North Korea has a new luxury beach resort. But the country isn't open to most tourists

Published on July 5, 2025

Title: North Korea's New Luxury Beach Resort - A Step Towards Economic Prosperity?

In an unexpected turn of events, North Korea has opened a luxury beach resort in Wonsan on its eastern seacoast. The Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area spans across the 2.5-mile beach of the Kalma Peninsula and boasts some 400 buildings including high-rise hotels and villas that can accommodate around 20,000 guests. This resort also features cultural and commercial amenities such as a water park, gym, concert hall, restaurant, auto shop, car wash, beer hall, and department store.

This development comes after President Trump's meeting with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un in 2018 where he suggested that instead of exploding cannons into the ocean, they could have "the best hotels in the world" right there. Although nuclear negotiations between Trump and Kim fell apart, it seems like a version of this vision has become reality.

The opening of this luxury resort suggests that Pyongyang is pursuing economic prosperity alongside military ambitions and reclusive dictatorships. Despite recent missile tests in the same city of Wonsan, there's no indication yet that the resort will be open to most foreign tourists. However, it does showcase Kim Jong Un's push for tourism as a means to boost his country's sanctions-ridden economy - one of the few remaining legitimate sources of foreign currency.

This development could have significant implications if North Korea decides to open up its borders further and allow more tourists in. It would not only bring much-needed revenue but also provide an opportunity for cultural exchange between North Koreans and visitors from around the world. However, until then, this luxury resort remains a symbol of Pyongyang's aspirations towards economic prosperity amidst ongoing political tensions.

In conclusion, while we wait to see how open North Korea will be in welcoming foreign tourists, their new luxury beach resort serves as an interesting testament to the country's ambitions for economic growth and development. It remains to be seen whether this is just a one-off project or part of a larger strategy aimed at transforming the nation's economy through tourism.

Source: [Original Article](https://www.npr.org/2025/07/05/g-s1-75663/north-korea-beach-resort-wonsan-tourism) #north

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