In brief
This sudden tourism ban follows an initial opening that promised global visitors, illustrating the unpredictability of North Korea's approach to foreign tourism.
North Korea has made a surprising announcement: its newly inaugurated seaside resort, the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, will not be welcoming foreign tourists for the time being. Opened on July 1 as a central part of leader Kim Jong Un's goal to enhance tourism in the country, the region was pitched as a destination for both locals and international visitors. Just last week, reports emerged regarding the arrival of the first Russian tourists, coinciding with a meeting between Kim and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who described the seaside development as promising for tourism prospects.However, this week, a notice posted on North Korea's tourism website stated that foreign tourists are now "temporarily" barred from visiting the resort. Plans for direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang are underway, with a launch expected by the end of the month, raising questions about the future of foreign tourism.Wonsan, located on the east coast of North Korea, is not just a tourist area but also a site of military significance, housing several missile facilities. The seaside project, which has been in development since 2018, features a 4 km stretch of beachfront lined with hotels, restaurants, shopping areas, and even a water park, boasting a capacity for around 20,000 visitors.Despite its tourism potential, the resort has faced criticism from human rights groups regarding the working conditions encountered by laborers during its construction, reported to be long hours with inadequate pay. With the recent ban on foreign tourism, the fate of Wonsan Kalma as a tourist magnet remains uncertain, following a turbulent history of travel regulations that saw North Korea temporarily allow and then abruptly halt visits from Western nations and Russia after the pandemic.
