North Korea bans foreign tourists from new Wonsan resort weeks after opening
North Korea has temporarily barred foreign tourists from its newly opened Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, just weeks after its July 1 launch. The luxury seaside resort, boasting hotels, malls, and a water park along a 4 km beachfront, was designed to attract both locals and foreigners as part of Kim Jong Un’s tourism ambitions.
The move comes shortly after the first Russian tourists arrived and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised the site during a visit. Plans for direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang remain in place, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
Authorities have not explained the sudden ban. Tourism in North Korea had only resumed earlier this year after pandemic closures but was halted again without clarification. Human rights groups have criticized the resort's construction, alleging forced labor and poor working conditions.
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