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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Korea just opened a beach resort for 20,000 people. But who will visit?
Kim Jong Un personally cut the ribbon on a new resort hailed by state media as a 'national treasure-level tourism city' — a lavish seaside development set against what human rights observers describe as stark realities of hunger and hardship across North Korea. According to the country's official KCNA news service, Kim opened the sprawling Kalma beachside resort with waterparks, high-rise hotels, and accommodation for nearly 20,000 guests — a sweeping display of extravagance in one of the world's most reclusive nations. The Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, unveiled in a ceremony on June 24, is on North Korea's eastern coast. KCNA reported 'service for domestic guests will begin July 1,' but gave no details on eligibility or transportation. Earlier this month, North Korea announced the opening of Kalma train station, reporting it was built to 'ensure a high level of convenience for travelers to the coastal tourist area.' The Kalma beach resort is next to an international airport, another indication the project is aimed at attracting foreign currency. International attendance at the ribbon-cutting was limited to the Russian ambassador and staff, a nod to Pyongyang's growing alignment with Moscow amid deepening isolation from the West under Kim's authoritarian regime. In 2024 UN human rights chief Volker Turk described North Korea under Kim's rule as 'a stifling, claustrophobic environment, where life is a daily struggle devoid of hope.' Last year, small groups of Russian tourists visited North Korea for three-day ski holidays at Maskiryong resort, which has been a long-standing tourist attraction since its opening in December 2013. These, like all tourist experiences in North Korea, were heavily monitored and controlled by the government. Returning tourists told CNN that they were subject to strict rules about what they could and could not photograph and were required to watch a choreographed dance performance by North Korean children in addition to the outdoor activities. '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,' said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a non-resident fellow with the 38 North program at the Stimson Center. 'More broadly, the opening of a major beach resort like Wonsan-Kalma helps to reinforce the state media narrative of Kim's people-first policy and helps to balance out his greater focus on building up national defense,' Lee added. In a country where international tourism has been open mostly to Russian nationals since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, and where domestic travel is heavily restricted, the new development raises familiar questions about access, audience, and economic feasibility. 'The initial target for this resort is going to be the privileged domestic elite of Pyongyang, such as party officials and other high-ranking figures,' said Lim Eul-chul, a professor of North Korean Studies at South Korea's Kyungnam University. 'The ceremony of the Wonsan-Kalma resort reflects Kim Jong Un's vision of 'socialist civilization' and is part of his strategic effort to seek economic breakthroughs through the tourism industry.' North Korea's most notable experiment with international tourism came in the late 1990s, when it opened the scenic Mount Kumgang area on its southeastern coast to visitors from South Korea. The project was hailed as a rare symbol of inter-Korean engagement during a period of cautious rapprochement. Nearly two million South Koreans traveled to the site over the next decade, providing Pyongyang with a critical stream of hard currency. But the initiative came to an abrupt halt in 2008, after a North Korean soldier fatally shot a South Korean tourist who had reportedly wandered into a restricted military zone – an incident that underscored the fragility of cross-border cooperation and led Seoul to suspend the tours indefinitely. Many of the sites were demolished in 2022, including the Onjonggak Rest House hotel which had hosted cross-border family reunions. Kim had previously called the area 'shabby' and 'backward' during a visit. Indeed, a central question surrounding the new resort is if one of the world's most secretive and repressive countries is prepared to make a greater foray into international tourism, potentially adding to its foreign cash reserves and prestige. So far, Russians appear to be the only foreign tour groups granted access to the beach resort. Vostok Intur, a Vladivostok-based travel agency, is promoting three tour packages - one in July and two in August - priced at around $1,840. According to its website, the first tour is scheduled to begin on July 7 and will last eight days. Travelers will fly from Pyongyang to Wonsan, spend four nights at the resort, and visit the nearby Masikryong Ski Resort. Kim said an expansion of North Korea's tourism zones would be formalized during the ruling party's next congress, likely in the next few months. The lessons learned at Kalma would also be used to develop 'promising large-scale tourist and cultural zones' in other parts of the country, Kim noted. The personal investment of North Korea's leader was underscored by at least seven visits to the Kalma construction site, where Kim offered what state media called 'on-the-spot guidance' and pushed for 'world-class' standards. For Kim's regime, the resort's completion is perceived at home as a significant win and opportunity to showcase development amid stiff international sanctions. In another dimension of symbolism, the nation's leader was joined by his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae, who is widely seen as his likely successor. 'The apparent full attendance of Kim Jong Un's family at the event implies that the project is intended to carry forward the legacy of his predecessors and be sustained for future generations,' explained Lim of Kyungnam University. Plans for the resort were first announced in 2013 as part of Kim's broader vision to transform Wonsan, a historically significant port city, into a hub of economic and leisure activity. The project was delayed several times, most recently because of the pandemic and international sanctions targeting North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. Despite the projections of glamour across the new resort and images of an enigmatic leader touring wave pools and waterslides, experts expressed skepticism about the destination's prospects. 'Whether this resort will provide Kim Jong Un with his much-needed economic gain in the long-term, however, remains to be seen: Wonsan-Kalma is hardly a tourist hotspot in the first place,' said Dr. Edward Howell, a North Korea expert at the University of Oxford. 'Of note, since 2020, Kim Jong Un has adopted an increasingly severe approach towards social control; quashing any signs of the virus of outside information and ideologies entering the DPRK,' Howell emphasized. 'If any Western tourists do come to the resort, the ruling regime will no doubt want to ensure that their actions and movements remain regulated and controlled.'
GMA Network
2 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Trump says he will 'get the conflict solved with North Korea'
Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un shake hands during the second US-North Korea summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, in this photo released on February 28, 2019 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via Reuters/File photo US President Donald Trump on Friday said he will "get the conflict solved with North Korea." At an Oval Office event where he highlighted his efforts to resolve global conflicts, Trump was asked whether he had written a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as was reported this month. Trump did not directly answer the question, but said: "I've had a good relationship with Kim Jong Un and get along with him, really great. So we'll see what happens. "Somebody's saying there's a potential conflict, I think we'll work it out," Trump said. "If there is, it wouldn't involve us." Seoul-based NK News, a website that monitors North Korea, reported this month that North Korea's delegation at the United Nations in New York had repeatedly refused to accept a letter from Trump to Kim. Trump and Kim held three summits during Trump's 2017-2021 first term and exchanged a number of letters that Trump called "beautiful," before the unprecedented diplomatic effort broke down over US demands that Kim give up his nuclear weapons. In his second term Trump has acknowledged that North Korea is a "nuclear power." The White House said on June 11 that Trump would welcome communications again with Kim, while not confirming that any letter was sent. North Korea has shown no interest in returning to talks since the breakdown of Trump's diplomacy in 2019. It has, instead, significantly expanded its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and developed close ties with Russia through direct support for Moscow's war in Ukraine, to which Pyongyang has provided both troops and weaponry. —Reuters
Miami Herald
17 hours ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Wife of North Korea's Kim Jong Un Reemerges With Luxury Handbag
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's wife, Ri Sol Ju, reemerged in public Tuesday after a year and a half out of the spotlight, joining him and their daughter, Ju Ae, at a lavish completion ceremony for a beach resort on the poverty-stricken nation's east coast. Ri, who was last seen in state media photos on January 1, 2024, was pictured carrying what appears to be a handbag made by Italian luxury brand Gucci. Luxury good exports to North Korea are banned under United Nations sanctions targeting Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Nonetheless, such items reportedly make their way into the country via diplomatic pouches, which are exempt from customs inspection under international law. Kim Jong Un's taste for luxury is well documented, from expensive watches and cars to private jets. His close ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, even gifted him a Russian-made limousine after Kim took a liking to the vehicle during his 2023 visit to the country. Newsweek reached out to the North Korean embassy in China via emailed request for comment. Ri's handbag appeared to be a Gucci GG Marmont shoulder bag, which retails for over $2,000. After the regime's move in late 2023 to raise official wages tenfold, the average worker now earns about 30,000 North Korean won-less than $4-per month, analysts say. Retail prices in North Korea are low but analysts say most citizens cannot survive on state salaries alone and must rely on informal or black market work to make ends meet. While Ju Ae-widely believed to be Kim's chosen successor-now frequently appears alongside her father, Ri's reemergence may be part of efforts to showcase the new Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area on the Kalma Peninsula. Kim declared that Wonsan Kalma would "shine as a world-level tourist resort," the first of several "paradises" planned around the country, according to the Korean Central News Agency. State media called the ceremony a "great auspicious event" in a press release. The tourist zone's hotels can accommodate nearly 20,000 guests and it boasts a range of facilities, restaurants and sea bathing. These features, KCNA said, "offer all year round the real taste of the east coast, presenting a wonderful picture of a 4 kilometer (2.5-mile)-long stretch of beach to be crowded with people every year." Moscow's ambassador and other officials from the Russian mission in the country attended the ceremony as special guests, per the outlet. Rachel Minyoung Lee, a non-resident fellow with the 38 North program at the Stimson Center, told CNN: "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. "More broadly, the opening of a major beach resort like Wonsan-Kalma helps to reinforce the state media narrative of Kim's people-first policy and helps to balance out his greater focus on building up national defense," The resort will open to domestic tourists on July 1, according to KCNA. However, tour operators cited by the BBC believe Wonsan Kalma is primarily geared toward visitors from Russia. Russians are currently the only foreign nationals permitted in certain areas of North Korea, as the two countries continue to deepen their ties. Related Articles Iran Will Now Copy North Korea's Nuke Strategy-Top Intel Democrat FearsAs Trump Defends Iran Nuclear Site Destruction, Kim Jong Un Takes NotesUS Allies Ramp Up Sea Power as North Korea Threat RisesIran Lawmakers Eye Page From North Korea Nuclear Playbook After US Strikes 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Daily Mirror
17 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Inside North Korea's huge new coastal resort that rest of world is banned from
North Korea has completed the construction of a major new coastal resort, the Wonsan Kalma tourist area, but it is not currently open to international visitors North Korea has completed the construction of a sprawling new coastal resort, which may eventually be opened to foreign visitors. The Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area, located on the country's east coast along the Sea of Japan, was officially unveiled by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who praised the project as a major milestone in the government's efforts to expand the tourism sector. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim toured the newly built resort and expressed "great satisfaction" with its completion. He declared the development "one of the greatest successes of the year" and described it as 'the proud first step' toward implementing North Korea's broader policy of economic development through tourism. The government views tourism as a potential source of much-needed foreign currency and employment opportunities, especially as international sanctions and economic isolation continue to weigh heavily on the country's economy. The resort, which includes hotels, leisure facilities and beachfront areas, is designed to accommodate approximately 20,000 visitors. It is scheduled to open to domestic tourists next Tuesday, though no specific date has been announced for when it will open to international guests. The opening ceremony was attended by Kim's wife Ri Sol Ju and his daughter Kim Ju Ae, who has made more frequent public appearances in recent months and is widely believed to be his likely successor. The North Korean government has been actively working to present the country as a desirable destination for international travellers, despite its longstanding reputation as one of the world's most closed and secretive states. Kim Jong Un has promoted tourism as a key pillar in his strategy to revitalise the nation's struggling economy. In line with this goal, state media reported that similar large-scale tourist developments are being planned in other regions of the country. However, the prospect of welcoming large numbers of foreign tourists remains uncertain. North Korea closed its borders to international visitors in early 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has yet to fully lift those restrictions. Limited international access has resumed in recent months: since February 2024, North Korea has been accepting tourists from Russia, a move that reflects the growing political and economic ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. Despite this development, Chinese group tours - which historically made up over 90% of foreign tourist arrivals before the pandemic - have not yet resumed. KCNA reported that Russia's ambassador to North Korea and embassy staff attended the opening ceremony of the Wonsan Kalma resort, signalling continued cooperation between the two nations. The report did not mention whether any Chinese diplomats were present at the event. In February 2025, a small group of international tourists visited North Korea for the first time since the pandemic began, marking a tentative step toward reopening the country to the outside world. However, travel agencies reported in March that further tours had been paused for unspecified reasons. In April, North Korea hosted an international marathon in Pyongyang, which featured participation from a limited number of foreign athletes.
Daily Mirror
20 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Inside North Korea's vast new beach resort as Kim Jong Un bets on tourism
The Wonsan-Kalma beach resort is North Korea's biggest tourist site. Russia said Thursday it will send its first group of tourists to the site in July North Korea has unveiled a major coastal tourist attraction which it hopes will be a game-changer for its tourism industry. The Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone boasts an array of hotels and accommodations for nearly 20,000 guests, offering a range of activities including swimming, sports, and dining at on-site restaurants and cafeterias, according to state media reports. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a grand opening ceremony on Tuesday, cutting the inaugural ribbon, as reported by the official Korean Central News Agency on Thursday. Kim hailed the project as "one of the greatest successes this year" and described the site as "the proud first step" in implementing the government's tourism development policy, according to KCNA. The Wonsan-Kalma beach resort is North Korea's largest tourist destination, with KCNA announcing that it will begin operations for domestic tourists next Tuesday. However, no timeline has been provided for welcoming foreign tourists, although Russian officials revealed on Thursday that the first Russian tour to the site is slated for July. Experts suggest that the resort likely required a substantial investment from North Korea's limited budget, implying that it will eventually need to cater to Chinese and other foreign tourists to break even. Kim has been striving to transform the nation into a tourist hotspot in a bid to rejuvenate the struggling economy, with the Wonsan-Kalma zone being one of his most frequently mentioned tourism initiatives. KCNA reported that North Korea will announce plans to construct large tourist sites in other regions of the country as well. However, North Korea hasn't completely lifted a ban on foreign tourists implemented in early 2020 to protect against the COVID pandemic. Experts suggest that North Korea's slow return to international tourism is due to ongoing pandemic restrictions, heightened tensions with the U.S. and South Korea in recent years, and concerns about Western tourists disseminating a negative portrayal of its regime. Russia's Primorsky region, which shares a border with North Korea, announced that the first group of Russian tourists to the resort will set off on July 7. The region's press service stated that during their eight-day journey, Russian tourists will also have the chance to visit key attractions in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, according to Russian state news agency Tass. From February 2024 onwards, North Korea has already started welcoming Russian tourists to other areas amidst flourishing military and other collaborations between the two nations. However, Chinese group tours, which accounted for over 90% of visitors prior to the pandemic, remain on hold. In February this year, a small contingent of international travellers ventured into North Korea, marking their first visit in five years. However, tour operators announced a pause on trips to the hermit kingdom as early as March. Amidst global tensions, Kim Jong-un's regime has been bolstering ties with Russia by sending troops and arms to back its conflict with Ukraine, in exchange for economic and military support. Yet, despite longstanding bonds with China—North Korea's chief trade ally and aid donor—a cooling period is evident as China shows hesitance to form an anti-Western bloc with North Korea and Russia, according to experts. During Tuesday's event, celebrating the completion of a new resort, the Russian ambassador to North Korea attended alongside embassy personnel, as reported by KCNA. The dispatch, however, left out whether any Chinese officials were included on the guest list. "There seems to be issues that North Korea hasn't yet resolved in its relations with China. But North Korea has put in too much money on tourism and plans to spend more. Subsequently, to get its money's worth, North Korea can't help receiving Chinese tourists," noted Lee Sangkeun, a specialist at South Korea's Institute for National Security Strategy, a think tank operated by the country's intelligence service. Kyungnam University's Far Eastern Studies savant, Lim Eul-chul, has revealed that Russians will kick off foreign tourist footfall at Wonsan-Kalma. Moreover, he predicts that Sino-North Korean exchanges through Chinese tours to the leisure zone are set to commence soon, underpinning the reviving trade relations between Beijing and Pyongyang.
