The secretive state is set to reopen its borders to tourists for the first time and the leading tour operator to the country has given an insight into the regimented nature of trips to the area.

Simon Cockerell, general manager of Koryo Tours, told The Independent's travel podcast: "Everything is guided, the itinerary is all planned in advance by us with our partners there.

"You don't really have to do much thinking for yourself. Thinking for yourself is not hugely encouraged in North Korea anyway."

North Korea – which is led by dictator Kim Jong Un - closed its borders to Western tourists in January 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and will be the last nation to reopen following the global health crisis and Cockerell is surprised at the speed at which the nation has decided to invite Westerners back.

He said: "It's happened really quickly. Just a week-and-a-half ago or so, we were told, 'Send in some staff for final meetings'.

"We scrambled a bit and sent in one of my colleagues.

"The border opens to tourists in just one area, in the Rason area, from 20 February.

"We already have a group assembled to go in then, and we'll be running regular trips after that."

The Rason Special Economic Area is in the far northeast of the country and is a mountainous region sharing land borders with China and Russia.

Cockerell said: "There are two cities in the area, called Rason and Sonbong. There are fishing villages, farming villages, and so on.

"But by North Korean basic standards, it's actually quite advanced.

"The economy there is much better than most of the surrounding areas of the north, which is the poorer part of the country.

"They benefit from trade, both licit and other, from China mostly, and they have a small border with Russia as well.

"Most North Koreans would consider it a good place to live.

"It's an interesting and quirky place, but it is definitively North Korea. The rules and regulations remain the same. The same kind of propaganda stuff you see everywhere is still present."