Wonsan Kalma resort is temporarily closed to foreigners

North Korean officials temporarily closed the Wonsan Kalma seaside tourist area, which opened on July 1, 2025, to foreign tourists. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

The country's official tourism website provided this information. Initially, it was announced that this resort would be open to both local and foreign tourists, but currently, it is only operating for domestic tourism.

The Wonsan Kalma resort is one of the significant projects implemented by North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un to revitalize the economy through tourism. Last week, reports emerged that the first Russian tourists visited this area.

During meetings, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described Wonsan as a "wonderful tourist destination" and expressed hope for its popularity among Russian tourists. Direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang are expected to be launched at the end of this month.

Russian tourist companies have planned several trips for the coming months. The city of Wonsan is located on North Korea's eastern coast and is known for its military facilities and large port infrastructure.

This city is where Kim Jong Un spent his childhood. The new resort area includes hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, and a water park built along a 4-kilometer-long coastline.

According to state media, this place has the capacity to accommodate 20,000 guests at the same time. However, construction work has been ongoing since 2018, and human rights organizations have criticized the working conditions, stating that workers are laboring under forced and harsh conditions.

On June 24, during the opening ceremony of the resort, family members of Kim Jong Un and Russian diplomats participated. North Korea allowed Russian tourists to enter for the first time after the pandemic last year, and in February 2025, guests from Australia, Germany, France, and Britain were also welcomed.

However, a few weeks later, these visits were halted. The reason for this is currently unknown.