North Korea, which recently allowed the entry of a party of Russian citizens as the first group of foreign tourists since the pandemic, is seemingly accelerating its group tourism exchanges with Russia.

According to Russia's Interfax news agency on Tuesday, the second and third groups of Russian travelers are expected to depart for the North next month.

Alexei Starichkov, director of international cooperation at the Primorsky region’s administrative government, said the second group is set to embark on a four-day trip from March 8 through 11, followed by a five-day trip by a third group from March 11 through 15.

Pyongyang reportedly expects it is nearing the completion of the construction of the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area, where there will be dozens of lodging facilities and stores.

Under a bilateral agreement signed following a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin last September, a group of 97 Russian tourists was permitted to visit the North for four days until Monday.