North Korean airline Air Koryo, due to make its first commercial trip in more than three years on Monday, canceled its flight at the last minute, international media reported.
According to the France-Presse news agency (AFP), North Korea was the first country to close its borders in 2020, after China presented the first cases of Covid-19. Since then, Pyongyang has kept its borders closed, with rare exceptions.
An Air Koryo flight, which was initially expected this Monday in Beijing at 9:50 a.m. (2:50 a.m. in Lisbon), was “cancelled” after a two-hour delay in the trip, AFP reported.
Several media awaited the arrival of this flight, which would be North Korea’s first commercial link with foreign countries since 2020.
Air Koryo did not provide an explanation for this cancellation, the Beijing-Capital airport told AFP. No information could be obtained from the airline and its offices in central Beijing were closed.
When questioned by the media on this matter, a spokesman for Chinese diplomacy confirmed on Monday the resumption of flights between China and North Korea.
“The Chinese side has approved the flight plans of the North Korean airline Air Koryo for the Pyongyang-Beijing and Beijing-Pyongyang routes,” Chinese spokesman Wang Wenbin said, without specifying when the authorization was granted.
After three years of isolation by the Covid-19, the indications of a possible reopening of the North Korean borders have increased.
Last month, Russian and Chinese officials participated in a military parade in Pyongyang, the first foreigners allowed to visit North Korea in years.
North Korea also sent athletes last week to a taekwondo competition in Kazakhstan.
“There are signs that North Korea is reopening its borders,” South Korea’s Unification Ministry in Seoul told AFP.
“But it’s still hard [nesta fase] determine whether the reopening will be full or gradual and limited,” the ministry said.
According to the NK News portal, specialized in North Korean affairs, Air Koryo should make two flights in the next few days between Vladivostok (Russia) and Pyongyang.
Source: TSF
