The Tourism of North Korea in the Kim Jong-un Era: Propaganda, Profitmaking, and Possibilities for Engagement

In this article, I explore changes in North Korean tourism, with a focus on the industry since Kim Jong‐un came to power. The study: highlights North Korea's concept of “socialist tourism” and recent developments; investigates Western social media to uncover how non‐mainstream digital media characterizes the country as a unique travel destination; discusses investment and profitmaking with respect to Chinese investors and tourists; and suggests tourism as a possible path to consider for future peaceful engagement approaches.