Latest news with #CostadelSol-inspired
The Irish Sun
18-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
North Korea's new ‘Benidorm' resort mysteriously BANS foreign tourists days after opening – following years of delays
NORTH Korea has mysteriously banned foreign tourists from its shiny new seaside resort just days after opening - following years of hype and farcical delays. Dubbed the "North Korean Benidorm", Advertisement 13 Kim has closed off his new tourist resort to all foreigners Credit: Reuters 13 The sea did not look particularly inviting for the first batch of visitors Credit: AFP 13 Kim waved to adoring fans at an opening ceremony at the end of June Credit: AFP 13 A North Korean man makes the most of the water park at Wonsan after it opened Credit: AFP The Costa del Sol-inspired resort - complete with beaches, waterparks and a strip - had been markets . Wonsan But then a notice popped up on the national tourism website slapping a "temporary" ban on all overseas visitors. According to state-run North Korean news , a group of 15 Russian holidaymakers rocked up last week - around the same time Russia's Foreign Minster Sergei Lavrov visited Kim in Wonsan. Advertisement read more in world news Lavrov heaped praise on the "good tourist attraction" and said he hoped it would become a popular hols spot for Russians. NK News said the Russians had been "wowed" by "lavish ten-dish meals", "eerily good service" and "endless beaches". Other eager Russians will no doubt be disappointed to miss out on this mind-boggling experience. And a Russian tour guide previously told NK News that they had planned several more trips to the resort in the coming months - but not anymore. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Exclusive Exclusive The chance of other international travellers being permitted a peak behind the curtain is looking evermore remote. Kim Jong Un sheds tears over North Korean troops killed in Ukraine The city is where Kim spent much of his youth, among holiday villas, maritime infrastructure - and missile facilities. The dictator oversaw the project himself, and was reportedly inspired by the way Europeans choose to holiday in countries like Spain. Advertisement He is even said to have dispatched a team to the Costa del Sol to take notes and report back. The result is a 2.5-mile stretch of beachfront lined with restaurants, hotels for 20,000 people, shopping malls and water park. 13 Kids were pictured splashing around in the swimming pool Credit: AFP 13 The strip running along Wonsan before it was officially opened Credit: AFP Advertisement 13 A mock-up of Kim on Spain's Costa del Sol - which is said to have inspired Wonsan 13 Kim has proudly inspected the construction project several times over the years - and returned at the end of June for a bizarre opening ceremony. And declared that would go down as 'one of the greatest successes this year' and hailed the site as 'the proud first step' towards . Advertisement But the work did not always go according to plan - and was repeatedly stalled by a range of problems. At one point, the site was even overrun by homeless wanderers - known as "kotjebi" in - who filled the empty with faeces. 13 Kim cutting the ceremonial ribbon Credit: AFP 13 These ladies braved the grey weather and took to Wonsan's beach Credit: AFP Advertisement 13 Kim shows his daughter Kim Ju Ae around the inside of one of the hotels Credit: Reuters If overseas visitors are ever allowed in, campaigners have warned that nobody's safety is assured. Greg Scarlatoiu, director of the Committee for He said: 'The Wonsan-Kalma resort was built with forced labour. Vacationing there is morally and ethically wrong – it is truly an abomination. Advertisement 'Having Russian nationals vacation there is testament to the pathetic isolation of both Russia and North Korea.' Past tourists in the country have even lost their lives. Greg gave the example of Otto Warmbier, an American student arrested on dubious charges during a trip to Pyongyang in 2016. Accused of taking down a propaganda poster, he was detained for 17 months. Advertisement 13 The dictator said the new opening marked a new chapter in North Korea's tourism industry 13 Kim and his daughter watch a volunteer catapulted into a pool from a waterslide
Scottish Sun
18-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
North Korea's new ‘Benidorm' resort mysteriously BANS foreign tourists days after opening – following years of delays
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NORTH Korea has mysteriously banned foreign tourists from its shiny new seaside resort just days after opening - following years of hype and farcical delays. Dubbed the "North Korean Benidorm", Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone was supposed to spearhead Kim Jong-un's drive to boost international tourism - but the fun is over already. 13 Kim has closed off his new tourist resort to all foreigners Credit: Reuters 13 The sea did not look particularly inviting for the first batch of visitors Credit: AFP 13 Kim waved to adoring fans at an opening ceremony at the end of June Credit: AFP 13 A North Korean man makes the most of the water park at Wonsan after it opened Credit: AFP The Costa del Sol-inspired resort - complete with beaches, waterparks and a strip - had been promoted to international tourism markets. Wonsan threw open its doors to much fanfare on July 1, with footage showing Kim beaming in front of jack-rabbiting crowds and sitting back watch "volunteers" fly down waterslides. But then a notice popped up on the national tourism website slapping a "temporary" ban on all overseas visitors. According to state-run North Korean news, a group of 15 Russian holidaymakers rocked up last week - around the same time Russia's Foreign Minster Sergei Lavrov visited Kim in Wonsan. Lavrov heaped praise on the "good tourist attraction" and said he hoped it would become a popular hols spot for Russians. NK News said the Russians had been "wowed" by "lavish ten-dish meals", "eerily good service" and "endless beaches". Other eager Russians will no doubt be disappointed to miss out on this mind-boggling experience. And a Russian tour guide previously told NK News that they had planned several more trips to the resort in the coming months - but not anymore. The chance of other international travellers being permitted a peak behind the curtain is looking evermore remote. Hundreds of Brits put their name down when a travel firm, On The Beach, set up a page for people to express their interest in visiting Wonsan. Kim Jong Un sheds tears over North Korean troops killed in Ukraine The city is where Kim spent much of his youth, among holiday villas, maritime infrastructure - and missile facilities. The dictator oversaw the project himself, and was reportedly inspired by the way Europeans choose to holiday in countries like Spain. He is even said to have dispatched a team to the Costa del Sol to take notes and report back. The result is a 2.5-mile stretch of beachfront lined with restaurants, hotels for 20,000 people, shopping malls and water park. 13 Kids were pictured splashing around in the swimming pool Credit: AFP 13 The strip running along Wonsan before it was officially opened Credit: AFP 13 A mock-up of Kim on Spain's Costa del Sol - which is said to have inspired Wonsan 13 Kim has proudly inspected the construction project several times over the years - and returned at the end of June for a bizarre opening ceremony. And declared that the completed project would go down as 'one of the greatest successes this year' and hailed the site as 'the proud first step' towards a thriving tourism industry. But the work did not always go according to plan - and was repeatedly stalled by a range of problems. At one point, the site was even overrun by homeless wanderers - known as "kotjebi" in North Korea - who filled the empty hotels with faeces. 13 Kim cutting the ceremonial ribbon Credit: AFP 13 These ladies braved the grey weather and took to Wonsan's beach Credit: AFP 13 Kim shows his daughter Kim Ju Ae around the inside of one of the hotels Credit: Reuters If overseas visitors are ever allowed in, campaigners have warned that nobody's safety is assured. Greg Scarlatoiu, director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, said a trip there would be unsafe and immoral. He said: 'The Wonsan-Kalma resort was built with forced labour. Vacationing there is morally and ethically wrong – it is truly an abomination. 'Having Russian nationals vacation there is testament to the pathetic isolation of both Russia and North Korea.' Past tourists in the country have even lost their lives. Greg gave the example of Otto Warmbier, an American student arrested on dubious charges during a trip to Pyongyang in 2016. Accused of taking down a propaganda poster, he was detained for 17 months. 13 The dictator said the new opening marked a new chapter in North Korea's tourism industry
