The group entered the country through China on their trip to Rason in the far northeast — more than 500 miles from the capital city of Pyongyang, which once occasionally welcomed occasional tourism groups, albeit under strict supervision and no real freedom of movement.

The secretive country closed its borders five years ago, shutting out aid workers, diplomats and foreign travellers, but last week the first Western tourists were allowed back in – this is what they s

North Korea has further cut itself off from the outside world, limiting diplomatic relations and restricting foreign visitors.