North Korea Halts Foreign Tourist Visits To Newly Launched Wonsan-Kalma Beach Resort

According to a notice posted Wednesday on the DPR Korea Tour website, the Wonsan-Kalma Tourist Zone is “temporarily not receiving foreign tourists.” The beach resort, situated on the country’s eastern coast in Kangwon Province, officially opened to domestic visitors on July 1, 2025. Shortly after, it hosted a small group of Russian tourists. The complex reportedly has the capacity to accommodate up to 20,000 guests.

The announcement follows a high-level visit to the resort by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who held talks with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui last weekend. Lavrov expressed interest in facilitating Russian travel to the region and said that “I am sure that Russian tourists will be increasingly eager to come here”, reported The Hindu.

Russia and North Korea have deepened diplomatic and military cooperation in recent years, including North Korean support for Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

However, analysts believe that a Russian media report published after the diplomatic visit may have influenced the decision to halt foreign entries. The article implied that North Korean citizens present at the resort appeared to be mobilized by the state, rather than genuine reports, potentially raising image concerns for Pyongyang.

“The North Korean government is believed to have determined that it would face some negative consequences when it opens the site to foreigners,” said Oh Gyeong-seob of the Korea Institute for National Unification.

Another expert, Lee Sangkeun of the Institute for National Security Strategy, noted that attracting Russian tourists may be difficult due to the remote location and high travel costs.

Despite the pause, analysts say the resort cannot remain closed to international visitors for long, especially given the significant cost of its construction.

“Without foreign tourists, there’s no influx of Russian rubles, Chinese yuan, or U.S. dollars. The resort won’t be financially viable,” said Ahn Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korean Studies.

The Wonsan-Kalma resort has been a central part of Kim Jong Un’s vision to develop tourism as a revenue-generating sector, especially amid international sanctions. He earlier described the project as “the proud first step” in revitalizing tourism.

North Korea’s state media has reported that the site has seen a surge in domestic tourism since opening. However, international tourism, especially from China, remains limited. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese group tours made up over 90% of North Korea’s international visitors.

In February 2025, North Korea briefly allowed a small group of foreign tourists into the Rason Special Economic Zone, only to suspend the programme within a month. The country continues to reopen its borders gradually, but a full resumption of international tourism has yet to be announced.