North Korea to open beach resort as Kim bets on tourism

North Korea is opening a beach resort that its leader Kim Jong Un hopes will boost tourism in the secretive Communist regime, state media reports.

Wonsan Kalma on the east coast will open to domestic tourists on 1 July, six years after it was due to be completed. It is unclear when it will welcome foreigners.

Kim grew up in luxury in Wonsan, where many of the country's elite have private villas, and has been trying to transform the town, which once hosted a missile testing site.

State media KCNA claims the resort can accomodate up to 20,000 visitors, occupying a 4km (2.5 mile) stretch of beach, with hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and a water park - none of these claims can be verified.

Heavily scanctioned for decades for its nuclear weapons programme, North Korea is among the poorest countries in the world. It pours most of its resources into its military, or monuments and landmarks, often in Pyongyang, that embellish the image and cult of the Kim family that has run the country since 1948.

Some observers say this is an easy way for Pyongyang to earn money. While foreign tourists are allowed in, tour groups largely tend to come from China and Russia, countries with whom Pyongyang has long maintained friendly relations.

I was hoping this might signal a broader reopening to international tourism, but unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case for now," Rowan Beard, co-founder of Young Pioneer Tours, tells the BBC.

Tourism from overseas took a hit with the pandemic though, with the country closing its borders in early 2020. It did not scale back restrictions until the middle of 2023 and welcomed Russian visitors a year later.

It opened to more Western visitors in February, when visitors from UK, France, Germany and Australia drove across the border from China. It abruptly halted tourism weeks later without saying why.

Some tour agencies are sceptical of Wonsan's appeal to foreigners. It is "unlikely to be a major draw for most Western tourists", Mr Beard says.

"Key sites like Pyongyang, the DMZ, and other brutalist or communist landmarks will continue to be the main highlights for international visitors once broader tourism resumes."

Elliott Davies, director of Uri Tours, however, says North Korea holds a "niche appeal" for travellers drawn to unconventional destinations.

"It's intriguing to experience something as familiar as a beach resort that's been shaped within the unique cultural context of North Korea."

KCNA described the Wonsan development as a "great auspicious event of the whole country" and called it a "prelude to the new era" in tourism.

It was initially scheduled to open in October 2019, but ran into construction delays before the pandemic struck.

Kim attended a ceremony to celebrate its completion on 24 June, accompanied by his daughter, Kim Ju Ae and wife Ri Sol Ju. It marked Ri's first public appearance since a New Year's Day event.

Russian ambassador Alexander Matsegora and embassy staff also attended.

Some tour operators expect the resort to be opened to Russian tourists, who are currently the only foreign nationals allowed into some parts of the country.

The resort's opening comes as North Korea and Russia strengthen their partnership in the face of sanctions from the West.

North Korea has sent troops to fight with Russia against Ukraine.

On Thursday, the two countries also reopened a direct passenger train route between their capitals after a five-year suspension because of the pandemic.