North Korea’s New Coastal Resort Ceremony
On Tuesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inaugurated a new coastal tourist resort during a grand ceremony, although foreign tourists won’t be visiting for quite some time. This marks his first ribbon-cutting for the Wonsan-Kalma resort.
Kim described the project as “one of the greatest successes of the year” and positioned it as a significant milestone for the country’s tourism industry, according to the state-run South Korean Central News Agency. State media reported that the resort includes accommodations for roughly 20,000 visitors, featuring opportunities for swimming, sports, and dining.
The resort, touted as the largest tourist destination in the country, is set to open for domestic tourism next Tuesday. However, there was no mention of when foreign tourists could expect to visit.
Some analysts suggest that North Korea might eventually need to welcome Chinese and other foreign tourists to help recover the costs of building the resort. Yet, resuming international tourism has been slow, due in part to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, rising tensions with the US and South Korea, and fears of negative perceptions from foreign visitors regarding the regime.
It is expected that the resort will initially attract Russian tourists, underscoring the country’s growing ties with Russia even as the relationship with China remains uncertain. The North Korean ambassador to Russia was present at the inauguration, but reports did not clarify whether Chinese diplomats were invited.
As the tourism situation seems tenuous, some local experts feel it may be a while before tourism really picks back up. On a brighter note, recent political shifts in South Korea and the US might pave the way for more constructive dialogue with North Korea.
Kim appears committed to establishing the country as a go-to destination for tourism as part of efforts to rejuvenate the struggling economy. Reports suggest that plans for developing additional tourist attractions in other regions are also underway.
