Latest news with #DPRK
Al Bawaba
a day ago
- Business
- Al Bawaba
Can tourists visit North Korea's biggest beach resort?
Published June 28th, 2025 - 11:48 GMT ALBAWABA - North Korean President Kim Jong Un has attended the opening of a new resort that was referred to as a "national treasure-level tourism city". However, who will be able to visit it and can tourists now visit North Korea? A lavish seaside resort was launched in North Korea and will open its doors to the public on July 1st. According to the official KCNA news service, the president opened the sprawling Kalma beachside resort with waterparks, high-rise hotels, and accommodation that can host about 20,000 visitors at once. DPRK opens beach resort exclusively for Russians and localsKim Jong Un inaugurated the Wonsan Kalma resort with his family and Russia's ambassador — calling it a milestone for national tourism The 5-km complex features hotels, dining, shopping, a water park, and mini-golf — RT (@RT_com) June 26, 2025 The Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, which was opened in a huge ceremony on June 24, is located on North Korea's eastern coast. Local media said "service for domestic guests will begin July 1," however, no other details on eligibility or transportation were shared. The Kalma beach resort is located near an international airport, which could be a hint that it aims to attract not only locals but also foreign currency, CNN mentioned. Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, international tourism in the country has largely been limited to Russian visitors, while strict limitations on domestic travel remain in place. This latest development once again brings to the forefront long-standing concerns around who has access, who the intended audience is, and whether such efforts make economic sense. "Wonsan-Kalma is open to just North Koreans for now, but we should not be surprised to see Russians at the resort in the not-too-distant future," Rachel Minyoung Lee, a non-resident fellow with the 38 North program at the Stimson Center, said. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
See - Sada Elbalad
3 days ago
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
North Korea Inaugurates Wonsan Kalma Coastal Resort with National Ceremony
H-Tayea The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) inaugurated the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area on June 24 with a large-scale ceremony attended by top government and Party officials, including DPRK leader Kim Jong Un. Located on the scenic Kalma Peninsula along North Korea's east coast, the resort features hundreds of newly constructed buildings designed to host up to 20,000 guests. The development includes multiple hotels, a water park, cultural and entertainment venues, and a four-kilometer stretch of beachfront, reflecting the regime's push to boost tourism and present a modernized image. In his inaugural speech, DPRK Premier Pak Thae Song praised the project as a 'monument to the people-first ideology' of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and a symbol of the country's "creative and vigorous executive abilities." He credited Kim Jong Un's vision and direct oversight for the resort's completion, highlighting its significance in the Party's broader policy of cultural and economic revitalization. Kim Jong Un cut the ceremonial ribbon and toured the new facilities, expressing satisfaction at the realization of a long-cherished project aimed at providing leisure and comfort to the North Korean people. He described the resort as a model for future tourism development and emphasized the importance of delivering a high-quality experience to both domestic and, potentially, foreign visitors. Set to open to North Korean tourists on July 1, the Wonsan Kalma resort is positioned as a flagship development in the country's bid to strengthen its tourism sector, with further projects to be announced at the upcoming Ninth Congress of the WPK. Foreign dignitaries, including the Russian ambassador and embassy staff, were in attendance at the event, which concluded with a fireworks display and artistic performances celebrating the opening of what officials described as a 'world-class coastal resort.' read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Executions, forced labour and starvation persist in North Korea, UN official says
A decade after a landmark UN report found North Korea guilty of crimes against humanity, many abuses continue, a UN official has said. James Heenan, the UN human rights official, said that while North Korea has engaged more with some international bodies, it has tightened control over its population. Mr Heenan said he was still surprised by the continued prevalence of executions, forced labour and reports of starvation in the authoritarian country. Mr Heenan, who investigated rights in the isolated state, told Reuters in an interview that 'the post-Covid period for DPRK means a period of much greater government control over people's lives and restrictions on their freedoms', referring to North Korea 's official name (Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK). A follow-up UN report by Mr Heenan's team at the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in DPRK is expected later this year. North Korea has repeatedly rejected allegations of human rights abuses, claiming that the UN and foreign nations are using such accusations as political tools to undermine its government. The 2013 UN report into the human rights situation in North Korea stated: 'We heard from ordinary people who faced torture and imprisonment for doing nothing more than watching foreign soap operas or holding a religious belief.' 'Women and men who exercised their human right to leave the DPRK and were forcibly repatriated spoke about their experiences of torture, sexual violence, inhumane treatment and arbitrary detention. Family members of persons abducted from the Republic of Korea and Japan described the agony they endured ever since the enforced disappearance of their loved ones at the hands of agents of the DPRK,' said Michael Kirby, the then-chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK. A 2023 Reuters investigation revealed that during the Covid-19 pandemic, Kim Jong Un focused on constructing an extensive network of walls and fences along the once loosely controlled border with China, later extending similar barriers around Pyongyang. According to a new report from the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, Covid-19 spread in North Korea for over two years before the regime acknowledged its presence in May 2022, mishandling the crisis in ways that restricted basic freedoms and forced much of the population to survive without adequate support. In March this year, Human Rights Watch and Transitional Justice Working Group claimed Pyongyang implemented excessive and unnecessary measures to tackle Covid that made the 'already isolated country even more repressive'. On Wednesday, SI Analytics, a satellite imagery firm based in Seoul, reported that North Korea is renovating a major prison camp near the Chinese border, likely in reaction to global criticism, while also tightening physical control over inmates, disguised as infrastructure upgrades. Mr Heenan said that interviews with over 300 North Korean defectors revealed deep despair, with some even hoping for war to change the situation. 'Sometimes we hear people saying they sort of hope a war breaks out, because that might change things,' he said. Several of those interviewed will share their stories publicly for the first time next week. 'It's a rare opportunity to hear from people publicly what they want to say about what's happening in the DPRK,' Mr Heenan said.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Executions, forced labour and starvation persist in North Korea, UN official says
A decade after a landmark UN report found North Korea guilty of crimes against humanity, many abuses continue, a UN official has said. James Heenan, the UN human rights official, said that while North Korea has engaged more with some international bodies, it has tightened control over its population. Mr Heenan said he was still surprised by the continued prevalence of executions, forced labour and reports of starvation in the authoritarian country. Mr Heenan, who investigated rights in the isolated state, told Reuters in an interview that 'the post-Covid period for DPRK means a period of much greater government control over people's lives and restrictions on their freedoms', referring to North Korea's official name (Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK). A follow-up UN report by Mr Heenan's team at the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in DPRK is expected later this year. North Korea has repeatedly rejected allegations of human rights abuses, claiming that the UN and foreign nations are using such accusations as political tools to undermine its government. The 2013 UN report into the human rights situation in North Korea stated: 'We heard from ordinary people who faced torture and imprisonment for doing nothing more than watching foreign soap operas or holding a religious belief.' 'Women and men who exercised their human right to leave the DPRK and were forcibly repatriated spoke about their experiences of torture, sexual violence, inhumane treatment and arbitrary detention. Family members of persons abducted from the Republic of Korea and Japan described the agony they endured ever since the enforced disappearance of their loved ones at the hands of agents of the DPRK,' said Michael Kirby, the then-chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK. A 2023 Reuters investigation revealed that during the Covid-19 pandemic, Kim Jong Un focused on constructing an extensive network of walls and fences along the once loosely controlled border with China, later extending similar barriers around Pyongyang. According to a new report from the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, Covid-19 spread in North Korea for over two years before the regime acknowledged its presence in May 2022, mishandling the crisis in ways that restricted basic freedoms and forced much of the population to survive without adequate support. In March this year, Human Rights Watch and Transitional Justice Working Group claimed Pyongyang implemented excessive and unnecessary measures to tackle Covid that made the 'already isolated country even more repressive'. On Wednesday, SI Analytics, a satellite imagery firm based in Seoul, reported that North Korea is renovating a major prison camp near the Chinese border, likely in reaction to global criticism, while also tightening physical control over inmates, disguised as infrastructure upgrades. Mr Heenan said that interviews with over 300 North Korean defectors revealed deep despair, with some even hoping for war to change the situation. 'Sometimes we hear people saying they sort of hope a war breaks out, because that might change things,' he said. Several of those interviewed will share their stories publicly for the first time next week. 'It's a rare opportunity to hear from people publicly what they want to say about what's happening in the DPRK,' Mr Heenan said.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rights abuses continue in North Korea a decade after probe, says UN investigator
By Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) -A decade after a landmark U.N. report concluded North Korea committed crimes against humanity, a U.N. official investigating rights in the isolated state told Reuters many abuses continue, exacerbated by COVID-era controls that have yet to be lifted. James Heenan, who represents the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul, said he is still surprised by the continued prevalence of executions, forced labour and reports of starvation in the authoritarian country. Later this year Heenan's team will release a follow-up report to the 2014 findings by the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which said the government had committed "systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations" that constituted crimes against humanity. DPRK is North Korea's official name. While the conclusions of this year's report are still being finalised, Heenan told Reuters in an interview that the last 10 years have seen mixed results, with North Korea's government engaging more with some international institutions, but doubling down on control at home. "The post-COVID period for DPRK means a period of much greater government control over people's lives and restrictions on their freedoms," he said in the interview. North Korea's embassy in London did not answer phone calls seeking comment. The government has in the past denied abuses and accused the U.N. and foreign countries of trying to use human rights as a political weapon to attack North Korea. A Reuters investigation in 2023 found leader Kim Jong Un had spent much of the COVID pandemic building a massive string of walls and fences along the previously porous border with China, and later built fences around the capital of Pyongyang. A report this week by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said the COVID pandemic raged in North Korea for more than two years before the regime admitted in May 2022 that the virus had permeated its borders, and that the regime bungled the response in a way that violated freedoms and left most citizens to fend for themselves. On Wednesday SI Analytics, a Seoul-based satellite imagery firm, released a report noting North Korea is renovating a key prison camp near the border with China, possibly in response to international criticism, while simultaneously strengthening physical control over prisoners under the pretence of facility improvement. Heenan said his team has talked to more than 300 North Koreans who fled their country in recent years, and many expressed despair. "Sometimes we hear people saying they sort of hope a war breaks out, because that might change things," he said. A number of those interviewees will speak publicly for the first time next week as part of an effort to put a human face on the U.N. findings. "It's a rare opportunity to hear from people publicly what they want to say about what's happening in the DPRK," Heenan said. He expressed concern about funding cuts for international aid and U.N. programmes around the world, which is pressuring human rights work and threatening support for North Korean refugees. While human rights has traditionally been a politically volatile subject not only for Pyongyang but for foreign governments trying to engage with the nuclear-armed North, Heenan said the issues like prison camps need to be part of any engagement on a political settlement. "There's no point self-censoring on human rights, because... no one's fooled," he said.
