Mount Paektu Earns UNESCO Global Geopark Status Amid North Korea’s Tourism Ambitions

UNESCO has officially recognized Mount Paektu, North Korea’s highest peak and a site of profound cultural significance, as a Global Geopark. This designation, approved by UNESCO’s executive board in April 2025, marks North Korea’s inaugural inclusion in the Global Geopark network. Mount Paektu, an active stratovolcano situated on the North Korean-Chinese border, holds deep historical and ideological importance for the Korean people.

Despite this international recognition, North Korea’s broader tourism sector remains largely inaccessible. While the Rason Special Economic Zone reopened to international visitors in January 2025, plans to resume tourism in other regions, including the Samjiyon area near Mount Paektu, have been postponed. Analysts suggest that internal policy shifts and concerns over ideological control may be influencing these delays.