On Monday, China confirmed that it had given the green light to resume air traffic with North Korea. The announcement followed the unexplained cancellation of the first commercial flight of 2020 by the North Korean national carrier, Reuters and News.ro reported.

Three years ago, North Korea was the first country to close its borders when neighboring China reported its first cases of the mysterious virus that would cause the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pyongyang has kept its borders closed since January 2020, with rare exceptions.

The Air Koryo flight, which was originally expected to arrive in Beijing at 9:50am local time (4:50am Romanian time) on Monday, was “cancelled” in a surprise announcement two hours after its scheduled landing time, AFP has revealed.

Several publications followed the flight, which marked North Korea’s first commercial connection with another country in more than three years.

Beijing Capital Airport told AFP that Air Koryo had not provided any explanation for the cancellation.

Wang Wenbin, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, confirmed the resumption of flights between China and North Korea after being asked about it during a press conference.

“The Chinese side has approved the flight plans of the North Korean company Air Koryo on the Pyongyang-Beijing and Beijing-Pyongyang routes,” he told the press, without specifying when this permission was given.

There are growing signs that Pyongyang is preparing to re-establish ties with the outside world

Air Koryo’s offices in Beijing were closed on Monday when AFP visited them. A man was sleeping on the sofa inside. On one wall you could see two portraits of the former leaders of North Korea. A second man told AFP he “doesn’t know” why the Air Koryo flight was cancelled.

The person, who did not identify himself, urged reading the Rondong Sinmun, North Korea’s official mouthpiece, for “accurate” information.

After three years of isolation due to COVID-19, there are increasing signs that North Korea’s borders may soon open. Last month, Russian and Chinese officials attended a military parade in Pyongyang, becoming the first foreigners to visit North Korea in years.

Last week, North Korea sent athletes from China to a taekwondo competition in Kazakhstan. No athlete representing North Korea has competed abroad since the start of the pandemic.

“There are signs that North Korea is reopening the border,” South Korea’s Unification Ministry told AFP in Seoul.

“But it’s even harder (at this stage) to determine whether the reopening will be full or gradual and limited,” Seul said.

According to NK, a website specializing in North Korea-related topics, Air Koryo plans to operate two flights in the coming days from Vladivostok in Russia to Pyongyang.