Kim Jong Un is betting big on sun, sand, and tourists to reshape North Korea’s global image with a flashy new beach resort opening this summer. The Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, a sprawling complex along a 2.5-mile stretch of North Korea’s east coast, welcomed its first domestic visitors on July 1, 2025. After years of delays, this resort, designed to host 20,000 guests a year, marks a bold step to boost tourism in a nation often shrouded in secrecy.
Located in Wonsan, a city close to Kim’s childhood home and a playground for North Korea’s elite with their private villas, the resort is packed with attractions. Think modern hotels with everything from swanky Presidential suites to budget dorms and camping zones. Add in restaurants, shopping malls, a water park, bars, a casino, and even local trains and trams, and it’s clear this place aims to compete with top beach destinations. The sandy coastline itself is the star, offering a rare chance to relax in a country known more for missiles than margaritas.
The project kicked off in January 2018, with plans to open by April 2019. But construction hiccups and the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the finish line six years out. On June 24, 2025, Kim Jong Un, joined by his wife Ri Sol Ju, daughter Kim Ju Ae, and Russia’s ambassador, celebrated the resort’s opening with daytime ceremonies and a lively evening show. Kim called it a “proud first step” toward building a world-class tourist culture.
Right now, only North Koreans can visit, but the doors may soon crack open for Chinese and Russian tourists, thanks to deals like resumed train links with Russia. Whether Western travelers will ever stroll these beaches is anyone’s guess, given North Korea’s tense global ties. The resort is part of a bigger plan to develop the Wonsan-Mt. Kumgang International Tourism Zone is a 400-square-kilometer area with other draws, such as a ski resort. Kim dreams of more such projects, hoping tourism will pump foreign cash into his sanctioned economy.
Still, pulling this off won’t be easy. Sanctions, spotty infrastructure, and North Korea’s closed-off vibe could keep the crowds away.
Can a nation known for isolation really become a hot vacation spot?
