A highly unlikely new player has emerged in the Pacific Rim tourism industry – North Korea.
The Associated Press reports North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inaugurated the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone, which encompasses hotels, restaurants and cafeterias, and recreational activities include an oceanfront beach. Kim hailed the project as “one of the greatest successes this year,” adding this would be “the proud first step” in building a tourism industry.
Details on the construction of this tourist zone are scant, with observers speculating Kim relied heavily on Chinese investments to create this endeavor. As for the tourists, North Korea has not announced when visitors will be arriving – although the Russian news agency Tass said tourists from Russia’s Primorsky region will begin arriving during the second week of July.
North Korea’s tiny tourism industry was shut down during the pandemic and only began receiving Russian tourists again in 2024. Chinese tourists, who made up the largest share of pre-pandemic visitors, are expected to arrive later.
During this first administration’s outreach to North Korea, President Trump touted the commercial potential of nation’s shoreline while claiming it “has tremendous condo capabilities.” However, there is no word if Americans would be welcomed at the Wonsan-Kalma site.
