- विज्ञापन -
North Korea has announced a suspension of entry for foreign tourists to the recently opened Wonsan-Kalma beach resort, a move that casts doubt on the future of the complex, which leader Kim Jong Un described as “one of the greatest successes this year.”
The official website of North Korea’s tourism authority, DPR Korea Tour, stated on Wednesday that the Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone is “temporarily not receiving foreign tourists,” without specifying the reasons for the ban or how long it will last. The resort, which can host nearly 20,000 guests, initially welcomed domestic visitors on July 1 and briefly hosted a small group of Russian tourists last week. Observers had anticipated that the country would open the site primarily to Chinese tourists, while largely restricting others.
The timing of this announcement followed a visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who recently met with Kim Jong Un and Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui at the resort. Relations between North Korea and Russia have grown closer, with North Korea providing military support to Russia’s efforts in Ukraine. During Lavrov’s meeting, he pledged to support Russian tourism to the resort, expressing confidence that Russian visitors would return.
However, analysts suggest the ban may have been motivated by an article written by a Russian journalist traveling with Lavrov, which implied that North Koreans at the site appeared to be mobilized by authorities rather than genuine tourists. Oh Gyeong-seob from Seoul’s Korea Institute for National Unification explained that North Korea likely decided to restrict foreign visits to avoid potential negative repercussions.
Lee Sangkeun from Seoul’s Institute for National Security Strategy noted that the ban could also be due to difficulties in attracting Russian tourists, who might find the zone too remote and expensive. Experts believe that the resort, North Korea’s largest, will have to reopen to Russian and Chinese tourists soon, as ongoing costs and investments in the project make closure financially unfeasible. If foreign visitors are kept out, the country will struggle to generate revenue from international currencies, which could force the shutdown of the resort, according to Ahn Chan-il of the World Institute for North Korean Studies.
Kim Jong Un has called the Wonsan-Kalma site “one of the greatest successes” and a flagship project in North Korea’s tourism development. State media reports the site is currently bustling with local tourists. Although North Korea has slowly relaxed COVID-19 restrictions and reopened borders in phases, it has not yet announced full international tourism resumption. Group tours from China, which previously accounted for over 90% of visitors, remain suspended, and the country briefly allowed limited international visits to Rason in February before halting that program too.
