North Korea unveils first tourist zone: Kim Jong Un’s grand beach resort where you can swim, play, and dine, but who’s allowed in?

North Korea is set to open a major new tourist site next week on its east coast. Called the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone, the site is being promoted as a big step forward for the country’s tourism plans. However, it will only be open to local tourists for now. There's still no clear date on when foreign travellers will be allowed back in.

According to state media, the new coastal zone has hotels, sports facilities, restaurants, and can host nearly 20,000 guests. People can swim, play games, and enjoy meals by the sea.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the site on Tuesday and officially opened it with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. He called the site “one of the greatest successes this year” and said it was “the proud first step” in building a stronger tourism industry.


The new site will welcome domestic visitors from Tuesday next week, as reported by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). But there was no mention of when international tourists can visit.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most of North Korea’s foreign tourists came from China. But travel restrictions are still in place. Only Russian tourists have been allowed to visit in recent months, as ties between Russia and North Korea grow stronger.

A few international tourists were allowed in earlier this year for the first time since 2020, but tours were paused again in March, according to travel agencies.

North Korea hopes to build more large tourist zones in other parts of the country soon, KCNA added.

Inputs from AP