Wonsan, North Korea — In a bid to boost its struggling economy, North Korea has officially opened the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, a massive new beach resort along the country’s east coast.
State media showcased the launch as a milestone achievement, with leader Kim Jong Un presiding over the opening ceremony. The sprawling complex includes modern hotels, water parks, seaside promenades, and leisure facilities designed to host up to 20,000 visitors.
While Western travelers remain largely barred from entry due to sanctions and strict restrictions, the resort has already welcomed its first foreign groups from Russia. North Korean media also highlighted domestic tourists enjoying the attractions — families swimming in the surf, children on water slides, and colorful umbrellas dotting the beach.
Analysts say the resort is part of Pyongyang’s broader strategy to promote carefully controlled leisure spaces as both economic drivers and political symbols. Similar to previous projects such as the Masikryong ski resort, Wonsan-Kalma is seen as a showcase of infrastructure meant to project regime success while reinforcing national pride.
Some experts have compared the project to authoritarian leisure complexes of the past, such as Germany’s Prora during the 1930s, where tourism and recreation were used as tools of political messaging. For North Korea, the resort represents both a domestic escape and a statement to the outside world.
Whether the resort can achieve sustainability depends on the regime’s ability to reopen tourism beyond a handful of allies. For now, the Wonsan-Kalma complex stands as one of the largest undertakings in North Korea’s push to use leisure and tourism to shape its image and future.