPRK ( i.e. refusing to allow DPRK citizens to enter the UK ).  The UK Ambassador in Pyongyang has requested an urgent meeting with the DPRK authorities to seek an explanation of this action, the FCO is also working with the DPRK Embassy in London to resolve this misunderstanding . Please visit FCO's website for latest updates. All these efforts give us a hope that things will get back to normal soon and that all UK tourists who booked their tours with us will be able to visit the DPRK as scheduled. Please note that mentioned DPRK's measures do not affect non-UK citizens living and working in the UK.

Air China opens Beijing-Pyongyang route
31 MARCH 2008. (Xinhua). An Air China Boeing 737 landed at Pyongyang Sunan Airport Monday March 31, launching the company's direct flight service from Beijing to Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Flights will take off from Beijing and Pyongyang every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Up to now, the Beijing-based Air China has served as the only foreign airline to offer scheduled flights to the DPRK.

Historic football match in Pyongyang between North and South (26 March 2008) Attention. The match was moved to Shanghai and ended with the result 0:0
14 JAN 2008. The DPRK (North Korea) will play against ROK (South Korea) in the regional qualifier for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa. The historic match will be held in Pyongyang at Kim Il Sung Stadium on 26 March 2008 (3 pm local time). Korea Konsult is offering an unique opportunity to attend this event by organizing a special tour for those who love football.

Trip details :

4 nights, 5 days in North Korea.

Tour itinerary: click here.

25 March 2008 (Tuesday). Flight Beijing-Pyongyang

29 March 2008 (Saturday). Train or flight Pyongyang-Beijing (the choice is up to you).

Price: 1190 Euro per person (all inclusive from Beijing)

Additional costs: visa fee, football tickets (20 Euro p/p), ev. single room supplement (30 Euro p/p per night).

Application deadline: 25 February 2008.

***Booking restrictions: all nationalities are welcome except USA, South Korea, Israel and journalists regardless of the nationality. This restriction is imposed by the Korean side, we apologize for the inconvenience.

.

Mass Games are resumed, apply now! Visa processing time is shortened to 1 week
17 SEP 2007. Most damages caused by floods are now behind and Mass Games are resuming today in Pyongyang. They will be ending on October 10th, 2007 (Worker Party of Korea 62 th Anniversary). Visa processing time is shortened to 1 week during Mass Games period, so please apply before October 1 to be able to see the Games. Our last group tour in 2007 will be departing fom Beijing on Oct 9, and also it will be the very last possibility to see this unforgettable performance. So book now !

Mass Games are suspended until mid-September 2007
AUG 2007. Due to heavy floods, Arirang Mass Games are suspended until the mid-September 2007, however the exact date is not known at the moment of writing. We still accept bookings for our October tours.

Our website is now available in French!
JULY 2007.A new version of our website is now available in French. Enjoy the language of Voltaire. Please click here to go to the French version.

Update on US tours and Mass Games dates in 2007
MAY 2007. The DPRK has announced about new dates for Arirang Mass Games for summer/fall 2007. According to the last information, Mass Games will be hosted in Pyongyang between August 1- October 10. Attention! It is possible (but far away from being confirmed) that US citizens will be able to stay 4 nights in the DPRK instead of 3 nights announced before, however we are not changing any schedule for US tours before we know it for sure. We ask all US-citizens to be as flexible as possible with their travel dates.

We run the most unusual tour to the DPRK in September!
MAY 8, 2007. We are offering an exceptional occasion to join our special VIP-tour tour including quite a lot of new and rare places which are not shown for tourists during "normal" tours. Also, you will be eating in a higher level restaurants, best ones in the DPRK. And finally you will stay at the famous Koryo Hotel located in the heart of Pyongyang's downtown. Tour dates September 4-11. The space on this tour is limited, so please book as soon as possible. The detailed tour itinerary can be found here.

US tours during Arirang Mass Games 2007
MARCH 4, 2007. North Korea has announced that US citizens will be accepted into DPRK during Arirang Mass Games which will be hosted in Pyongyang between April 15th - May 15 and August 15th to October 15th 2007. Group and individual tours are available for bookings.

More details below:

Visas: will be obtained in Beijing only. Please make sure to arrive in Beijing at least 24 hrs prior your departure to the DPRK.

Tour length and itinerary: restricted to 3 nights, return flight from Beijing.

Tour itinerary: please click here

Tour dates (group tours):

a) May 5-8

b) August 18-21

c) September 8-11

d) October 6-9

Tour costs (group tours): 1450 Euro per person (shared accomodation).

Discounts: available for students and for groups of at least 3 persons booking alltogether.

Application deadline: 4 weeks prior travel, but it is recommended to book ASAP as we can not always guarantee flight seats for last minute applicants.

Payment: a tour deposit should be paid on booking.

More questions: please contact us!

Mass Games 2007 have been finally confirmed by the DPRK
MARCH 4, 2007. The DPRK has finally confirmed that Arirang Mass Games 2007 will be hosted in the North Korean capital Pyongyang during the period April 15th - May 15th as well as from mid-August to mid-October 2007. To find out more about Arirang Mass Games 2007 please click here.

Major Sport Events in North Korea in 2007
NOVEMBER 2006. 2005-2006 annual meeting of the International Ice Hockey Federation decided to host the 2007 IIHF World Women Championships (Div.II) in Pyongyang, the capital of the D P R Korea. According to The Korea Sports Fund, the upcoming championships will be held between March 17 and 23 and draw many women’s ice hockey teams from the D P R K, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Slovak. The D P R K team is among the top-notch teams in Asia.

Other international competitions  held annually in Pyongyang (Korea Sports Found)

• “Paektusan Prize” International Figure Skating Festival (February)
• “Mangyongdae Prize” International Marathon (April)
• The Pyongyang International Table Tennis Invitational Tournament (August)

Arirang Mass Games are cancelled
JULY 29, 2006. Due to heavy rains and difficult flood situation in the whole country, the DPRK has made the decision to postpone Arirang Mass Games until the next spring. Unfortunately this means that American citizens who planned to visit the DPRK this year won’t be able to do that. All “non-American” tours are going to run as planned.

China Southern starts flying to Pyongyang
MAY 2006. China Southern just announced that they are resuming their Beijing-Pyongyang
flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, beginning May 1, 2006. China Southern will be using Boeing 737s for flights to the DPRK unlike the North Korean Airline Air Koryo flying now on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and using Russianbuild Tupolev aircrafts. According to statistics provided by the airline, 240,000 Chinese visited the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 2005.

Arirang Mass Games even in 2006 !
APRIL 2006. Despite initial plans to run the next Arirang Mass Games as late as in 2008, thanks to the success made by this event in 2005 organizers decided to run one more Arirang in 2006. Koreakonsult is going to organize group- as well as individual tours during Arirang.

Air Koryo opens a new regular flight from/to Beijing
APRIL 2006. In the mid-april 2006 the North Korean airline Air Koryo opened a new regular route linking Beijing and Pyongyang, the new flight will operate every Thursda

Temporary break of tours to the DPRK
NOVEMBER 2005. Please be aware that North Korean borders will be closed for tourists from December 15, 2005 to January 15, 2006. Due to this fact we can not arrange any tours for this period.

Best regards, Koreakonsult.

Latest update on Arirang Festival

The Arirang Festival' s opening ceremony has taken place at the May Day
Stadium in Pyongyang on August 15, 2005. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of
Korea's Liberation from Japan, the present DPRK leader, Kim Jong Il, was
present at the ceremony.

Although we were originally informed that the Arirang Festival would
continue until October 31, the latest information from Pyongyang tells us
that the Festival will end two weeks prior to this date - on October 17.

For that reason, people wishing to join our last group tour in late October
will not be able to attend the Arirang Festival. We are making some changes
to remedy this. Please note that our last Arirang tour will be held from
October 8 until October 15. The deadline for applications is September 2,
2005.

Thank you for visiting our website.

Koreakonsult, August 20, 2005

Information for journalists

A few weeks ago Koreakonsult announced about a special tour for journalists between July 19-23, 2005. Thank you all who applied for this tour, but unfortunately we got a sudden request from North Korean Tourism Administration to cancel the tour and stop all the arrangements.

We are really sorry for all this and apologize if this fact caused you any troubles. If you don't mind, we will keep your e-mail address and will contact you in case another possibility to visit the DPRK will occur in the future.

Best regards,

Koreakonsult, April 28, 2005

8TH PYONGYANG INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR (PITF 2005)

Dates : 16th – 19th May 2005
Venue : New Technology and Innovation Hall, Pyongyang, D.P.R. of Korea.

Exhibits Profiles: 

- Construction Materials & Equipment
- Mining Equipment & Technology
- Energy & environment
- Transport & Logistics
- Communications & IT Technology
- Agriculture & Farming Equipment & Technology
- Manufacturing & Machinery including Textile, Food & Beverage, Printing & Packaging, Chemical & Pharmaceutical Equipment & Technology, Light Industries
- Consumer Goods

Visitors Target: 

Governmental Officials, Company Decision-Makers, Engineers and Scientists, Business Traders, and Developers.

Participation Fee: 

Euro 60 / indoor square meter
Euro 30 / outdoor square meter
Euro 800 / standard shell scheme (9 square meters)

Organizers: 

Korea International Exhibition Corp.(KIEC)
Ministry of Foreign Trade, D.P.R. Korea.

Application Deadline: 

15th March 2005

Temporary suspension of tours to the DPRK

Please be aware that North Korean borders will be closed for tourists from December 15, 2004 to January 15, 2005. Due to this fact we can not arrange any tours for this period.

The 2004 Pyongyang International Technology and Infrastructure Exhibition (ITIE)

Dates: 21-24th September 2004 Attention! This event is postponed to 2005!

http://www.pyongyang-itie.com

The 2004 Pyongyang International Technology and Infrastructure Exhibition (ITIE) will be held this year between 21-24th September at the New Technology and Innovation Hall (which has a floor space of 10,000 sqm) in Pyongyang, DPRK.

The event provides exhibitors with an unparalleled opportunity to understand first hand the business environment in North Korea, see for themselves the tremendous industrial and technological markets that North Korea presents and all while absorbing the rich historical roots and traditions of the country. This years ITIE will have a special focus on IT, Electronics, Transport/Logistics and the Medical technology/Pharmaceuticals Industries.

The first Pyongyang Martial Art Championship

Dates: September 15 - 20, 2004
Venue : Pyongyang Taekgwondo Ground
Participation Items: 10 items such as Taekwon-do, Chinese martial art, Japanese Karate, Japanese Aitido, Japanese Chujitzu, Thai Kicking Box, Malaysian Basilla, Russian Sambo, Korean Paduk(checkers), Korean wrestling

Mode: Matches, Demonstration, Model show
Size of the championship: 600 players of 50 countries shall participate.
Special presentation: The famous Korean Women music band will be presented both at the openning and closing ceremony.
Striking a fire at the newly built beacon.

The 2nd World Congress of Korean Studies "Korean Studies in the Era of Reconciliation and Cooperation"

Dates : August 3-7, 2004

Location : Academy of Social Sciences, Pyongyang, DPRK

Co-organized by : The Academy of Korean Studies, Republic of Korea Academy of Social Sciences, Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Sponsored by : International Society for Korean Studies(ISKS), The Association for Korean Studies in Europe(AKSE), Central Asian Association of Korean Studies(CAAKS), Pacific and Asia Conference on Korean Studies(PACKS), Korean Studies Association of Australasia(KSAA), Korea Institution of Social Sciences(in DPRK), Institute of Oriental Studies(in Russia Academy of Sciences), Institute of Korean Culture Studies(in Peking University), Centre of Korean Studies(in The School of Oriental and African Studies).

The World Congress of Korean Studies is the biggest conference on Korean Studies in the world. The 2nd World Congress is going to be a sensation in many ways: many participants (among whom will be South Korean and American passport holders) will fly to Pyongyang directly from Seoul. Three days of excursions (7-10 August) around the DPRK will follow the Congress and allow its participants to explore the subject of their professional interest north of the 38th parallel.