North Korea to open beach resort as Kim Jong Un bets on tourism

The state media opens a beach facility that Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, hopes to increase tourism in the secret communist regime.

Wonsan on the eastern coast will be opened to local tourists on July 1, six years after its completion. It is not clear when to meet foreigners.

Kim has grown luxury in Wonsan, where most of the country’s elite are private villas, and he was once trying to transform the town that was once home to a missile test site.

The state media claims that the facility can host up to 20,000 visitors that occupy a beach with a 4km (2.5 mile) beach with a hotel, restaurant, shopping centers and a water park – none can be verified.

North Korea, which has been intensively understood for decades for the nuclear weapon program, is one of the poorest countries in the world. In Pyongyang, which is often in Pyongyang – military, monuments and earth signs, which adorn the image and cult of the Kim family, who have been governing the country since 1948.

Some observers say it is an easy way for Pyongyang to make money. While foreign tourists are allowed, tour groups tend to come from China and Russia to a large extent, the countries where Pyongyang has long been maintaining friendship relations.

“I hoped that this might indicate that this was a wider re -opened to international tourism, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem like that,” Young Pioneer Tours said, “

Tourism from abroad, made a shot during the Covid spandem, but the country closed its borders at the beginning of 2020. He did not measure the restrictions until the middle of 2023, and a year later he welcomed Russian visitors.

In February, tourists from England, France, Germany and Australia were opened to more Western visitors with which they were on the Chinese border. Weeks later, he suddenly stopped tourism without telling the reason.

Some tour agencies suspect Wonsan’s objection to foreigners. “It is not possible for most Western tourists to have a big draw,” Beard says.

“Key sites such as Pyongyang, DMZ and other brutal or communist places will continue to be the main accent for international visitors after a wider tourism continues.”

However, URI Tours Director Elliott Davies said that North Korea was a “niche objection” for travelers with unusual destinations.

“It is interesting to experience something as familiar as a beach town shaped in the unique cultural context of North Korea.”

KCNA described the development of Wonsan as “a great, auspicious event of the whole country” and called it “the beginning of the new era” in tourism.

It was planned to be opened in October 2019 at the beginning, but it entered construction delays before hitting the pande.

Kim, his daughter Kim Ju Ae and his wife Ri Sol Jura accompanied a ceremony to celebrate the completion of the completion on June 24. He has pointed out the first public appearance of RI since the New Year’s event.

Russian Ambassador Alexander Matsegora and the Embassy staff also participated.

Some tour operators are waiting for the opening of the facility to Russian tourists, the only foreign nationals allowed to some parts of the country.

The opening of the facility comes as it strengthens the partnerships of North Korea and Russia against sanctions from the West.

North Korea sent unity to fight for Russia in the occupation of Ukraine.

On Thursday, the two countries directly reopened a passenger train route between the capitals after a five -year suspension due to a five -year suspension.