N. Korea, China launch new tourist bus route

SHENYANG, China, Aug. 3 (Yonhap) -- North Korea and China have launched a new tourist bus route between two of their cities, China's state-run media said Sunday, in another sign that Pyongyang is eager to boost its tourism income.

The new route between China's northeastern city of Yanji and North Korea's northeastern city of Rason was opened Saturday, with 48 Chinese tourists traveling to Rason by bus, according to the China News Service.

The bus is scheduled to run every Tuesday to Saturday as part of a two-day tour program to Rason.

Until now, Chinese tourists traveling to Rason have had to change buses in North Korea, but the new four-hour route allows visitors to travel directly to the North Korean city, the report said.

The new route was first proposed by the North, the report quoted a Yanji tourism official as saying.

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