PHOTO: Beach Dreams on Hold in the Hermit Kingdom. Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area. KOREA TIMES
Just weeks after hailing it as a glittering new jewel in North Korea’s tourism crown, Pyongyang has stunned observers by abruptly banning foreign tourists from its newly launched Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area. Once promoted as a “world-class holiday haven,” the sprawling resort is now mysteriously closed to all but domestic guests — raising fresh doubts about North Korea’s readiness to open up and the real status of the high-profile development.
🏖️ From Showpiece to Shutdown
North Korea’s official tourism platform quietly posted a notice stating that foreign tourists are “temporarily not accepted” at the Wonsan-Kalma resort — without explanation. The announcement came hot on the heels of a high-profile visit from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who toured the site on July 12 as the resort’s “first foreign guest,” personally welcomed by Kim Jong Un himself.
Opened with fanfare on June 24, the resort was originally intended to debut in April 2019 to coincide with the birthday of Kim Il Sung. However, years of delays — from international sanctions to the COVID-19 pandemic — pushed the project’s completion into 2025.
📍 Location: East coast of North Korea, near Wonsan Airport in the Kangwon region
📏 Size: 2.5 miles of beachfront
🏨 Capacity: Up to 20,000 visitors, with over 40 hotels and leisure centres
🏗️ Satellite Doubts & Deserted Beaches
Despite the state-run media’s glowing praise — calling the resort a “national treasure-level city” — independent analysis paints a murkier picture.
🔍 US-based watchdog 38 North has identified numerous unfinished structures, including a key hotel with an empty rooftop pool and unmarked buildings absent from official maps.
Russian media who accompanied Lavrov also noted the resort was “largely deserted,” and there are claims that local North Koreans were deployed to pose as tourists to simulate activity during the VIP visit.
The resort, located on the country’s east coast near an airport in Kangwon Region, officially opened its doors on June 24 following years of delays caused by international sanctions and the Covid-19 pandemic
When the resort was first opened, Kim was photographed standing above a sandy beach alongside his daughter and presumed heir Kim Ju Ae
🤔 What’s Behind the Sudden Reversal?
While no official reason has been given, experts suspect several key factors:
❌ Incomplete construction – buildings and facilities may still be inoperable
🎭 Image management – the regime may fear foreign tourists would spot inconsistencies between propaganda and reality
💸 Economic pressure – limited foreign currency inflow is a major concern under tight sanctions
“If foreign tourists aren’t allowed in, then Russian rubles, Chinese yuans, and dollars won’t come in. North Korea can’t break even, and the resort might eventually shut down,”
says Ahn Chan Il, head of the World Institute for North Korean Studies.
🛂 A Resort for North Koreans — and Russians?
So far, Russia remains the only foreign nation whose citizens have been allowed entry since pandemic-era border restrictions were relaxed. A Russian travel agency had even scheduled two additional tour groups for August — plans now seemingly in limbo.
Rachel Minyoung Lee, an expert with 38 North, suggests the project serves both as domestic propaganda and international messaging:
“Wonsan-Kalma supports Kim Jong Un’s ‘people-first’ narrative while also being used as a symbol of progress and modernisation. Russians may still appear there again soon.”
🚆 New Rail Link, Old Questions
In a move to boost internal access, a new railway station has been completed at Kalma, touted by state media as enhancing “a high level of convenience” for travellers. But with no clear timetable for the return of foreign tourists, the question remains: Was the Wonsan-Kalma resort ever really ready?
As of now, only domestic visitors — and carefully curated VIP guests — appear to be welcome in what was once promoted as North Korea’s bold new step into global tourism.
SOURCE: THE DAILY MAIL