KUALA LUMPUR - Passenger train services between North Korea and China will resume this week after being suspended for six years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said the Pyongyang-Beijing route will restart operations, reconnecting North Korea with its main economic partner.

The railway link had been halted since early 2020 when North Korea closed its borders during the pandemic.

China’s state railway told Yonhap News Agency that the train will begin round-trip services tomorrow and operate four times a week.

Initially, only the last two carriages will carry passengers, mainly diplomats and people travelling on official duties.

Ticket sales may be opened to the public if seats are available, Yonhap quoted a railway official as saying.

North Korea still remains largely closed to foreign tourism with only limited visits allowed.

Travel agencies said most of the permitted tours currently involve Russian groups under strict arrangements.

Before the pandemic, Chinese visitors made up the largest number of foreign tourists travelling to North Korea.

Tour organisers said on Monday that North Korea had cancelled next month’s Pyongyang Marathon for unspecified reasons.

The marathon is one of the few international events that has allowed foreign participants to enter the country.