DPRK ready to open up to international tourists: ambassador

MADRID, June 15 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) presented its tourist attractions in Madrid on Thursday, at an event organized by the DPRK Embassy in the Spanish capital in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (WTO).

The event was attended by WTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai and chaired by DPRK Ambassador to Spain Kim Hyok-Chol.

The ambassador said that his country is ready to open up to tourism and learn from the Spanish tourist sector.

Kim said the DPRK authorities now want to promote visits by Western tourists by working to reduce to a week the maximum waiting time for obtaining visas, among other measures.

Rifai, who recently visited the DPRK, encouraged Spaniards and other Europeans to travel to the Asian country. "The more Europeans go to the DPRK, the better the Korean people will know the outside world."

Rifai added that it would be "irresponsible not to respond positively to Pyongyang's desire to open up to Western travelers, at a time when the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development is being celebrated."

"Tourism crosses and defies borders and tries to bring people together", he said. "This is our job, this is our duty, this is our responsibility, we will do that anywhere around the world."