North Korea is not likely to open its borders to future inbound travelers any time soon, multiple diplomats, aid workers and international organization staff told NK News, calling last week’s entry of Chinese Ambassador Wang Yajun and his delegation a one-off event.

Wang was the first known person to enter the country in nearly three years after the DPRK shut its borders in an effort to keep out COVID-19. 

But rather than a signal that Pyongyang is ready to begin moving past the pandemic and re-open to others, the Chinese ambassador’s party’s entrance was likely just the result of