logo
North Korea's new tourist zone off-limits to foreigners amid Russia flights boost

North Korea's new tourist zone off-limits to foreigners amid Russia flights boost

First Post6 days ago
Following Lavrov's visit, the North's National Tourism Administration said 'foreign tourists are temporarily not being accepted' without giving further details, in a statement posted on an official website this week read more
North Korea has blocked foreigners from visiting a recently opened beach resort, the country's tourist office announced this week, only days after Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited the area.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's favourite project, a vast coastal resort on the country's east coast, opened to domestic guests earlier this month to much fanfare in official media.
The Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, nicknamed 'North Korea's Waikiki' by South Korean media, seems to be lined with high-rise hotels and waterparks and can reportedly accommodate up to 20,000 people.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Previously, state media reported that Russian tour groups will visit Wonsan in the following months.
But following Lavrov's visit, the North's National Tourism Administration said 'foreign tourists are temporarily not being accepted' without giving further details, in a statement posted on an official website this week.
Kim showed a keen interest in developing North Korea's tourism industry during his early years in power, analysts have said, and the coastal resort area was a particular focus.
He said ahead of the opening of the beach resort that the construction of the site would go down as 'one of the greatest successes this year' and that the North would build more large-scale tourist zones 'in the shortest time possible'.
The North last year permitted Russian tourists to return for the first time since the pandemic and Western tour operators briefly returned in February this year.
Seoul's unification ministry, however, said that it expected international tourism to the new resort was 'likely to remain small in scale' given the limited capacity of available flights.
Kim held talks with Lavrov in Wonsan last week where he offered Moscow his full and 'unconditional' support for its war in Ukraine, KCNA reported.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Lavrov reportedly hailed the seaside project as a 'good tourist attraction', adding it would become popular among both local and Russian visitors looking for new destinations.
Ahead of Lavrov's recent visit, Russia announced that it would begin twice-a-week flights between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Hungarian FM Peter Szijjarto accuses Ukraine of undermining Central Europe's energy security by blocking gas transits
Hungarian FM Peter Szijjarto accuses Ukraine of undermining Central Europe's energy security by blocking gas transits

United News of India

time17 minutes ago

  • United News of India

Hungarian FM Peter Szijjarto accuses Ukraine of undermining Central Europe's energy security by blocking gas transits

Budapest, July 24 (UNI) Taking a jab at Ukraine once again, Hungarian Foreign Minster Peter Szijjarto has accused the country of undermining the energy security of Central Europe, through its recent actions which include the blockage of gas transits from its territory, threatening energy supplies throughout the region. In an interview with Russian state media TASS, Szijjarto said 'The TurkStream pipeline is working on full capacity not without a good reason. We have a long- term contract, plus we buy on spot basis, plus Slovakia buys its gas now through Hungary because Ukraine was 'kind enough' to lock down transit through its own territory, endangering the energy safety of supplies in the Central European region.' Stating that Kyiv's calls for solidarity with Europe are made more questionable by such actions, he added 'So when we speak about solidarity, I'm not quite sure that we understand the same definition under that on both sides of the border.' Hungary has long been opposed to Ukraine's bid for joining the EU, stating that Budapest will not allow itself to be dragged into a war with Russia by allowing Kyiv to join the bloc. It has also been one of the few countries which has refused to supply any military equipment to Ukraine, or cut its ties with Moscow. Rather, it has become even closer to Russia, as Budapest is joining the country in construction of new gas pipelines, much to the opposition of Brussels which is seeking to cut its reliance on Russian energy. Slovakia has insisted on maintaining the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine, whose authorities stopped supplies at the beginning of this year. As such, Bratislava currently receives energy raw materials from Russia via the TurkStream pipeline, though their volume is less than half of the republic's gas imports. UNI ANV

What is 'Russian influence' in Ukraine's corruption that Zelensky is talking about?
What is 'Russian influence' in Ukraine's corruption that Zelensky is talking about?

First Post

timean hour ago

  • First Post

What is 'Russian influence' in Ukraine's corruption that Zelensky is talking about?

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy pledged a new anti-corruption bill amid EU criticism and protests over a controversial law weakening watchdogs. The move comes as Russia intensifies attacks and Kyiv faces mounting pressure on reforms and foreign aid read more Thousands of people protest against a law targeting anti-corruption institutions near the President's Office in Kyiv, Ukraine. AP President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared on Thursday that he will present a new anti-corruption bill to Ukraine's Parliament, in an additional effort to soothe tensions after approving modifications to graft legislation that sparked a public uproar and severe condemnation from the European Union. Opponents of the contentious law enacted by the lawmakers and signed by Zelenskyy earlier this week said that it deprived Ukraine's anti-corruption watchdogs of their independence by giving the government more control over their work. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Zelenskyy stated that it was necessary to speed up investigations, assure more convictions, and remove 'Russian influence' from the battle against corruption, although he did not cite specific examples of Russian intervention. On Thursday, Zelenskyy abruptly announced that he had drafted a new anti-corruption measure that 'guarantees the real strengthening of the law and order system in Ukraine.' In a Telegram post, Zelenskyy said, 'The most important thing is real tools, no Russian connections, and the independence of the (watchdogs).' After almost three years of fending off Russia's full-scale invasion, the declaration seemed to give in to recent pressure that threatened to erode public confidence in Ukraine's leaders. The protests have not demanded Zelenskyy's removal, but they are the first significant anti-government demonstrations since the conflict began. 'It is important that we maintain unity,' Zelenskyy stated in his Telegram post. The announcement also left some questions unanswered. Zelenskyy had said Wednesday that he met with the heads of Ukraine's key anti-corruption and security agencies and gave them two weeks to make recommendations on how the graft law could be improved before he presented another bill to Parliament. Despite that assurance, further street protests were scheduled for Thursday evening. The new pronouncement also left unclear whether Zelenskyy intended to revoke the law that he approved earlier in the week after Parliament had passed it. He didn't publicize details about the proposed new law. The unrest has come at a difficult time in the all-out war, which began on Feb. 24, 2022. Russia's bigger army is accelerating its efforts to pierce Ukraine's front-line defenses and is escalating its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ukraine is also facing a question mark over whether the United States will provide more military aid and whether European commitments can take up the slack, with no end in sight to the war. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for a third round of talks in as many months Wednesday. But once again, the talks were brief and delivered no major breakthrough. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in the war. It's also an effort that enjoys broad public support. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos expressed concern Wednesday over the new law, calling it 'a serious step back.' The Ukrainian branch of Transparency International criticized parliament's decision, saying it undermines one of the most significant reforms since what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity in 2014 and damages trust with international partners. Meanwhile, Russian planes dropped two powerful glide bombs on the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on Thursday morning, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. At least 37 people were wounded, including a 28-day-old baby, a 10-year-old girl and two 17 year olds, authorities said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The southern city of Odesa, and Cherkasy in central Ukraine, were also hit overnight, authorities said. The drone and missile strikes on the cities wounded 11 people, including a 9-year-old, and damaged historic landmarks and residential buildings, officials said. Ukraine has sought to step up its own long-range drone attacks on Russia, using domestic technology and manufacturing. An overnight Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi killed two women and wounded 11 other people, local authorities said Thursday. An oil depot was hit, officials said, without offering details.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store