North Korea has temporarily barred foreign visitors from its newly launched Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, a move that contradicts earlier efforts to promote the resort as a key international tourism destination.
The 4-kilometre-long beachfront resort, which opened on July 1, had been touted by leader Kim Jong Un as central to efforts to boost the nation’s tourism industry. However, a notice on the official North Korean tourism website now states that foreigners are “temporarily” not allowed to visit.
The announcement comes just days after the first group of Russian tourists reportedly arrived at the resort around the same time Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Kim in Wonsan.
Lavrov praised the development as a “good tourist attraction” and said he hoped it would become increasingly popular among Russians, Russia and North Korea are also preparing to launch direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang by the end of July.
A Russian tour guide told NK News that several more group visits to Wonsan had been planned over the coming months.
The city of Wonsan, located on North Korea’s east coast, is not only a favored leisure destination of the country’s ruling elite but also hosts military and maritime facilities, including missile launch sites. Kim himself is known to have spent part of his youth in the area.
According to state media, the Wonsan Kalma resort features hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, and a water park, with a reported capacity of 20,000 visitors. Construction of the resort began in 2018.
However, human rights organisations have long criticised the project, alleging that laborers faced forced work, long hours, harsh conditions, and little or no compensation. These concerns have persisted even as the country sought to portray the resort as a symbol of progress and economic ambition.
Russian ambassadors were present at the resort’s official opening ceremony on June 24, alongside Kim Jong Un and his family.
The current restriction on foreign access follows a recent pattern of inconsistent tourism policy by Pyongyang. In 2023, North Korea resumed Russian tourism following years of COVID-related border closures. By February 2024, tourists from Australia, France, Germany, and the UK were also allowed entry only for those visits to be abruptly suspended weeks later, without explanation.
No official reason has been given for the new ban on foreign tourists, and it remains unclear when or if the resort will be opened to international travelers again.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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