North Korean beachside 'tourist city' to put industry on track for 'epochal development'

North Korea plans to open its long-awaited luxury seaside "tourist city" on the Kalma Peninsula later this year, marking a "first major step" in developing the country's tourism industry. The resort complex, featuring approximately 150 hotels, restaurants, and attractions, is being constructed along a 5-kilometer stretch of the Myongsasipri beach near Wonsan City on the east coast.

The area was previously used as a missile test site. North Korean state media released a series of photos showing the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, inspecting the facilities. Kim Jong-un stated, "The construction of the Kalma coastal tourist area is the first major step in putting the country's tourism industry on a path of epochal development, and it has great significance."

The development of the Wonsan-Kalma resort has been compared to Benidorm, a well-known summer tourist destination in Spain. Jacob Bogle, a US expert on North Korea, stated that this state-owned resort complex will be the country's largest tourism development project and, once completed, is likely to be the world's largest single-owner resort complex. Bogle noted that the project is often compared to the Benidorm area on Spain's Costa Blanca, known for its hotels, beaches, and skyscrapers, which a North Korean delegation visited in 2017.

"But Benidorm is a collection of different resorts and hotels owned by different companies and built up over many years," Bogle said. "Wonsan is a single, massive complex, and to my knowledge, there's no other single-owner beach resort of this scale." These resorts boast a variety of modern facilities. Bogle also mentioned that the resort complex will include an aquarium and sports facilities. However, he pointed out that North Korean tourism is traditionally done in groups organized by factories, workplaces, farms, or schools, with highly restricted itineraries. "You can do anything at the resort that you can do anywhere else, except you can't really leave," he said. "Once you're there, that's your trip."

There has been speculation that the project's development was delayed due to difficulties in procuring luxury furnishings. Planning for the Wonsan-Kalma resort project began around 2014, with an anticipated completion date of 2019. However, after some initial delays, work completely stopped during the pandemic. At one point, the unfinished construction site was reportedly taken over by "kkotjebi" (Korean for homeless people). Last year, observers noted that progress had restarted, and North Korean state media announced a final opening date of May 2025, but that date has now been pushed back to June. Construction of the resort complex was suspended during the pandemic.

Kim Jong-un stated that North Korea's strengths include "abundant and diverse tourism resources that the world envies." He said, "If we develop the tourism industry by actively utilizing these favorable conditions and environment, it will open up a new field of socialist cultural construction and provide another impetus for promoting regional revitalization and national economic growth." He also stated that along with other tourism developments in the Mount Kumgang and Samjiyon areas, this will boost regional economies and people's living standards, and "radically change the appearance of the country." North Korea has been subjected to a series of sanctions due to its nuclear weapons program, which has severely weakened its economy.

Russian tourists are likely to be among the first foreign visitors to enter North Korea since the pandemic. Alexander Hynd, a lecturer at the University of Melbourne's Asia Institute, stated that hosting foreign tourists is a way for North Korea to obtain foreign currency. Dr. Hynd added that it is also important for Kim Jong-un to demonstrate that his government is capable of completing these large infrastructure projects on schedule. "My sense is that the main target market will be North Korea's neighbors to the north, primarily Russia and China, but there is also a modest domestic tourism industry in North Korea," he said. North Korea's borders began to reopen last year after the pandemic, with the first tourists being a group of Russians. The North Korean state-owned travel agency, Korea International Travel Company, also released a video last year promoting the country's beaches to Russian tourists.

"Russian tourists are likely to be given special attention given the growing political ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, but Chinese tourists are still likely to be considered the main potential market," Dr. Hynd said. "If there is some improvement in North Korea's relations with other countries in the future, tourists from other countries may also be welcome." Leonid Petrov, a lecturer in Korean studies at the Australian National University, stated that Kim Jong-un has historically focused on providing facilities for the domestic tourism market. "They welcome friendly foreigners, such as Russians, Chinese, and maybe a few other countries that they think will not present any complications or risks for North Korea and North Korean workers, but the main focus will be on the domestic market," he said.

Australians should be able to visit North Korea if travel restrictions are lifted. However, the Australian government's Smarttraveller website advises Australians not to travel there, citing numerous reasons, including the fact that North Korea is technically still at war with South Korea. Human rights organizations state that North Korea is also a totalitarian dictatorship with one of the world's worst human rights records. Dr. Hynd highlighted that a South Korean tourist was shot and killed in 2008 while visiting North Korea for allegedly straying into a restricted area. "Given that associated risk, I personally might find it hard to relax on the beach, but I can imagine some Australians would be interested in the unusual nature of North Korean tourism," he said.

Kim Jong-un stated that the resort's development will put North Korea's tourism industry on a path of "epochal development." Bogle stated that some infrastructure work at the Kalma-Wonsan resort complex is still ongoing, including upgrades to the local sewage treatment facilities. He said whether it can be completed by the current deadline may depend on whether Kim Jong-un can obtain the luxury furnishings needed to outfit the interiors. "From the air, from satellite, it looks very complete," he said. Australia's SmartTraveller website advises Australians not to visit North Korea.

Bogle stated that an apparently completed open-air theater was torn down and rebuilt about 100 meters down the beach after Kim Jong-un's visit last year. "I like to think Kim just didn't like the view, so he had it moved," he said. "But that could also be what's causing the delays."