North Korea opens border town of Sinuiju to Western tourists

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North Korea's authorities have opened the border town of Sinuiju to Western tourists, Chinese-based travel agencies said, despite international tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear test in February.

The move opens up the possibility of foreign tourists being able to make day tours to the secretive state, a considerably cheaper option than the more expensive multi-day trips currently on offer.

The country is largely sealed off from outsiders, with Western travellers allowed in only on strictly controlled tours.

After heightening its rhetoric in past weeks in response to international sanctions, Pyongyang has sent mixed messages in recent days, both firing short-range missiles and sending a top envoy to China who pledged to promote peace.

Simon Cockerell, co-founder of Beijing-based Koryo Tours said, "There's a different feeling there, as it's a major area for trade with China.... Of course, it is not mass tourism... You don't go there to relax beside a swimming pool."