In North Korea there is a new tourist destination

In these days. Nevertheless, a vast complex of tourist facilities in Kalma has been inaugurated in North Korea, a peninsula with many beaches in the east of the country. Therefore, It is one of the attempts of the North Korean regime. For example, among the most repressive in the world, to encourage tourism: so far, however, it has been visited only by North Korean citizens, and not by foreigners, who are the ones who serve the most.

International tourists are in practice the only legal way to North Korea to acquire foreign currency. However, given that due to the United Nations sanctions cannot trade with the rest of the world. Similarly, The foreign currency reserves serve the regime to finance its nuclear program. Moreover, which is considered the best insurance against any foreign attempts to overturn it. For example, In fact. Furthermore, North north korea there new tourist Korea has many enemies and few allies: in practice only Russia and China, which are also the two countries from which most of the tourists typically come. However, Russia is also the country with which she has the major economic relationships. after she too has been cut off from most of the international community due to the vigor of Ukraine.

Until a few years ago. China was the country from which 90 percent of foreign tourists came (until 2020 there were about 300 thousand every year), but since the times of the Pandemia di Coronavirus its government no longer allows citizens to go to North Korea. Since that year North Korea closed its boundaries in general. only since 2024 has started to ready visitors, although in an extremely limited way: some groups of Russians, in total a few hundred people, and, at the beginning of 2025, some international groups of north korea there new tourist a few dozen people each, also open to the citizens of Western countries. In March, suddenly, the country’s borders were closed again and it is not known when they reopen.

However, the regime seems to focus a lot on the new Kalma structures, which are located near the city of Wonsan and therefore are also called with this name, and which until a few years ago were also used for the army artillery exercises. Kim Jong Una. a dictator since 2012, as far as he knows he has passed in the area part of the childhood and maintains one of his residences (the details north korea there new tourist on his life are particularly difficult to discover also for foreign esterety agencies), and focuses on his tourism development since the first years of his power. Theoretically the complex should have opened in 2019. but first some changes to the project required by Kim himself and then the pandemic slowed down the work.

On the occasion of their end. in June, Kim visited the site and was photographed on the beach and on a belvedere together with his daughter Kim Ju Ae, who often accompanies him in official ceremonies and is considered his most likely heir for the moment. In the photos you can see numerous buildings from different floors to host visitors.

However, the North Korean state propaganda presented the opening of the Kalma resorts as a success, of course. According to the national media. controlled by the regime, among the activities that can be done in the area north korea there new tourist there are standing by the sea, turning in a motorboat or motorbike, water skiing, playing beach volleyball and visiting the water park built in the area. Several photos have also been published showing North Korean people having fun with the typical beach tourism activities.

It is not clear when the boundaries are reopened to international tourism: they may want months or years. When these trips were possible. foreign tourists were strictly supervised while they were in the country, and there were many limitations to what they could do. There were also possible group visits only accompanied by official guides of the regime. In 2016 north korea there new tourist an American tourist. eight Warmbier, was arrested by the North Korean law enforcement officers on charges of having tried to steal a propaganda poster from the hotel in which he stayed, and sentenced to 15 years of forced labor. He was returned to the United States the following year: he was in a coma. died six days after his return to the country.

– Read also: What can be seen on organized tours in North Korea, told by those who were there