North Korea Promotes Wonsan as a Tourist Destination
At the end of the year, various news sources noted that North Korea’s government prominently featured the Wonsan Karma tourist area in its official calendar, particularly aiming at attracting Chinese tourists. This signals a strong intention to promote travel to this beach resort area next year.
Over the past decade, Kim Jong-un has poured substantial investments into transforming Wonsan’s beach zone into a premier tourist location. However, this area remains financially inaccessible to many within North Korea’s struggling population. The aim, it seems, is to bolster the nation’s stagnant economy through this tourism initiative. After various construction hold-ups due to the pandemic, the Wonsan Karma opened to visitors this summer, with notable early guests including Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
According to the South China Morning Post, the North Korean calendar for 2026 targeted at potential Chinese tourists boasts attractive images of newly constructed hotels and beach areas in Wonsan. Japan’s Kyodo News reported on these calendar images, which showcased aerial views of the beach alongside a skyscraper identified as a hotel.
The travel publication Travel and World Tours described Wonsan as a “scenic city on the country’s east coast,” emphasizing its allure for those looking for a seaside retreat in North Korea, especially with the return of the Pyongyang International Marathon planned for 2026.
The magazine noted that for years, China has been the primary source of tourists for North Korea, playing a critical role in the country’s post-pandemic tourism recovery. The Pyongyang Marathon is slated for April 6.
Wonsan also appeared in a calendar distributed by the North Korean regime to high-ranking officials. The outlet NK Insider stated that North Korea regularly publishes such calendars for internal and sympathetic foreigners, using them as propaganda tools to convey the intentions of the party leadership for the upcoming year. Along with Wonsan, the calendar highlighted iconic Mount Paekdu, a volcano of notable cultural significance to the Kim family’s regime.
NK Insider commented that the new calendar emphasizes Kim Jong Un’s focus for 2026 on strengthening military capabilities while simultaneously attracting foreign currency through tourism. The choice to showcase Wonsan images indicates a deliberate strategy to draw in foreign tourists and generate revenue to support the regime.
North Korea stands as one of the world’s most repressive regimes, with its citizens obligated to either venerate Kim Jong Un and his family or face severe consequences, including forced labor camps for descendants. Rights abuses are rampant, and the UN has confirmed ongoing denial of civil liberties for most North Koreans, many of whom struggle for basic necessities without adequate medical care.
Similar to other communist systems, Kim’s regime appears to have invested little in the welfare of its people, favoring instead exorbitant expenditures on an illegal nuclear program. Kim aims to make tourism the leading industry, building upon traditional tourism interests, particularly among older Chinese communists seeking a nostalgic experience. The Masoryong Ski Resort, opened in 2014, illustrates these efforts, as does the Wonsan initiative, which Kim first proposed in 2013, with significant construction ramping up in 2018.
During this period, China remained North Korea’s closest ally, with state-run media covering the Wonsan development positively.
Xinhua News Agency reported progress in North Korea, asserting that the Wonsan Kama Coast Tourist Area was taking shape, featuring distinctive graphics and landscape enhancements. The agency praised Wonsan’s “beautiful beach scenery,” while South Korean media highlighted Kim’s push for investment from China to expedite the project’s completion. It’s still unclear how successful North Korea has been in securing Chinese funds.
By the next year, evidence suggested that Kim had prioritized the Wonsan resort within government plans. Reports indicated substantial construction activity, supported by satellite imagery; however, there were complaints from South Koreans about a “construction” tax levied to finance this project, pressuring local men into labor roles to expedite work.
The pandemic had a significant impact on construction in Wonsan. Kim’s strategy shifted politically, leaning toward Russia after experiencing what was branded the “worst situation in its history.” Notably, there were rumors of Kim’s health declining due to the virus, alongside reports involving both him and Xi Jinping. For a period, Wonsan fell off international radar after North Korea barred foreign entry.
In August 2024, Kim lifted travel restrictions, and the Wonsan Resort was eventually opened to the public. Notably, Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov was the first foreign visitor to publicly endorse the project during his visit, describing it as a promising tourist attraction.
“I hope it will become popular not only with local residents, but also with Russians,” Lavrov remarked.
