Chinese tourists are set to visit North Korea for the first time in five years next week, a Beijing-based travel agency announced amid anticipation that the Pyongyang International Marathon will resume in April after being suspended since 2019.

The Zhixing Heyi tour company notified clients they could register from Monday for a four-day trip departing Feb. 24 to the Rason Special Economic Zone, marking what could be the first group of Chinese tourists to visit the country in five years. 

The agency said Rason was selected for a pilot program aimed at reopening the country to international visitors. Just a