Kim Jong-un Backs Tourism Push with New North Korean Beach Resort Launch
According to official media, Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, is developing a beach resort in the hopes of increasing travel to the covert communist state.
Six years after it was supposed to be finished, Wonsan Kalma on the east coast will welcome domestic visitors on July 1. When it will accept foreigners is unknown.
Wonsan, where many of the nation’s elite possess private homes, is where Kim grew up in luxury. The town was formerly the location of a missile testing facility, and Kim has been working to change it.
The resort, which occupies a 4 km (2.5 mile) stretch of coastline and has hotels, restaurants, shopping centres, and a water park, can accommodate up to 20,000 guests, according to state media KCNA. However, none of these claims can be independently confirmed.
North Korea, one of the world’s poorest nations, has been severely sanctioned for decades due to its nuclear weapons program. It invests the majority of its funds in its military and the monuments and landmarks that adorn the image and worship of the Kim family, who have controlled the nation since 1948. These are frequently located in Pyongyang.
According to some analysts, Pyongyang may easily make money in this way. Although foreign visitors are welcome, the majority of tour groups are from Russia and China, two nations with whom Pyongyang has had cordial ties for a long time.
According to Rowan Beard, co-founder of Young Pioneer Tours, “I was hoping that this might signal a broader reopening to international tourism, but unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case for now,” according to the BBC.
However, the Covid epidemic caused the government to close its borders in early 2020, which hurt foreign tourism. Restrictions were not loosened until mid-2023, and a year later, Russian tourists were admitted.
When travellers from the UK, France, Germany, and Australia drove across the border from China in February, it became open to more Western tourists. Weeks later, it unexpectedly stopped tourism without providing an explanation.
The attraction of Wonsan to foreigners is questioned by certain travel organisations. According to Mr. Beard, it is “unlikely to be a major draw for most Western tourists.”
“Key sites like Pyongyang, the DMZ, and other brutalist or communist landmarks will continue to be the main highlights for international visitors once broader tourism resumes.”
But according to Elliott Davies, operator of Uri Tours, North Korea has a “niche appeal” for tourists looking for unusual places to visit.
“It’s intriguing to experience something as familiar as a beach resort that’s been shaped within the unique cultural context of North Korea.”
“Great, auspicious event of the whole country” is how KCNA characterised the Wonsan development, which it regarded as a “prelude to the new era” in tourism.
Its original opening date was October 2019, but before the epidemic hit, construction delays occurred.
On June 24, Kim, his wife Ri Sol Ju, and daughter Kim Ju Ae attended a ceremony to commemorate its completion. It was the first time Ri had appeared in public since an occasion on New Year’s Day.
Additionally present were Russian ambassador Alexander Matsegora and embassy personnel.
Since Russian tourists are currently the only foreigners permitted in various areas of the country, some travel companies anticipate that the resort will open to Russian visitors.
With the resort’s opening, North Korea and Russia have fortified their alliance despite Western sanctions.
In support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea has dispatched troops. Following a five-year halt due to the pandemic, the two nations also resumed a direct passenger train link between their capitals on Thursday.
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