North Korea’s expansive Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area a sprawling resort featuring sandy beaches, hotels, water parks, restaurants, and recreational facilities has opened amid state fanfare. Yet, despite the glitz, tours remain scarce. Here’s a deeper look into this paradox:
A Lavish Launch Almost Empty
- Ambitious scale: The resort spans 2.5 miles of coastline, includes around 400 buildings (hotels, villas, amenities), and can supposedly host up to 20,000 guests (wuft.org, Business Insider, People.com).
- Grand opening: Kim Jong Un inaugurated it on June 24 with his wife and daughter in attendance, calling it “one of the greatest successes” and heralding a new era in North Korean tourism (Deutsche Welle, People.com, The Week).
- Domestic visitors only for now: It officially opened to North Korean citizens on July 1, with Russians expected to visit shortly afterward (People.com, euronews, The Week).
But Where Are the Tourists?
Foreigners Barred
- Initially banned: Foreigners were swiftly barred from entering the resort, just after its inauguration dashing hopes of widespread international tourism(Globedge).
- Limited access: Despite earlier plans to welcome Russian tourists, access for Chinese and Western visitors remains effectively suspended (People.com, News Channel 3-12, euronews).
Performative Tourism
Why the Tourist Exodus?
Political Control & Isolation
North Korea’s tight grip on its international image means it avoids uncontrolled flows of foreigners. Officials remain cautious about what outsiders might film or report (News Channel, euronews).
Logistical & Diplomatic Constraints
- Travel hobbled by sanctions and isolation: COVID-era restrictions remain, with limited flights and strict border controls (wuft.org, Deutsche Welle, euronews).
- China’s absence: Chinese tourists who once made up the bulk of visitors have not returned, amid strained relations with North Korea (The Week, euronews).
- Heavy reliance on Russia: Though Russia is seen as a key partner going forward, its tourist numbers are small and unlikely to sustain the resort alone (The Week, Business Insider, The Moscow Times, People.com).
Economic Realities
With widespread poverty and restrictions on internal mobility, the resort’s target domestic audience may lack both the means and freedom to visit regularly (wuft.org, RNZ).
What It Reveals
- Propaganda over practicality: The resort seems more designed as a showcase for North Korea’s aspirations than as a functional tourism hub.
- Image management: While infrastructure is impressive, usage remains tightly managed and choreographed.
- Tourism as leverage: The resort could become an economic or diplomatic tool used selectively to reward loyalty or court allies rather than an open, globally accessible destination.
In Summary
North Korea’s new Wonsan Kalma resort is a glittering façade: visually striking, sprawling, and modern yet largely unvisited. Open only to North Koreans and tentatively to Russians, it remains closed to most tourists. Reports suggest heavily staged scenes masking real absence. In essence, the resort is less a holiday escape and more a carefully orchestrated exhibit of national might, constrained by political machinery and international isolation.
