
North Korea bans foreign tourists to newly opened beach resort
DPR Korea Tour, a website run by North Korea's tourism authorities, said in a notice that the eastern coastal Wonsan-Kalma tourist complex "is temporarily not receiving foreign tourists". It gave no further details including why a ban was established or how long it would last.
North Korea says the complex can accommodate nearly 20,000 guests. The resort opened to domestic tourists July 1 before receiving a small group of Russian tourists last week. Observers expected North Korea to open the resort to Chinese tourists while largely blocking other international tourists.
Ban comes after visit by Russia's top diplomat
The announcement came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov flew to the complex to meet Kim and Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui for talks last weekend.
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North Korea and Russia have sharply expanded military and other cooperation in recent years, with North Korea supplying weapons and troops to back Russia's war against Ukraine. During a meeting with Choe, Lavrov promised to take steps to support Russian travel to the zone.
"I am sure that Russian tourists will be increasingly eager to come here," he said.
But experts say North Korea likely decided to halt foreign travel to the zone because of a newspaper article by a Russian reporter who travelled with Lavrov that implied North Koreans at the zone appeared to be mobilised by authorities and not real tourists.
"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, an analyst at Seoul's Korea Institute for National Unification.
A beach resort in the Wonsan-Kalma eastern coastal tourist zone on July 1, 2025. (Source: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
Oh said the ban would include Russians, but the North Korea-focused NK News website, citing tour groups specialising in North Korea trips, said Russians won't likely be targeted.
Analyst Lee Sangkeun of Seoul's Institute for National Security Strategy said the ban could be associated with difficulties in recruiting Russian tourists because many would consider North Korea too far away and the trip too expensive.
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Ban likely won't remain for long
Experts say North Korea must open the Wonsan-Kalma zone, the country's biggest tourist complex, to Russian and Chinese tourists, given what was likely a huge construction and operational expenditure from the country's tight budget.
"If foreign tourists aren't allowed to the site, no Russian rubles, Chinese yuans and dollars won't come in. Then, North Korea can't break even and it has to shut down the resort," said Ahn Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korean Studies think tank in Seoul.
Kim has said the site would be "one of the greatest successes this year" and "the proud first step" in tourism development. North Korea's state media reports the Wonsan-Kalma site has been crowded with local tourists.
The first group of 15 Russian tourists arrived in the resort July 11 after visiting Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, NK News reported earlier this week.
"It was magnificent. Everything is new, clean and stunning," Russian tourist Nina Svirida said in the report.
North Korea has been slowly easing the curbs imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic and reopening its borders in phases. But the country hasn't said if it would fully resume international tourism.
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Chinese group tours, which made up more than 90% of visitors before the pandemic, remain stalled. In February, North Korea allowed a small group of international tourists to visit the northeastern city of Rason, only to stop the programme in less than a month.
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NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- NZ Herald
‘He really miscalculated the reaction' - new curbs on anti-corruption watchdogs have alarmed Ukrainians
The protesters arrived with their children and dogs, on prosthetic legs and in wheelchairs, carrying blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags and shouting for the Government to revoke the law, which has stoked immense public outrage, alarmed former officials and raised consternation among Ukraine's European allies who are becoming the country's main lifeline for weapons and economic aid amid uncertain support from the United States. A woman stands wrapped in a Ukrainian flag during Wednesday's protests. Photo / Ed Ram, for the Washington Post 'This is how democracy should look,' said Anton Avrynskyi, 41, a tech entrepreneur who joined the crowds with his wife, Vitaliia, and their 9-year-old son, Ivan. During wartime, the country must stay united behind the president, he said - but should also not fear correcting his mistakes. 'We are here to help him not make wrong decisions,' Avrynskyi said. The law has put a spotlight on Ukraine's history of endemic corruption, which has long been used by the country's detractors to criticise it. It could also affect Ukraine's candidacy to join the European Union. As crowds gathered for a second night in a row, Zelenskyy showed signs of imminent backtracking. The President said he had 'heard what people are saying these days' and would propose 'a plan of concrete steps that could strengthen the rule of law in Ukraine'. He suggested a draft law that would ensure the independence of all of the country's anti-corruption institutions. The masses appeared unsatisfied with his response, and many said they were appalled by how quickly the Government rammed through the law without assessing public opinion, which some saw as a signal it was veering towards unchecked autocracy. Mariia Golota, 35, who is nearly nine months pregnant, carried a sign that read 'I want to give birth in a fair Ukraine'. 'We choose to live here and if you live here you have to fight for fair laws and transparency,' Golota said. The law seemed to be rushed through parliament so 'that maybe no one will notice', said her husband, Danylo Golota, who serves in Ukraine's Third Assault Brigade. 'Most people are ready to stand up and go protest and fight. We lost too much so we are not ready to just swallow something we don't like.' The demonstrators gathered in front of a theatre on Ivan Franko Square, near the presidential administration, in far greater numbers than the estimated 2000 people who protested on Wednesday, shouting, 'Shame!' The presidential headquarters now sit behind several checkpoints and are surrounded by small mountains of sandbags to protect against Russian airstrikes. The crowds sang the national anthem, chanted 'Glory to Ukraine's Armed Forces' and resurrected popular chants from revolutions past, including 'Together we are many - we cannot be defeated!' Some young people climbed onto the theatre's balconies, waving Ukrainian flags and leading the cheers. Others perched on fountains and statues or put out lawn chairs and picnic blankets. Oleh, 39, a Ukrainian soldier, lost his left leg in battle late last year. He said he joined the crowds because he fears the law will risk Ukraine's future in the European Union - the same future he fought for in the country's east until he stepped on a Russian antipersonnel mine near the city of Toretsk. 'It's just offensive even as a civilian,' Oleh said. 'From a military standpoint, it's also offensive that those boys are standing there fighting, and in-house this is what's happening.' Barbara Varvara, 18, walked with her dog, Manya, who was put up for adoption after she was wounded in the eastern Donetsk region several months ago. A sign around Manya's neck read: 'Soon, even dogs won't want to live here'. 'We have so much corruption in our country and we can't do anything,' Varvara said. 'I'm here to show we are against that.' The law, which was adopted by the parliament and signed by Zelenskyy, places Nabu and Sapo under the control of the general prosecutor's office, which critics say effectively abolishes their independence. The two institutions were the main anti-corruption bodies created as part of an aggressive campaign against public graft and other malfeasance since Ukraine's 2014 Maidan Revolution, when hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets in part because they were fed up with rampant corruption under President Viktor Yanukovych. The two bodies functioned free of outside control. Yesterday, Zelenskyy, who had tried to frame the law as a way of strengthening the anti-corruption effort, met the heads of the country's law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies, including Nabu and Sapo. After the meeting, however, Nabu and Sapo issued a joint statement, saying that the 'legislative changes adopted yesterday significantly limit' their independence. 'To restore full and independent work, clear and unambiguous steps are needed at the legislative level to restore the guarantees that were abolished by parliament,' the statement said. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who attended the first protest on Wednesday, posted on social media that those responsible for the law were 'dragging Ukraine faster into authoritarianism'. Ukrainian lawmakers who voted against the bill said Zelenskyy severely underestimated both the domestic and international reaction to the move, which is seen as an effort to rein in officials tasked with independently investigating corruption cases - including those that may reach close to the President's inner circle. The move appeared to reflect Zelenskyy's growing distance from the generation that ushered in a new democratic era after the 2014 revolution - many of whom are now among those fighting on the front lines for the same democratic values they championed on the streets more than a decade ago. 'The scariest thing is that it will be used by our foes,' said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, a lawmaker from Ukraine's European Solidarity Party, who fears outsiders will use the debacle to try to paint Ukraine as a nation that remains mired in corruption. Klympush-Tsintsadze, who worked extensively on Ukraine's bid to join the EU, voted against the law. Protesters gather on a road leading to the Ukrainian president's office. Photo / Ed Ram, for the Washington Post Russia, which has long amplified the narrative of corruption in Ukraine, was quick to leap on the development, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying yesterday that American and European tax dollars have 'been plundered'. Russia has long been criticized by the West for having one of the world's worst records on corruption. Zelenskyy's signing of the law tested the unwritten agreement between Ukrainian society and government that there will not be a political uprising during wartime because of the shared understanding that Russia is the enemy, said Volodymyr Ariev, a lawmaker who belongs to the same party as Klympush-Tsintsadze. 'He really miscalculated the reaction of the society,' he said of Zelenskyy. 'We are fighting against Russia not only as a country but as a model.' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Zelenskyy to convey 'her strong concerns about the consequences of the amendments' and 'requested the Ukrainian Government for explanations', a spokesperson for the European Commission said. 'The respect for the rule of law and the fight against corruption are core elements of the European Union,' the spokesperson said. 'As a candidate country, Ukraine is expected to uphold these standards fully. There cannot be a compromise.' On Tuesday, agents from Ukraine's security service, the SBU, the general prosecutor's office, and the State Bureau of Investigation raided Nabu offices, claiming the existence of a 'Russian 'mole' in one of the bureau's elite units,' SBU head Vasyl Maliuk said. Many Ukrainians flatly rejected the Government's justifications for the law, however. The move against the agencies also comes a month after Nabu opened a criminal case against Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov on charges of 'abuse of office and receiving undue benefits in substantial amounts for himself and third parties'. It was one of the highest-level corruption cases since Zelenskyy became president six years ago, targeting one of the closest allies of his powerful chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. Chernyshov denied the charges, but he lost his position in last week's government reshuffle.

RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Construction firms offering large discounts to avoid collapse
Photo: Construction companies are struggling to stay afloat as orders dry up amid tough economic times, with some slashing quotes by as much as 50 percent to get whatever work they can. Latest data from the Building Research Association of New Zealand showed that liquidations in the construction sector rose 37 percent in February year on year, accounting for 31 percent of all liquidations nationwide. Latest figures from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) showed a similar trend. The number of businesses with an MBIE construction code that had a liquidator appointed nearly doubled for the year ending 30 June 2023 compared to the previous year, climbing from 210 in 2022 to 416. By the end of June 2025, 687 companies with an MBIE construction code had a liquidator appointed, marking a more than threefold increase in just three years. Amid the sharp rise in closures, some Chinese construction firms had resorted in cutting quote prices and squeezing already tight margins to stay in business. Henry Wang, a former carpenter who had worked in the construction industry for eight years and now ran his own business, said pay rates for carpentry work had dropped sharply compared to the industry's recent peak. "The market was booming from 2020 to 2022," Wang said. "At that time, a carpenter could earn around $150 to $160 per square meter on a residential build. However, now payments have fallen by as much as 40 to 50 percent." Photo: Supplied/ Unsplash - Josh Olalde Wang said he began feeling the pressure in 2023, as layoffs started to spread across the construction sector and available work began to dry up. Wang, who worked for a Chinese construction firm, recalled long hours during the boom years. "We used to work from 7am to 6pm - sometimes even until 7pm - including Saturdays when business was really busy," he said. "But gradually, the company could only guarantee three days of work a week," he said. "By the end of 2023, they started cutting staff because there simply wasn't any work left." He estimated that between 60 and 80 percent of the workers at his former company were made redundant. He eventually left as well, citing a lack of available work. Now the owner of a small construction firm with six employees based in Auckland, Wang said most of his clients were in the commercial building sector. He remains cautious about the sector's outlook. "I'm not optimistic about the market this year or even next year," he said, noting that the project pipeline heading into 2026 is alarmingly thin. Wang said the downturn had triggered a destructive price war in the industry, which he found deeply concerning. "There isn't much work out there," he said. "A lot of companies are dropping their quote prices. Some are even slashing them by half just to win clients and stay in business. All I can do is hang in there and try to survive these next two years." Photo: RNZ Steven Jin, director of commercial fit out company Unique Constructions, felt the same pressure. Jin started his business in 2010, recalling a boom period between 2016 and 2018, when a surge of Chinese restaurants and retail shops opened across the market. However, that momentum faded quickly. Business confidence took a hit during the Covid-19 pandemic, and his project volume started dropping sharply from 2023. "Compared to 2018 and 2019, our business volume fell by more than 60 percent in 2023 and 2024," he said. Jin described the current construction market as bleak, noting that many contractors he had worked with had also been forced to slash their quote prices to remain competitive. "It's very challenging to do business right now," he said. "We're squeezing margins, sometimes down to just 5 percent or even operating at no profit at all. But we have no other choice. With the market like this, the only way to compete is on price." Jin said he didn't expect the market to rebound this year. For now, his goal is simple: Survive and stay afloat. "Everyone is competing against each other," he said. "Even big construction companies, their goal is to survive and avoid liquidation." Fletcher Building announced Wednesday it was considering the sale of its construction division assets following a strategic review of the business. Julien Leys, chief executive of the Building Industry Federation Photo: Supplied Julien Leys, chief executive of the Building Industry Federation, said New Zealand's building sector was largely made up of small businesses, typically employing between three and five people. He said Asian-owned construction companies accounted for roughly 22 percent of the market, contributing as much as $48 million per month in construction activity in the Auckland region. Leys said Asian construction companies were facing the same challenges affecting developers across the country, including a slowdown in residential property sales. "It's just a fact that we're seeing a downturn across the sector," he said. "People are finding it harder to get work, particularly those smaller builders." Leys said while the construction sector might see an uptick in activity by the middle of next year, the current market remained challenging. "There's still uncertainty that is affecting people making decisions about whether to start a build or a project," he said. "That uncertainty means all the subcontractors and contractors involved in those projects don't get work. "Right now, what we're seeing is that their order books - where they'd usually have an actual pipeline of activity for the next 12 months to work on - pretty much there's nothing in it." According to the latest building consent data from Stats NZ, 33,530 new dwellings were consented in the year ending on 31 May, a 3.8 percent decrease against the same period in 2024. Gareth Kiernan, chief forecaster at Infometrics Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King Gareth Kiernan, chief forecaster at Infometrics, said New Zealand experienced a residential construction boom in 2022, with approximately 51,000 consents issued, driven by surging house prices and historically low interest rates. However, he said it had since become much more difficult for developers to bring projects to market at a cost buyers were willing to pay. House prices fell substantially through 2022 into 2023, while interest rates and building costs continued to climb over the same period, he said. "Residential construction firms and the businesses supplying materials expanded their capacity a lot during the boom to meet demand," Kiernan said. "But now, there's just too much capacity across the industry, and that's causing issues for firms and leading to those liquidations." Kiernan said net migration shifts had also contributed to the softening of the housing market. "There was an undersupply of housing, particularly in Auckland," he said. "We haven't been able to keep up with demand through much of the last decade. "We had a migration boom initially when the borders reopened in 2023. But that's slowed away again, and now the housing market is still pretty soft. "Potentially, over the next year or so, we could be starting to move into a position with the housing market rather than being undersupplied to actually oversupplied. Meanwhile, Kiernan said a downturn in non-residential construction had emerged over the past six to nine months, as broader economic weakness began to weigh on commercial developments, adding further pressure across the sector. "Previously, commercial building was still holding up relatively well," he said. "But now we're seeing a flat to downturn in residential construction, and a downturn emerging in commercial building as well." Ankit Sharma, chief executive of the Registered Master Builders Association Photo: Supplied Ankit Sharma, chief executive of the Registered Master Builders Association, said builders nationwide, particularly small and family-owned firms, were under significant financial strain, driven by tightening profit margins, escalating costs and, in many cases, a lack of forward visibility. Sharma said residential activity expectations were beginning to lift in some regions. "We're starting to see early signs that the tide may be turning," he said. "In some regions like Central Otago, builders are telling us they're as busy as they've ever been." However, Sharma said the recovery remained uneven, particularly across parts of the upper North Island, including Auckland, where the pipeline of new work remained uncertain. Still, he said momentum was beginning to build. "Government initiatives such as the Investment Boost scheme and proposed procurement reforms are welcome steps that could help unlock activity and give firms greater confidence to invest," he said. Kiernan said the construction sector would eventually adjust to more sustainable levels of activity. "It's a case of almost like much of the rest of the economy," he said. "Things were really overheated in 2021 to 2022, and now it's kind of needing to move back, or consolidate back to what are more sort of sustainable levels of activity that can be kept going over the medium term."


NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Agribusiness and Trade: Kiwi businesses optimistic about China market growth
The sheer scale of the Chinese market cannot be under-estimated, a single district in Shanghai can have a population equal to all of New Zealand. It's no surprise that 70% of Kiwi companies in our survey are there primarily for the size of the serviceable market. However, seizing this opportunity now means looking beyond the traditional gateway of Tier 1 cities like Shanghai, where over 78% of New Zealand businesses currently have a presence. Consumption growth in these megacities is becoming sluggish. With housing prices reaching nearly 30 times a person's annual income, many households are reluctant to increase discretionary spending. The new story of growth is unfolding in China's Tier 3 and 4 cities. Here, with lower housing costs and basic needs met, families are shifting their focus from the quantity of consumption to the quality of their lives. They are turning to domestic travel and seeking out better-quality products. The data backs this up. According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, 26 out of 35 major Tier 3 cities recorded consumption growth, with most increasing by 3.7% or more. This stands in contrast to urban Shanghai, which saw only 0.1% growth and a decrease in luxury spending, despite a robust increase in disposable income. While the premium price point of many New Zealand products makes the high-income middle class in Tier 1 cities a natural fit, ignoring these emerging urban centres would be a missed opportunity. The challenge for Kiwi businesses is to watch these trends closely and plan their play to expand at the right time. Of course, this isn't to say we've 'drunk the baijiu' so to speak. New Zealand businesses certainly face significant hurdles. When asked about their biggest challenges, the top concern for 57% of companies was strong domestic competition. This was followed by the difficulty of adapting to a changing retail environment and shifting consumer preferences (43%). The challenge for Kiwi businesses is to watch these trends closely and plan their play to expand at the right time. Nick Calder Traditional fears like legal hurdles and market access issues ranked much lower, at only 19%. This suggests the primary battle for Kiwi firms has shifted from getting into the market to competing within it. This is reinforced by another key challenge, weak brand awareness for New Zealand Inc., with 44% respondents feeling that there is weak brand recognition for NZ, making it harder to present their value proposition to consumers. On the 'ease of doing business,' most respondents found it to be either somewhat easy or neutral. While that may not sound like a positive number, it implies that most businesses are not fighting for basic access but are instead competing on a relatively level playing field—a crucial sign of a maturing market relationship. This resilience rests on a strong foundation. The New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement, now more than 17 years old and China's first with a developed nation, ensures that 99% of our goods enter China tariff-free. This bilateral relationship is critical for business, with 70% of respondents believing the strength of this relationship is important for their commercial success. NZBRiC 2025 Business Outlook Survey This confidence extends to how the relationship is managed, with 69% of companies stating they are satisfied with the New Zealand government's approach to the bilateral relationship. Many businesses in China see first-hand the impact of our active and engaged diplomats, whose strong working-level relationships help maintain market access and improve the speed to market for our perishable goods. Without such strong advocacy, New Zealand companies could not thrive in the way they have. Given the opportunities and risks, what is the way forward for businesses as they navigate the journey into the Middle Kingdom? Our report offers several key recommendations for both business and government. Strategies for success - For businesses · Understand Market Dynamics and Move into New Markets. As someone who moved from a New Zealand dairy farm to China, I know first-hand that the speed of change can be dizzying. To succeed, businesses must understand that China is not a monolith. The retail and e-commerce markets differ markedly across the country. Expanding into Tier 2 and 3 cities requires more than just localising products, it needs strong local partnerships built on a long-term vision. · Bridge the Gap Between HQ and Your China Team. Success depends on hiring talented local staff who understand the Chinese market and can communicate effectively with their New Zealand-based colleagues. Companies must invest in mutual cultural understanding and empower their local teams to make decisions at speed. In this hyper-competitive market, business decisions often cannot wait two days, let alone a week. · Evolve the 'New Zealand Story'. The traditional 'clean and green' branding is a starting point, businesses should use social media to build a deeper narrative, one that showcases New Zealand's unique values, personality, and ingenuity to achieve new brand differentiation. For government · China must continue breaking down internal barriers. By fully implementing its 'National Unified Market' policy, Beijing can reduce the friction between provinces and cities. This will make it easier for our exporters to expand beyond traditional Tier 1 markets as consumption patterns evolve. · Both governments must maintain a strong working relationship. This means continuing the full implementation of the NZ-China FTA, nurturing strong working-level relationships, and streamlining processes wherever possible. A year for strategic growth The year 2025 is the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac, an animal associated with wisdom, transformation, and strategic thinking. By embracing these qualities, businesses can navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities in New Zealand's 'Year of Growth'. To download a copy of the report, please visit Nick Calder is executive director of the New Zealand Business Roundtable in China (NZBRiC)