North Korea bans foreign tourists to newly opened beach resort

North Korea Bans Foreign Tourists from Mega Beach Resort

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has announced a ban on foreign tourists entering the newly opened mega beach resort, casting a shadow over the future of the complex that leader Kim Jong Un had touted as a major success.

DPR Korea Tour, a website operated by North Korea’s tourism authorities, issued a notice on Friday stating that the Wonsan-Kalma tourist complex on the eastern coast is “temporarily not receiving foreign tourists.” The reason for the ban and its duration were not disclosed.

The resort, which can accommodate nearly 20,000 guests, initially opened to domestic tourists on July 1 and later welcomed a small group of Russian tourists. It was anticipated that China would be the next target market for the resort.

The ban on foreign tourists comes after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited the complex for talks with Kim and Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui. Russia and North Korea have deepened their military and other collaborations in recent years.

Experts suggest that the decision to halt foreign tourist visits may have been influenced by a Russian journalist’s report that indicated North Korean visitors at the resort seemed to be mobilized by the authorities rather than genuine tourists.

Analysts believe that North Korea’s biggest tourist complex must attract Russian and Chinese tourists to sustain its operations, given the substantial investment made in its construction.

North Korea has been gradually easing pandemic-related restrictions and reopening its borders, but the status of international tourism remains uncertain.

Chinese group tours, which constituted the majority of visitors before the pandemic, are still on hold. In a similar move earlier this year, North Korea briefly allowed international tourists to visit the city of Rason before discontinuing the program.