North Korea closes borders over Ebola threat
North Korea said it will close its borders to foreign travelers starting today due to fears of the Ebola virus.
The news came via tour agencies which specialize in inbound tours to the reclusive country.
One agency, China based Young Pioneer Tours, said it is a ‘complete blanket ban’ on all foreign travelers regardless of country of origin.
"Three days ago, they said that anybody who’s been to West Africa would have to provide a doctor’s certificate stating that they don’t have Ebola," said Gareth Johnson of Young Pioneer Tours.
"Now they just said no foreign tourists at all."
"The reason given was Ebola, and I can’t think of any other reason, as they don’t arbitrarily close the border," said Simon Cockerell, managing director of rival Koryo Tours.
The last time North Korea completely shuttered its borders was in 2003 during the SARS outbreak.
Last year around 5,000 foreign tourists visited the country with around 25% from North America.
The remainder are predominantly from China.
Separately, North Korea’s Health Ministry has talked of the importance of ‘responsible medical check ups’ on nationals returning from abroad, especially from the West Africa region.
There has been no word on whether this is official policy or how long the ban is likely to last.
Meanwhile, the US must make a formal apology to secure the release of the remaining two Americans still imprisoned in North Korea.
Earlier this week Pyongyang set free Jeffrey Fowle after six months behind bars in North Korea.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt