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My trip to North Korea’s ‘Benidorm’

Anastasia, who claimed that this was not a typical beach holiday, was the security guards accompanying the group of Samsonova.

In July, the 33 -year -old human resources worker was one of the first tourists to stay in a new holiday resort in North Korea, a largely closed country to the outside world.

The coastal tourism region, which was spent most of the youth of the leader Kim Jong Un, took place in a special area where it was opened on July 1.

According to the state media, the facility, which is built near the missile test site, has hotels, restaurants, shopping centers and a water park.

However, even though it was initially billed to international tourists, the Russians who have entered groups so far and organized by accredited travel agencies have been allowed.

According to State Media, the facility has hotels, restaurants, shopping centers and a water park. [KCNA]

Anastasia traveled with 14 people there last month. The visit was strictly checked, a fixed route that cannot be separated without the permission of the guards and guards and the guards and the North Korean authorities.

He told him that the guards should “to prevent the situations in which we interact with the locals and scare them.”

“When we walk on the street [North Koreans] He looked at us with a great surprise because the country has been closed for a long time. “Anastasia says.

On social media, BBC News, after looking for the geographies of people traveling to facility, independent of any travel agency or media organization, contacted him.

No struggle for Sunloungers

Anastasia, the group was told to photograph the construction site and expected to wear explanatory clothes, he said.

Nevertheless, despite the restrictions, white sandy says that it “enjoyed an unmanned holiday” on almost empty beaches.

“Every day [beach] It was cleaned and flattened perfectly. Everything was clean, “he says.

“Loungers are absolutely new, everything is stainless. The entrance to the sea was very kind, so yes, it was a really good beach.”

Anastasia Samsonova at Wonsan Beach Resort — Anastasia said that the beaches were “immaculate” and mostly abandoned [Anastasia Samsonova]

Since the Covid pandem, international tourism has paused to prevent the spread of the virus in North Korea.

However, last year, the Republican Russian tourists began to visit again.

In February, he began to take tourists from the West, including Australia, France, Germany and England, but suddenly stopped this week without saying why.

Wonsan was introduced as an important part of Kim’s ambitions of increasing tourism in the country.

It is said that Spain, where the North Korean delegation was sent to the mission of finding a real in 2017, is said to be inspired by Tourism Hotspot Benidorm.

However, the details of how it was built were covered in secrecy, and the human rights groups criticized the harsh treatment of workers.

Weeks after opening, North Korea announced that foreigners were not allowed to visit “temporarily”, except for Russian tourists of the Republic of the Republic.

So far, two Russian tour groups have visited the facilities, now there is another.

Three Pictures: A North Korean missile model outdoors; A North Korean newspaper with coffee and pastries on the table and tourist Anastasia in a missile sculptor; And another missile statuette showing another missile. — North Korean rocket models each cost approximately 40 dollars [Anastasia Samsonova]

The trip from Russia to North Korea, including three days, including Wonsan Kalnut Resort, is 60% higher than the average monthly salary in Russia.

Some ads for the trip refer to the nearby missile test site as a “unique” holiday place.

Anastasia said no missiles were launched while there, but toy rockets were sold for $ 40 (£ 30).

Describing a typical day on his trip, Anastasia says that the group will have breakfast at 09:30 when numerous activities are planned at 08:00 and at a more comfortable day.

In terms of the food they were given, there was a lot of meat in sweet and sour sauces, and there was a plate containing carrots in the fine winged cabbage and sauce.

A 500ml beer is very cheap, about 60 cents on the beach, and the preferred souvenir for tourists is North Korea Olympic clothes.

Daria, another tourist, wrote on Instagram, described the facility as “very raw” and “not a holiday where Russian tourists are accustomed to”.

“But if you are tired of Asia, Türkiye, etc. and want something exotic – that’s it,” he added.

The screen of an advertisement that introduces the facility from a Russian tourism agency. He says a journey is about $ 1,800. — One week North Korean tour, a Russian traveler about $ 1,800 (£ 1,300) [Vostok Intur]

However, there is uncertainty about when the next Russian tourists will be allowed to Wonsan.

Vostok Intur, a travel agent, which organized the first three trips to the facility, said that he was interested in potential tours in September, but North Korean officials have not yet accepted.

Initially, tours were announced online by Russian travel agencies in mid -September, but they were later removed.

It is not the only Russians who face difficulties in reaching Wonsan.

According to Andrei Lankov, North Korean-Russia Relations Specialist and a professor at the University of Kocine in Seoul, even Chinese citizens who limit North Korea and who are their main ally and economic partner are difficult to reach the facility.

He says that Pyongyang deliberately limits the number of tourists and controls his movements closely, so that the North Koreans will not negatively compare themselves with richer foreigners.

“Ordinary people may start to wonder, ‘How do they live very well even if we are not our great leader or son or daughter?” Says Lankov.

For this reason, North Korea concluded that too many foreigners to enter the country is largely better.

Domestic tourists are watching a man in a swimming pool in the Myongsasimni Water Park in the coastal tourism area of Wonsan in Wonsan, North Korea's North Korea. — It contains a water park at the facility, but Anastasia’s group could not visit [AFP]

With travel restrictions traveling to North Korea, tourism from Russia is increasing, but remains modest compared to other places.

According to the border guards of Russia’s Federal Security Service, in 2024, approximately 1,500 Russian tourism went to North Korea.

In contrast, more than 6.7 million visited Türkiye and went to China about 1.9 million.

However, in the second quarter of 2025, 1,673 Russian entered North Korea, a last level seen in 2010 before the restrictions were introduced.

Wonsan is seen as the key to reviving North Korea’s patient’s economic delegation, but it was not from the discussion.

Since the facility started construction in 2018, Human Rights Groups protested the claim of the abuse of workers. They point to the reports that people are forced to work long hours to finish the big project under challenging conditions and inadequate compensation.

BBC approached the North Korean Embassy in London to comment.

A hotel in Wonsan Kalnı Resort — There is a long ride selling hotels in the facility [Anastasia Samsonova]

Despite the difficulties of reaching Wonsan Dating and restrictions on what Russian tourists can do when they come to North Korea, Anastasia says he hopes to come back next year.

“In fact, we are thinking of gathering the whole group to go to the same place next year.

“I’m not sure whether it will work, but I heard a ski resort near Wonsan. Maybe one day I will visit that facility.”