North Korea cancels Pyongyang marathon for 4th straight year, tour agency says

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North Korea cancels Pyongyang marathon for 4th straight year, tour agency says

Koryo Tours cites ongoing COVID border controls for decision but says ‘great possibility’ event will be held in 2024

Chad O'Carroll March 9, 2023

North Korea cancels Pyongyang marathon for 4th straight year, tour agency says

Participants in the 2018 Pyongyang marathon | Image: NK News

North Korea has canceled the international marathon originally scheduled to take place in Pyongyang this spring, DPRK tour agency Koryo Tours announced Thursday, citing the country’s ongoing border controls due to COVID-19.

2023 will be the fourth consecutive year without the event, which normally takes place around the “Day of the Sun” holiday in April to mark founding leader Kim Il Sung’s birth anniversary.

About the Author

Chad O'Carroll

Chad O'Carroll is the founder of NK News/NK Pro and related holding company Korea Risk Group. In addition to being the group's CEO, O'Carroll is a frequent writer and commentator about the Koreas, having written about the two nations since 2010. He has visited the DPRK multiple times, worked and lived in Washington, D.C. with a focus on peninsula issues, and lived in the ROK since 2016.

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