Chinese nationals are sidestepping North Korea’s ban on most foreign tourism by applying for business delegation visas under false pretenses, informed sources told NK News, leading Pyongyang to tighten screening and slow approvals for legitimate visitors. 

Amid North Korea’s ongoing ban on non-Russian tourists, Chinese nationals are resorting to misrepresenting their intentions in order to gain entry to the country, the sources said, although the scale at which this is happening remains unclear.

According to one source with knowledge of the matter, the practice of using a business delegation visa to sightsee has led to longer processing times and