This article seeks to assess North Korea's tourism strategy on the basis of the reasons behind North Korea's growing attention to the tourism industry during the Kim Jong-un era, along with the major strategies pursued and their implementation status.

The emergence of tourism as a subject of attention in North Korea originated in economic motivations. In the early years of the Kim Il-sung era, tourism was utilized primarily for political purposes, with little attention paid to its economic effects. It was not until the 1980s that the economic dimensions of tourism began to attract notice, though concrete results did not materialize until the 2000s, when inter-Korean tourism cooperation and North Korea-China tourism began to take shape. However, the movement to give concrete form to strategies for developing the tourism industry at the national level and to utilize it as a major driver of economic development began in earnest with the advent of the Kim Jong-un era.

In a situation where the means of securing foreign currency are increasingly constrained by sanctions against North Korea, the tourism industry, which falls outside the scope of sanctions, can play an important role in the North Korean economy. In the Kim Jong-un era in particular, attention to the economic dimensions of tourism has intensified, with research initiatives being pursued to support strategy formulation. At the strategic level, tourism development zones have been designated and construction projects for tourism districts are being advanced, while an approach combining local economic development strategies with tourism strategy has also been introduced. In addition, the institutional foundation for developing the tourism industry is being established, with the enactment of tourism related legislation, the reorganization of relevant institutional functions, and the expansion of measures to attract foreign tourists. Furthermore, North Korea is strengthening cooperation in the tourism sector through its diplomatic relations with China and Russia, and the development of these diplomatic ties is expected to exert a positive influence on the revitalization of North Korean tourism.