Archive · 2 Jul 2025
North Korea Opens Coastal Resort to Boost Tourism and Economy
North Korea has built a big beach resort called Wonsan Kalma, able to host nearly 20,000 people.
It's like a giant playground for tourists!
The leader, Kim Jong Un, is really happy about it and wants to build more.
Right now, mostly North Koreans are visiting, enjoying the beaches and colorful buildings.
Soon, Russian tourists are expected.
North Korea sees this resort as a way to earn money from visitors since the country reopened its borders in 2023.
Even though it's big, it might not have a lot of international visitors right away.
North Korea opened the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, a large resort on its east coast.
The resort, with a capacity of around 20,000 visitors, is expected to welcome Russian tourists.
The tourist zone opened to domestic visitors, and Kim Jong Un expressed it as a major success.
Tourism is seen as a key source of foreign currency for North Korea.
International tourism to the resort is likely to remain small in scale initially.
- Who
- Kim Jong Un and North Korea.
- What
- North Korea opened the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, a large beach resort.
- When
- The resort opened to domestic visitors this week, with Russian tourists expected to visit in July.
- Where
- The resort is located on North Korea's east coast.
- Why
- North Korea sees tourism as a key source of foreign currency.
Limited Scope
Tourism Outlook
Tourism scale
Limited Scope
The opening of the resort is a significant economic effort from North Korea to welcome tourists after the pandemic.
Tourism Outlook
The number of international tourists is likely to be limited due to available flight capacities.
- Resort Name
- Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area
- Location
- North Korea's east coast
- Capacity
- Around 20,000 visitors
- Expected Tourists
- Russian tourists
- Kim's Stance
- Key project to boost tourism and economy