An all-time high of nearly 10,000 Russians traveled to North Korea in 2025 due to a surge in tourism and delegation visits, official data shows, while keeping the number of DPRK entries under wraps.

The Russian border agency under the Federal Security Service (FSB) reported over the weekend that 9,985 Russian nationals entered North Korea last year, marking the highest annual total since the data became available in 2010.

Fewer Russians reportedly traveled to North Korea in the last three months of 2025 compared to the previous quarter, declining to 2,486 from 3,460, according to the FSB.

Last year’s figures