North Korea targets Russian tourists for new Wonsan beach resort: Seoul
The resort is set to open to domestic visitors on July 1, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
SEOUL - North Korea is expected to court Russian tourists following the official completion of its Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone, which is set to open first to domestic travelers in July, South Korea's Unification Ministry said on June 26 .
The ministry also noted that construction — which had been suspended for an extended period — resumed in 2024 , possibly with material support from Russia and the expectation of attracting Russian tourists.
North Korean state media reported on June 26 on the completion ceremony of the Wonsan-Kalma beach resort, held on June 25 and attended by leader Kim Jong-un, his wife Ri Sol-ju, their daughter, widely believed to be Kim Ju-ae, and his sister Kim Yo-jong.
Ms Ri made her first public appearance since attending a New Year's Day music concert in 2024.
The resort is set to open to domestic visitors on July 1, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said.
KCNA reported, 'The tourist zone equipped with hotels and inns capable of accommodating around 20,000 people, allowing domestic and international visitors to choose accommodations that suit their preferences' in a Korean language report.
Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexandr Matsegora and his embassy members were invited as special guests, according to the state media report.
'Operations are expected to gradually expand to include Russian tourists, beginning with domestic tourism on July 1,' a Unification Ministry official said on condition of anonymity during a closed-door briefing.
'The fact that the Russian ambassador was invited and highlighted (in the state media report) also appears to have been intended with Russian tourists in mind.'
The official further explained, 'North Korea has regarded tourism as very important while recognizing it as a key means of earning foreign currency.'
'Tourism itself is not a violation of sanctions. However, tourism operations that involve bulk cash transfers or are conducted in the form of cooperative projects or joint ventures with North Korea could constitute a violation of sanctions,' the official said.
'On the other hand, individual tourists paying their own expenses on a cost-reimbursement basis would not be considered a sanctions violation.'
A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency shows an aerial view of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone in Wonsan, North Korea.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
UN Security Council Resolution 2270 prohibits the transfer of bulk cash to North Korea, and Resolution 2375 bans all UN member states from creating any new joint ventures with North Korean entities or individuals.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae watch a person going down a slide during a ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone.
PHOTO: AFP
North Korea's decision to resume years-long construction of the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone in 2024 could be related to a closer alignment with Russia during the country's grinding war against Ukraine.
'Since North Korea's involvement in the Ukraine war, it is believed that the country has received various forms of material support from Russia — support that may have contributed economically to the completion of the Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone,' the unnamed official said.
'Additionally, there is a possibility that North Korea will actively seek to attract Russian tourists, which could explain the renewed push to promote the project.'
North Korea initially designated the area along the coast connecting Wonsan and Mount Kumgang a tourist zone in 2014.
KCNA previously reported that the groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsan region took place in May 2015, on Kalma Street in Wonsan city.
North Korea originally set a goal of completing the tourist zone by April 15, 2019, to mark the birth anniversary of the country's late founder, Kim Il Sung.
However, the project was repeatedly delayed due to difficulties in securing construction materials under international sanctions. Construction had been halted following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and remained suspended until 2024.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (second from right) and his daughter Kim Ju Ae (left), at the inaugural ceremony of the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area in Kangwon Province, North Korea.
PHOTO: AFP
The official, however, underscored that Seoul needs to watch how much tourism in the Wonsan-Kalma coastal zone can actually be realised 'due to various limitations in transportation infrastructure'.
Based on the number of flights and the size of aircraft operating between Pyongyang and Vladivostok, the maximum number of people who could travel via Pyongyang to the Wonsan-Kalma coastal zone in a single day would be around 170, according to the official.
The official also explained there has been no progress in resuming Chinese group tours, which have been suspended since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in January 2020.
'We are also monitoring the potential resumption of large-scale Chinese group tours to North Korea, but no concrete signs have emerged yet.' THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Changes brewing: Global coffee chains struggle to adapt to South Korea's cafe culture
Starbucks continues to anchor customer loyalty by doubling down with expanded app rewards and discounts of up to 60 per cent. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG - Global coffee chains such as US franchise Blue Bottle and Canada's Tim Hortons are changing tack in South Korea's cut-throat coffee market, where both appear to have muffed their attempts to localise their offerings. Blue Bottle, which entered South Korea in 2019 touting its artisanal brewing rituals, has recently traded some of its signature slowness for speed. Its once-prized focus on customer interaction has lost some of its gravitas, now that it is available on local delivery apps like Baemin and Coupang Eats. Perks like size upgrades and app discounts only further blur the lines between craft and convenience. As at October 2024, only five of its 17 locations offered delivery. That number has since doubled to 10. According to industry insiders, the shift risks diluting the brand's identity, though it seems a necessary concession to Korean consumer culture. 'Yet, in a market awash with cheap caffeine and fast service, its core values may be hard to maintain,' one insider said. While Blue Bottle's annual sales in South Korea rose 17 percent year on year to 31.2 billion won (S$29.3 million) in 2024, operating profit plunged to 200 million won, from 1.9 billion won the previous year and 2.7 billion won in 2021. The company also posted a net loss of 1.1 billion won, its first since entering the Korean market. Another notable entrant, Tim Hortons, which made its Korean debut in 2023, appears to be at a crossroads. Earlier in June, the chain shuttered its flagship store in Cheongna, Incheon, its first directly operated location to close. While speculation swirls around its financial struggles in South Korea, the company cited a search for a more fitting location to better reflect its Canadian roots. The backlash also stems from Tim Hortons' premium pricing strategy in South Korea, where prices are 1.5 to two times higher than in Canada despite its reputation there for affordability and every day value. For these newcomers, the hurdles are steeper in the face of fast-growing, budget-minded Korean chains like Mega Coffee, whose 2,000 won Americano delivers enough of a caffeine kick to stand up against Tim Hortons' 4,000 won and Blue Bottle's 5,900 won Americanos. In June, Tim Hortons launched a promotional campaign slashing prices on its signature Iced Capp by 60 per cent and offering free Americano coupons to customers who purchased donuts, in a bid to reconnect with Korean consumers. When it comes to strategy, Starbucks, a dominant force in South Korea's cafe scene, is an early mover in delivery, having launched the service in April 2024. It continues to anchor customer loyalty by doubling down with expanded app rewards and discounts of up to 60 per cent. 'Korean coffee consumers move fast and expect brands to keep pace,' said one industry official, urging global chains to stay agile and responsive to local demands. 'Striking the right balance between brand roots and local flavour is critical to success.' South Korea's saturated and stratified coffee market indeed breeds stiff competition, in which cafe businesses at every tier are feeling the squeeze. According to the country's National Tax Service, the number of coffee shops nationwide dipped to 95,337 in the first quarter, down 743 from a year earlier. It is the first recorded decline since the agency began tracking the figure in 2018. THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
US ambassador to Russia leaves Moscow, embassy statement says
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy attends a flower laying ceremony by ambassadors of foreign diplomatic missions, in memory of the victims of the attack at Crocus City Hall concert venue, following an attack in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow, Russia, 30 March 2024. SERGEI ILNITSKY/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo FILE PHOTO: U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy speaks with journalists outside a court building after a hearing to consider extending detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Moscow, Russia, March 26, 2024. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo MOSCOW - Lynne Tracy, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, is leaving Moscow, her embassy said on Friday, noting she had served through one of the most strained periods in relations between Moscow and Washington. The departure of a career diplomat appointed under the administration of former president Joe Biden comes as Russia and the United States discuss a potential reset in their ties which sharply deteriorated after Moscow launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022. President Donald Trump has said there are potentially big investment deals to be struck, but is growing increasingly frustrated that his efforts to broker a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine have so far not resulted in a meaningful ceasefire. "I am proud to have represented my country in Moscow during such a challenging time. As I leave Russia, I know that my colleagues at the embassy will continue to work to improve our relations and maintain ties with the Russian people," the embassy cited Tracy as saying in a statement. It said Tracy's time in post had been marked by her belief that meaningful dialogue was important even during difficult times, the embassy said. The embassy said earlier this month that Tracy, who arrived in Moscow in January 2023 and was greeted by protesters chanting anti-U.S. slogans when she went to the Foreign Ministry to present her credentials, would leave her post soon. Her successor has not been publicly named. Her tenure is similar in duration to her predecessor, John Sullivan, who served as ambassador for two years and seven months from February 2020 to September 2022. Tracy was notably involved in efforts to win the release of U.S. citizens jailed in Russia, including journalist Evan Gershkovich and former marine Paul Whelan, who were eventually freed in August 2024 as part of a big East-West prisoner swap. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Ukraine's drone attack restricts traffic on Don River bridge in Russia's Volgograd
Traffic on the Don River in the Kalachevsky district of Russia's Volgograd region was temporarily restricted to eliminate wreckage from a "massive" Ukrainian drone attack, the regional governor's administration said on Friday. "Sappers are at work," Volgograd Governor Andrei Bocharov was cited as saying in a post on the Telegram messaging app by the region's administration. He added that there were no injuries as a result of the attack. It was not immediately clear whether the bridge on the Don River, Europe's fifth-longest, was damaged. The Russian defence ministry said in a post on Telegram that its air defence units destroyed 39 Ukrainian drones overnight over the Russian territory and the Crimean Peninsula, including 13 over the Volgograd region. Volgograd airport was closed for more than three hours before flights were restored just before 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT), Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia said on Telegram. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
