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North Korea’s First Commercial Flight in 3 Years Suddenly Canceled

Reporters found a bizarre scene when they went to the airline’s office for answers.

North Korea canceled its national airline’s first international commercial flight in over three years on Monday without offering any kind of explanation. The country largely closed itself off from the world in early 2020 due to COVID, and crowds of reporters had gathered at Beijing Capital International Airport to catch a glimpse of North Korea’s first international travelers in years. But the Air Koryo flight between Pyongyang and Beijing was canceled two hours after it was supposed to have arrived. When AFP reporters went to the airline’s office in Beijing for answers on Monday afternoon, they found a man sleeping on a sofa who was then startled awake by their presence. A second man who opened the office door repeatedly said only “we don’t know” in response to questions. North Korean state media on Monday separately released images showing Kim Jong Un overseeing a strategic cruise missile test as the U.S. and South Korea begin annual joint military drills that Pyongyang views as a provocative preparation for real war.