North Korea Opens Wonsan Kalma Beach Resort to Boost Tourism, Primarily Russian Visitors

New Tourist Resort in North Korea

• 🇰🇵 North Korea has opened the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone on July 1st, a new holiday resort located on the east coast.
• 📍 The resort, where leader Kim Jong-un spent his youth, features hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and a water park.

Russian Tourist Experiences

• 🤩 Russian tourists who were among the first visitors expressed excitement and enjoyment despite numerous restrictions.
• 🏖️ They were impressed with the "flawless beach" and the resort staff's efforts to accommodate their needs, describing it as a "very high quality resort."
• ⚠️ One group's arrival was delayed by a day, coinciding with a visit from the Russian foreign minister.

Economic Motivations for Opening

• 💰 Experts suggest North Korea is opening the resort to desperately earn foreign currency, such as dollars, euros, and rubles.
• 📉 The country previously relied on Chinese tourists (up to 200,000 annually before the pandemic) but now sees only a fraction of that, with current bookings around three to 500 per month, primarily from Russians.
• 💲 The cost of tours to Wonsan Kalma is partly paid in dollars, highlighting the need for cash.

Speculations on Resort Development and Strategy

• 🌍 While North Korea has other resorts like Rason, the Wonsan Kalma zone aims to attract more tourists, primarily Chinese, after relations with China improve.
• 🤝 Currently, only Russians are permitted, which experts believe is a move by North Korea to showcase its powerful ally status.
• 🤔 There are speculations that the resort's design might be inspired by Asian resorts or popular European destinations like Benidorm.