New North Korean resort aims for 20,000 visitors

The South African

29-06-2025

North Korea has officially opened the sprawling Wonsan-Kalma beach resort on its eastern coast, a project long championed by leader Kim Jong Un.
The resort, capable of hosting up to 20,000 visitors, features high-rise hotels, water parks, restaurants, and shopping centres along a four-kilometre stretch of beach.
The grand opening took place on 24 June 2025, with Kim Jong Un personally cutting the ribbon.
He was accompanied by his wife Ri Sol Ju and their daughter Kim Ju Ae, who is widely seen as his likely successor, according to CNN.
Kim expressed 'great satisfaction' after the resort. He described it as 'one of the greatest successes this year' and a 'proud first step' towards developing North Korea's tourism industry.
This signalled Pyongyang's growing ties with Moscow amid ongoing Western sanctions.
The resort is set to open to domestic tourists from 1 July 2025. However, details about eligibility, transportation, and when international tourists might be allowed remain unclear.
Currently, only Russian tourists have limited access to certain parts of North Korea. Russian travel agencies are already promoting tour packages to the Wonsan-Kalma zone, with prices around R30,000.
This suggests that Russians may be the first foreign visitors to enjoy the resort, reflecting the close relationship between North Korea and Russia.
Experts believe the initial visitors will likely be North Korea's domestic elite, including party officials and high-ranking figures.
This is due to the country's tightly controlled society and restricted domestic travel.
Dr Edward Howell, a North Korea specialist at the University of Oxford, notes that Western tourists are unlikely to visit due to strict social controls and ideological restrictions within the country.
Lim Eul-chul, a professor of North Korean Studies, sees the resort as part of Kim's broader strategy to seek economic breakthroughs through tourism.
This is despite the country's ongoing hardships and international isolation.
The resort's opening raises questions about its economic viability and who will visit. North Korea remains one of the world's poorest nations, with most resources devoted to military spending.
Tourism is one of the few sectors that can generate foreign currency legally, especially under UN sanctions.
However, the country's history with international tourism is fraught; the once-popular Mount Kumgang tours for South Koreans ended abruptly in 2008.
This was after a fatal shooting incident, and cross-border tourism remains suspended.
The Wonsan-Kalma resort is a curious symbol of contrast: a lavish, state-controlled tourist zone in a country where many face hunger and hardship.
It reflects North Korea's attempts to project an image of development and normalcy despite its isolation.
As Dr Howell puts it, 'Whether this resort will yield the economic benefits that Kim Jong Un desperately seeks in the long term is uncertain.
Wonsan-Kalma is hardly a tourist hotspot to begin with'.
Elliott Davies, director of Uri Tours, adds, 'North Korea has a niche appeal for those interested in offbeat travel experiences.
It's fascinating to see a beach resort shaped by North Korea's unique cultural backdrop'.
The Wonsan-Kalma beach resort is a grand showcase of North Korea's ambitions to boost tourism and earn foreign currency. Privileged domestic guests and Russian tourists will initially make up its visitor base.
The prospect of Western or South African tourists visiting remains remote, given the country's political climate and travel restrictions.
'The opening of a major beach resort like Wonsan-Kalma helps to reinforce the state media narrative of Kim's people-first policy.
It balances his focus on national defence,' said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a fellow at the Stimson Center.
'The ceremony of the Wonsan-Kalma resort reflects Kim Jong Un's vision of 'socialist civilisation'. It is part of his strategic effort to seek economic breakthroughs through tourism,' noted Lim Eul-chul.
This development offers a rare glimpse into the secretive nation's attempts to engage with the outside world, albeit under strict control and limited access.
For South Africans and others, it remains to be seen whether this ambitious project will become a genuine tourism destination or remain a symbol of Pyongyang's tightly managed image.
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