Hardly any Westerners visit this remote part of the country. Authorities in cash-strapped North Korea are easing entry requirements for foreigners seeking access to a special economic zone (SEZ) in the country’s far northeast, with wait times for visas now reduced in the hope of attracting further investment, sources in the region say. Probably not something you expect to do when going to North Korea. This is a unique part of North Korea and one of the least visited places in one of the least visited countries in the world. The 746 km2Rason Special Economic Zone is on the western side of the Tumen Riverin North Korea. “Rason,” comprised of the two towns of Rajin and Sonbong, as well as their hinterlands, has been some form of economic zone since 1991. Nevertheless, the paintings are beautiful and having a look around as well as seeing what messages they convey is a more than worthwhile experience. Made up of two cities — Rajin and Sonbong — Rason is the North Koreans’ answer to having a unique economic zone away from Pyongyang, similar to how Shenzhen operates in relation to Beijing. Article détaillé : Zone économique spéciale de Rason. In the background, the Chujin Tourism Hotel. Located in the far northeast we arrive here after a 30 hour train ride from Pyongyang! It was very common to see North Korean seafood and fish, still alive, coming directly from Rason. Rason Special Economic Zone July 26, 2018 Saving North Korea's Wetlands By Bryan Betts An economic development push could spell doom for some of … All in all, this park is great to just relax and have a stroll after a busy day in Rajin and Sonbong. Rajin and Sonbong together make up a special economic zone created in the early 1990s to attract foreign investment in the DPRK and usually used as an "economic experimental area" in North Korea. For your "mainland" DPRK visa this can be handed to you in Beijing, Shenyang, Yanji or Vladivostok (if you are not obtaining it in your country of residence). A monument for Admiral Ri Sun Sin, the famous general who devised the turtle battle ships, is located here. The orphanage has a lot of educational material on the walls blended too with propaganda. The goal of this section is to let you know about this remote DPRK region, the itineraries that can be arranged there and information on the surrounding region in China. The Rason Special Economic Zone in North Korea's North Hamgyong province is shown in an undated photo from an investment brochure. This card is basically a cash card. Locate in the far northeastern part of the country, this is where the DPRK flirts with economic reform. La zone économique spéciale de Rasŏn est une zone administrative spéciale de Corée du Nord créée en 1992, située à la zone frontalière chinoise (province de Jilin) et russe ( kraï du Primorié) entre le Tumen et la mer du Japon . New Delhi 30 … The name Rason comes from a combination of the names of Rajin city and Sonbong county. We offer trips to this peculiar area of the DPRK. It is handy to stop by here if you plan to go to the Rason market; an enormous market where you can pretty much buy anything, though foreign currency can be used there too. A beautiful part of Rason, this islet is connected to the "mainland" by a narrow stretch of land. Please click on North Please note that we can help with the flights Pyongyang – Yanji, Yanji – Pyongyang, Pyongyang – Vladivostok, Vladivostok – Pyongyang. By unique we mean that it is the first Special Economic Zone in the DPRK and has a particular location, bordering Northeast China and the remote area of eastern Russia. He looked at Mr. Kim straight in the eye and said "Mr. Kim, I hear a lot on the news that people are very poor in Korea and that they cannot buy anything. The locals told me the Russian Ruble … The gallery is basically a store as you can purchase any of the paintings shown, except for any with the images of the leaders. But now you bring us here to this busy market. Several international businesses are based here and there is definitely a different feeling to this part of North Korea when compared to other areas of the country. Chilbo from Namyang, Rason Tour | KTG ® Tours | visit the special economic zone in North Korea Rajin and Sonbong at a low cost budget rate. After around 20 minutes we arrive at a point with rocks and full of seals. Created after Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms were implemented in China in 1979, Special Economic Zones are areas where market-driven capitalist policies are implemented to entice foreign businesses to invest in China. All Rights Reserved. There is information here regarding the Leader's visits to the neighbouring country. We have visited many orphanages in the DPRK over the years and have noticed a considerable improvement. The state too now affords Rajin with more importance than it may have had in the past; the bustling Rajin Market and showcase foreign-language school highlight that Pyongyang may not be completely closed to the idea of rolling out wider economic reforms. A curious and attractive corner of a bizarre nation, where North Korea borders both China and Russia and the government is slowly trialling a more open economic system. Rason is located in a strategic commercial area; connecting the landlocked Northeast part of China, Russia, DPRK, South Korea and Japan altogether. Yes, some business has come; the Russians have been trickling money into developing the rail infrastructure and the aforementioned ice-free ports, while China, Mongolia and others have dipped their toes into certain other waters, but most of the business is still small scale and speculative, with many of those who have decided to try their luck in Rason having political or ethnic ties to the DPRK. It is possible to go to one of the ports in Rajin. That Rason appears much like other parts of North Korea stands in stark contrast to the Special Economic Zone at Kaesong, near the South Korean border. Apart from business and investment, the sea, fresh & cheap seafood and perhaps for one or two people the fact that there are several casinos in Rason, attract many Chinese travellers to the area. ICBM missile test on November 29, things are unlikely to get easier for traders involved with the country's Rason Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Yes, the minimum deposit is 25 RMB (around 3 Euros). A curious and attractive corner of a bizarre nation, where North Korea borders both China and Russia and the government is slowly trialling a more open economic system. The district has been developed since Jang visited China in August 2012. © Copyright 2008-2021 www.north-Korea-travel.com. A unique region where Chinese, Korean and Russian cultures meet. You may stumble into Russian sailors, it is also common to see them in the market. This is the only part of the country where tourists can visit public markets and use the local currency (DPRK Won) freely in shops, markets, restaurants and hotels throughout the region. © 2021 Bradt Guides. Rajin-Sonbong Special Economic Zone - 2 Day Adventure in the far Northeast of North Korea Rajin-Sonbong, aka Rason, is a Special Economic Zone located in the far northeast of the DPRK, bordering Russia and China. In late October, 2014, the DPRK phased in a quarantine to prevent the spread of Ebola. Rason is a North Korean city and ice-free port in the Sea of Japan in the North Pacific Ocean on the northeast tip of North Korea. You can purchase one here for as little as 200 RMB (around 25 Euros) whereas in the capital it will be over 100 Euros! The 746km 2 Rason Special Economic Zone lies in the extreme northeast of … It's a pity that we are not allowed to take pictures here because the place is thriving, fascinating and packed with all kinds of goods and people. Rason Special Economic Zone is an area carved out of North Hamgyong Province in the far Northeast of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, bordering both China and Russia. Rason is the first and largest Special Economic Zone in North Korea. KTG's Ranhyang, a Chinese Korean from Yanbian, trying some food at the Rason Taehung Trading Corporation. It is common to see children having fun and skating in the park. The DPRK is shown on the right side of the image, China on the left and Russia in the background. Discover this remote corner of the DPRK and Yanbian. Pyongyang to Rason with KTG - exploring the DPRK by train with locals. The Cold War was over and old allies were embracing a new economic era: capitalism. While many of these former communist nations went through an economic ‘hard landing’ in the 1990s, the DPRK, as with nearly all things, decided to try and usher in these much-needed changes under draconian controls.