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Tourism

North Korea Opens Long-Delayed Wonsan Kalma Coastal Resort

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

North Korea has officially opened the long-awaited Wonsan Kalma coastal resort, a project spearheaded by leader Kim Jong Un aimed at boosting domestic tourism and eventually attracting international visitors. The resort, which spans a 4-km stretch of the east coast, includes hotels, restaurants, a shopping complex, and a water park, and claims to accommodate up to 20,000 visitors. The area was previously a missile testing site, but Kim has pushed to transform it into a showcase for tourism, with his wife and daughter in attendance at the resort's completion ceremony on 24 June.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Wonsan Kalma coastal resort is a 4-km stretch of development along the east coast of North Korea, featuring hotels, restaurants, a shopping complex, and a water park.
  • The resort claims to accommodate up to 20,000 visitors, although this figure has not been independently verified.
  • Kim Jong Un has pushed to transform Wonsan into a tourism hub, drawing on the town's association with the country's elite.
  • The resort's completion ceremony was attended by Kim's wife, Ri Sol Ju, and their daughter, Kim Ju Ae, marking Ri Sol Ju's first public appearance since January.
  • The event also marked a significant moment in North Korea's strengthening ties with Russia, with Russian ambassador Alexander Matsegora and his embassy staff in attendance.
  • Foreign visitors have been allowed in North Korea under tight controls, with limited re-openings beginning in 2023 after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statistics:

  • The Wonsan Kalma coastal resort is a 4-km stretch of development.
  • The resort claims to accommodate up to 20,000 visitors.
  • North Korea has been heavily sanctioned over its nuclear weapons programme.
  • Foreign visitors, largely from China and Russia, have made up the majority of tourism in North Korea.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic saw borders shut in 2020, with limited re-openings beginning in 2023.
  • North Korea briefly admitted some Western tourists in 2023, including visitors from the UK, Germany, and Australia, before abruptly halting those entries without explanation.

Sources:

  • KCNA (state media)
  • BBC (quotations from Rowan Beard and Elliott Davies)
  • Contify.com (distributed by IE Online Media Services Pvt. Ltd.)

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