On July 18, the DPR Korea Tour website of the North Korean National Administration of Tourism suddenly announced that it would temporarily stop receiving international tourists at Wonsan Kalma beach resort. This is a large-scale tourist area in the port city of Wonsan, on the east coast of North Korea, which opened on July 1.
" Kalma coastal tourism area in Wonsan is currently not accepting foreign tourists," the announcement was briefly written. The cause was not mentioned.
Previously, Wonsan Kalma was widely promoted as a high-class resort serving both domestic and foreign tourists.
Many international tourists, including Russian tourists, have planned to visit this new destination in North Korea. During his trip to Korea in mid-July, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui right at the resort.
Yonhap said that the temporary suspension of welcoming foreign visitors may reflect the fact that the number of international visitors to Wonsan Kalma did not meet expectations.
According to BBC, a package tour for the next week in North Korea, including four days in Kalma, costs up to 1,800 USD (about 47 million VND).
In addition, high operating costs and strict security regulations may also be the reasons why Wonsan Kalma has difficulty attracting international customers.
Wonsan Kalma Resort was announced in 2013 with the hope of contributing to turning the Wonsan area into a major economic and resort center. However, the project has been delayed many times due to the pandemic and sanctions.
At the inauguration ceremony on June 24, Mr. Kim Jong Un appeared with his wife and daughter. He also said he will take Wonsan Kalma as a model to develop other major tourist and cultural areas in the future.
However, experts are still skeptical about Wonsan Kalma's long-term development potential.
International tourists to North Korea still have to comply with strict regulations such as being required to have a tour guide, strictly controlled schedules, not taking photos in sensitive areas and being prohibited from carrying certain documents.
