Source: foxnews.com
Image content: The image shows a large group of people on a high rooftop terrace overlooking a coastal city. Below are modern hotels, a beach with colorful cabanas, a water park with slides, and a long shoreline curving along the sea.
Summary
North Korea has unveiled the Wonsan-Kalma coastal resort, a massive beach complex touted by Kim Jong Un as a cornerstone of plans to boost the economy through tourism. With capacity for around 20,000 guests and extensive leisure facilities, the site will initially serve domestic visitors while foreign tourism largely remains restricted since the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown. Pyongyang signals a cautious reopening tied to warming ties with Moscow, with Russian tourists expected first and Chinese group tours likely to follow later, while visitors from South Korea and the United States remain unlikely amid ongoing tensions and nuclear priorities. The opening ceremony, attended by Kim’s family and Russia’s ambassador, complements reports of additional tourist projects and limited trial events, suggesting a phased approach to reviving the sector.
Key Points
- Wonsan-Kalma resort opens with capacity for about 20,000 guests
- Domestic visitors get access first; foreign tourism still mostly paused
- Russian tourists expected earliest; Chinese group tours may resume later
- US and South Korean visitors unlikely due to tensions and image concerns
- Opening underscores economic push via tourism and phased reopening signs